September 30, 2006 - Governor Kills Soto Water Bill

Governor Kills Soto Water Bill

Perchlorate cleanup funding approved

September 30, 2006

News Article/SB Sun

Jason Pesick, Staff Writer
San Bernardino County Sun

Action was taken late this week on three measures in Sacramento and Washington that could affect the quality of water in Southern California.

A bill to change the way the state determines standards for drinking water died on the governor's desk, and two funding plans to clean up perchlorate contamination moved a step forward.

On Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the drinking-water standards bill sponsored by state Sen. Nell Soto, D-Ontario.

"We're disappointed that the governor has sided with polluters over public health," said Sujatha Jahagirdar of Environment California.

The legislation would have made the process of determining a drinking-water standard more transparent and would have allowed the state to look more closely at a standard's potential impact on public health and compare its standard with those of other states.

Soto's chief of staff, Paul Van Dyke, said the legislation had bipartisan support, passing the state Senate by a vote of 29-11 and the Assembly by a vote of 46-31.

Van Dyke said Soto sponsored the bill because of perchlorate contamination in the region. Perchlorate is a chemical used in the production of explosives and can cause thyroid problems in humans. Rialto and Colton have both sued a number of parties they say are responsible for the contamination.

California is likely to adopt a maximum perchlorate standard of six parts per billion, although Massachusetts adopted a standard of two parts per billion.

Schwarzenegger said in a statement that he vetoed the bill because it ignores the importance of considering economic factors and technological feasibility in determining a drinking-water standard, a claim Soto called "nonsense" in a statement.

"We didn't do anything to that," Van Dyke said of the existing economic and technological considerations that are already part of the process.

One of the only organizations to lobby against the legislation was the Whittaker Corp., a defendant in Rialto's lawsuit. Whittaker hired the lobbying firm California Strategies & Advocacy LLC in the days leading up to the votes in the Legislature.

On Friday, the U.S. Senate followed the House in approving the National Heritage Areas Act, which includes a provision authorizing the secretary of the interior to distribute $25 million obtained by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., for perchlorate cleanup in California.

If the president signs the legislation, further legislation would be needed to appropriate the funds.

Rialto City Attorney Bob Owen said every dollar helps the city's perchlorate problem. He also said every dollar the city receives from the federal government is a dollar the city can't claim from the defendants in its lawsuit, which include the Department of Defense, San Bernardino County and a number of corporations. The city contends the polluters, not the taxpayers, should pay for the cleanup.

On Friday, the U.S. Senate also passed the Defense Appropriations Conference Report, which includes $1.1 million obtained by Rep. Joe Baca, D-Rialto, for the Inland Empire Perchlorate Task Force, made up of local government entities and water suppliers, to clean up perchlorate contamination. The president is expected to sign the legislation.

Contact writer Jason Pesick at (909) 386-3861 or via e-mail at jason.pesick@sbsun.com.

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Governor Kills Soto Water Bill

Perchlorate cleanup funding approved
September 30, 2006 News Article/SB Sun Jason Pesick, Staff Writer San Bernardino County Sun Action was taken late this week on three measures in Sacramento and Washington that could affect the quality of water in Southern California. A bill to change the way the state determines standards for drinking water died on the governor's desk, and two funding plans to clean up perchlorate contamination moved a step forward. On Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the drinking-water standards bill sponsored by state Sen. Nell Soto, D-Ontario. "We're disappointed that the governor has sided with polluters over public health," said Sujatha Jahagirdar of Environment California. The legislation would have made the process of determining a drinking-water standard more transparent and would have allowed the state to look more closely at a standard's potential impact on public health and compare its standard with those of other states. Soto's chief of staff, Paul Van Dyke, said the legislation had bipartisan support, passing the state Senate by a vote of 29-11 and the Assembly by a vote of 46-31. Van Dyke said Soto sponsored the bill because of perchlorate contamination in the region. Perchlorate is a chemical used in the production of explosives and can cause thyroid problems in humans. Rialto and Colton have both sued a number of parties they say are responsible for the contamination. California is likely to adopt a maximum perchlorate standard of six parts per billion, although Massachusetts adopted a standard of two parts per billion. Schwarzenegger said in a statement that he vetoed the bill because it ignores the importance of considering economic factors and technological feasibility in determining a drinking-water standard, a claim Soto called "nonsense" in a statement. "We didn't do anything to that," Van Dyke said of the existing economic and technological considerations that are already part of the process. One of the only organizations to lobby against the legislation was the Whittaker Corp., a defendant in Rialto's lawsuit. Whittaker hired the lobbying firm California Strategies & Advocacy LLC in the days leading up to the votes in the Legislature. On Friday, the U.S. Senate followed the House in approving the National Heritage Areas Act, which includes a provision authorizing the secretary of the interior to distribute $25 million obtained by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., for perchlorate cleanup in California. If the president signs the legislation, further legislation would be needed to appropriate the funds. Rialto City Attorney Bob Owen said every dollar helps the city's perchlorate problem. He also said every dollar the city receives from the federal government is a dollar the city can't claim from the defendants in its lawsuit, which include the Department of Defense, San Bernardino County and a number of corporations. The city contends the polluters, not the taxpayers, should pay for the cleanup. On Friday, the U.S. Senate also passed the Defense Appropriations Conference Report, which includes $1.1 million obtained by Rep. Joe Baca, D-Rialto, for the Inland Empire Perchlorate Task Force, made up of local government entities and water suppliers, to clean up perchlorate contamination. The president is expected to sign the legislation. Contact writer Jason Pesick at (909) 386-3861 or via e-mail at jason.pesick@sbsun.com.
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