To express the sense of the Senate that perchlorate contamination of ground and surface water is becoming increasingly problematic to the public health of people in the United States.

1. Adds SEC. 326. SENSE OF SENATE ON PERCHLORATE CONTAMINATION OF GROUND AND SURFACE WATER on page 48, between lines 7 and 8

   Adds a sectionPrinted page

   Inserted: SEC. 326. SENSE OF SENATE ON PERCHLORATE CONTAMINATION OF GROUND AND SURFACE WATER.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--The Senate makes the following findings:

   Inserted: (1) Because finite water sources in the United States are stretched by regional drought conditions and increasing demand for water supplies, there is increased need for safe and dependable supplies of fresh water for drinking and use for agricultural purposes.

   Inserted: (2) Perchlorate, a naturally occurring and manmade compound with medical, commercial, and national defense applications, which has been used primarily in military munitions and rocket fuels, has been detected in fresh water sources intended for use as drinking water and water necessary for the production of agricultural commodities.

   Inserted: (3) If ingested in sufficient concentration and in adequate duration, perchlorate may interfere with thyroid metabolism, and this effect may impair the normal development of the brain in fetuses and newborns.

   Inserted: (4) The Federal Government has not yet established a drinking water standard for perchlorate.

   Inserted: (5) The National Academy of Sciences is conducting an assessment of the state of the science regarding the effects on human health of perchlorate ingestion that will aid in understanding the effect of perchlorate exposure on sensitive populations.

   Inserted: (b) Sense of Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that--

   Inserted: (1) perchlorate has been identified as a contaminant of drinking water sources or in the environment in 34 States and has been used or manufactured in 44 States;

   Inserted: (2) perchlorate exposure at or above a certain level may adversely affect public health, particularly the health of vulnerable and sensitive populations; and

   Inserted: (3) the Department of Defense should--

   Inserted: (A) work to develop a national plan to remediate perchlorate contamination of the environment resulting from Department's activities to ensure the Department is prepared to respond quickly and appropriately once a drinking water standard is established;

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   Inserted: (B) in cases in which the Department is already remediating perchlorate contamination, continue that remediation;

   Inserted: (C) prior to the development of a drinking water standard for perchlorate, develop a plan to remediate perchlorate contamination in cases in which such contamination from the Department's activities is present in ground or surface water at levels that pose a hazard to human health; and

   Inserted: (D) continue the process of evaluating and prioritizing sites without waiting for the development of a Federal standard.

   Original wording

   On page 48, between lines 7 and 8, insert the following:

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As printed