Rachel Shaffer is a research assistant.
Remember the 2000 hit film, Erin Brockovich? It was the Hollywood version of a real-life investigation into the contamination of groundwater in Hinkley, California with a known human carcinogen called hexavalent chromium (or hexchrome for short).
Well, hexchrome is back on (a slightly smaller) screen, this time featured in a two-part series by the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) and PBS NewsHour.
The series, which aired on public TV stations earlier this month, highlights the continuing problem of hexchrome contamination around the country, including the still-unresolved situation in Hinkley. Some 70 million Americans are exposed to this carcinogen through the water they drink.
But the program also dives into another, even more concerning problem: Years of delay in finalizing EPA’s risk assessment for the toxic metal, a prerequisite to any effective regulation. Why the delay? Unfortunately, it’s an all-too-familiar story: the chemical industry is stalling the process.
And what are the consequences? As EDF’s Senior Scientist Dr. Richard Denison says in the series: “Decisions delayed are health protections denied.” The chromium standard for drinking water has not been updated since 1991 and does not reflect recent scientific findings indicating that the standard needs to be significantly lowered to protect public health.
Check out the CPI/PBS segments (links below) and the related articles in CPI’s Toxic Clout series, which is part of an ongoing investigation of excessive industry influence in science and policy.
Part 1: Science for Sale
Part 2: Decision Delayed on Dangerous Chemical in Drinking Water