Document 6RR7e9BpmZ89mrX81gy56Vx5E

Message From: Sent: To: CC: Subject: Jones, Enesta [/0=EXCHANGELABS/OU=EXCHANGE ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=65B8E6C6E5CA4A7A9AE85D98A4C8EEDB-EJONES02] 8/8/2017 2:55:24 PM Jessica Chini Ex. 6 i L __________________________________________________________ ! Press [/o=ExchangeLabs/ou=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Recipients/cn=b293283291dc44eOb5dlc36be9281d8a-Press] RE: Port Washington Times - Contaminants above health guidelines? Hi Jessica, Please attribute to an EPA spokesperson: EPA has a drinking w ater standard of 100 part per billion (ppb) for total chromium. This includes all forms of chromium, including hexavalent chromium. EPA also currently has a National Primary Drinking W ater Regulation for heptachlor epoxide w ith an M CL o f zero and an MCLG of 0.002 mg/L (0.2 ppb). EPA's drinking w ater standards include M axim um Contam inant Level Goals (MCLG) and M axim um Contam inant Levels (MCLs). An MCLG is the level o f a contam inant in drinking w ater below w hich there is no known or expected risk to health (allowing for a margin of safety). MCLs are the enforceable standard and are set as close to MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatm ent technology and taking cost into consideration. Citizens that wish to learn m ore about w hat levels may or may not be in drinking w ater, who are served by a public water system, can contact their local water supplier and ask for more information. They are also encouraged to request a copy o f their Consum er Confidence Report. The CCR lists the levels of contam inants that have been detected in the water and w hether the system meets state and EPA drinking w ater standards. The CCR also describes potential health effects o f any contam inant detected in violation of an EPA health standard. EPA does not currently regulate 1,4-dioxane. However, EPA included 1,4-dioxane on the fourth Contam inant Candidate List, a list o f drinking w ater contam inants that may require regulation. The EPA collected data on the occurrence of 1,4dioxane in drinking w ater as part of the third Unregulated Contam inant M onitoring Rule. EPA is evaluating the occurrence of and health effects data for 1,4-dioxane in drinking w ater, but has not made a determ ination to regulate 1,4-dioxane under the Safe Drinking W ater Act. To learn m ore about the CCL please visit: w w w .epa.gov/ccl. To review EPA's UCMR data visit: www.epa.gov/ucm r Enesta Jones U.S. EPA Office of M edia Relations Office: 202.564.7873 "The root of all joy is gratefulness." From: Jessica Chin \ x. 6 Sent: W ednesday, August 2, 2017 3:38 PM Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 13 ED 002061 00027589-00001 To: Jones, Enesta <Jones.Enesta(5)epa.gov> Subject: Re: Port W ashington Times - Contam inants above health guidelines? Hi Enesta, Thank you very much for the prompt response. I do have a follow up question that i am hoping you can clarify: Can the EPA verify whether having: 1,4 dioxane at 0.637 ppb, hexavalent chromium at .756 ppb, heptachlor epoxide at 0.251 ppb, (the levels that PW water was tested at according to the group's data) at these levels are safe to drink / do these levels meet the EPA's standards? Thanks very much. Best, Jessica On Wed, Aug 2, 2017 at 3:26 PM, Jones, Enesta <Jones.Enesta@epa.gov> wrote: Hi Jessica, Please attribute to an agency spokesperson: America's drinking water remains among the safest in the world and protecting drinking water is one of EPA's top priorities. We take our commitment to protecting public health seriously and when issues arise, we work closely with states, local governments, and water suppliers to review and address, as appropriate. Background More than 90 percent of the country's drinking water systems meet all of EPA's health-based drinking water standards every day throughout the year. EPA has set drinking water standards for more than 90 contaminants, including microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic and organic chemicals, and radionuclides. Public water systems are required to report drinking water data to EPA, which is made available to the public in the Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Data collected in SDWIS includes public water system characteristics, violation and enforcement information. Additionally, every five years, EPA also collects data for certain unregulated contaminants through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. This data is provided to utilities and can be found in EPA's National Occurrence Database. Citizens who are concerned about their drinking water and who are served by a public water system can contact their local water supplier and ask for information on contaminants in their drinking water. They are also encouraged to request a copy of their Consumer Confidence Report. This report lists the levels of contaminants that have been detected in the water, including those by EPA, and whether the system meets state and EPA drinking water standards. Enesta Jones U S. EPA Office of Media Relations Ex. 6 Office: 202.564.7873 "The root of all joy is gratefulness." On Aug 2, 2017, at 3:25 PM, Jessica Chin i Ex. 6 wrote: Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 13 ED 002061 00027589-00002 Good afternoon Enesta, My name is Jessica Chin and I am a reporter from the Port Washington Times in Long Island, NY. I am contacting you because a recent report released by a group called Environmental Working Group, found three contaminants (1,4-dioxane, chromium, heptachlor epoxide) in our local water supply to be "above health guidelines." The water district here has called the report "misleading," and a "fear mongering scare tactic" to sell water filters. I was wondering if the office of water at the EPA could clarify whether our levels of these contaminants are unsafe to drink and whether or not they meet or fail to meet the EPA's standards. You can contact me via my information below. If you can get back to me as soon as possible I would appreciate it greatly as I am working on a fast approaching deadline of this Tuesday at 12 PM. Thank you for your time and hope to hear from you soon! Best regards, ..... Ex. Jessica Chin 6...... i______________________________________________________________ i Reporter at the Island Now Best regards, ...... Ex. Jessica Chin 6...... Reporter at the Island Now Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 13 ED 002061 00027589-00003