Washington Update

EPA Proposes Rules to Improve Microbial Protection, Reduce DBP Levels

On August 18, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published two proposed rules, the Stage 2 Disinfection and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (Stage 2 DBP) and Long-Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR). Developed in partnership with a wide range of interests, including water systems, environmental groups, industry stakeholders, and state and local health officials, these rules would require drinking water systems to monitor for and increase protection against Cryptosporidium, while improving the monitoring and control of DBPs. Said EPA Acting Administrator Linda Fisher, "These rules take the right approach toward minimizing and balancing the risks from microbial contamination and disinfection byproducts. They represent the culmination of more than a decade of analysis, research, and partnership focused on making the nation's drinking water safer."

According to the EPA, the Stage 2 DBP Rule will further protect public health from byproducts formed during chemical disinfection widely used by public water systems as a principal barrier to microbial pathogens in drinking water. This rule contains a risk-targeting approach to better monitor and control DBP levels throughout water distribution systems. The LT2ESWTR aims to reduce disease incidence associated with Cryptosporidium and other pathogenic microorganisms in drinking water. The LT2ESWTR will strengthen Cryptosporidium monitoring and reporting requirements for all public water systems that use surface water sources, including ground water under the direct influence of surface water. Systems with elevated levels of Cryptosporidium in their source water will have to adopt additional treatment methods from a range of options outlined in the proposed rule.

In September, EPA agreed to provide an additional 60 days for the public to comment on both the Stage 2 DBP and the LT2ESWT rules. Comments will now be due to EPA by early January 2004.

For more information, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/headline2_071103.htm

Leavitt Waiting for Senate Confirmation to Head EPA

On August 11, President Bush nominated Utah Governor Mike Leavitt to succeed Christine Whitman as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Leavitt has championed the idea of increasing environmental cooperation among federal, state and local officials.

On October 1, Senate Democrats boycotted a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee meeting and forced a two-week delay in voting to fill the top job at the EPA.

Sen. James Jeffords, I-Vt., who formerly chaired the committee and frequently sides with Democrats on environmental issues, said he and the Democrats simply wanted information on environmental policies that the administration and EPA have refused to share since 2001.

"It has nothing to do with the qualifications of Leavitt," Jeffords said, adding he eventually would vote to confirm Leavitt as EPA chief. "This is an opportunity we have to take. ... We intend to use the leverage to get the answers we want."

Jeffords said he and several Democratic committee members are still being denied several information requests they made two years ago about the changes EPA and the White House were considering making to the Clean Air Act's "New Source Review" program. The Bush administration has since eased the air pollution rules for industrial plants when they modernize.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has also promised to block the appointment of Leavitt until the Bush administration reveals more information about EPA assurances that air quality was safe following the World Trade Center attacks.

The White House's announcement of Leavitt's nomination is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/08/20030811-2.html

HHS, Public Health Partners Unveil New Awareness Campaign for the Proper Use of Antibiotics

The Department of Health and Human Services and a consortium of national health organizations are urging consumers to be cautious about their use of antibiotics as the cold and flu season approaches. Officials stressed that antibiotics are ineffective treatment for viruses, such as those that cause colds and flu, and that inappropriate antibiotic use -- particularly among children -- is contributing to an alarming growth of global antibiotic resistance.

"Antibiotics show amazing results when used to treat bacterial infections, but they won't help at all against the common cold or flu," Surgeon General Richard Carmona said. "What's worse, if people take antibiotics when they don't need them, it can make these important drugs less effective in the future. This is part of health literacy and closing the gap between what health care professionals know and what Americans understand."

The message is part of a new national campaign unveiled by HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and major national health organizations.

"Antibiotics are powerful drugs. In fact, sometimes we imagine they are wonder drugs that can treat any infections," said CDC Director Julie Gerberding, M.D. "But the truth is antibiotics only work against bacteria, not the viruses that cause colds and flu," she added. "It's so important to get smart about antibiotic use and work with your doctor to get the right remedy during this cold and flu season."

More information about this campaign and antibiotic resistance is available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community/

EPA Releases First "Draft Report on the Environment"

In June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its "Draft Report on the Environment," an effort by the agency to present a national picture of U.S. environmental quality and human health. Commissioned in November 2001, the report uses scientific data gathered from more than 30 federal agencies, departments, states, tribes and non-governmental organizations to answer questions that the EPA and its collaborators have identified as indicators of the nation's environmental quality. Findings in the report include:

• Drinking water: "Our drinking water is purer. In 2002, 94 percent of Americans were served by drinking water systems that meet [EPA] health-based standards - an increase of 15 percent in the last decade."
• Public health: The health of the American public is generally good and improving. People are living longer than ever before. Infant mortality has dropped to the lowest level ever recorded in the United States.

The report also highlights existing problems and recommends needed improvements. For example, the report found that more than 133 million Americans live in areas that at times have unhealthful air. The report also noted the need for additional data to answer questions about the links between some environmental pollutants and health effects.

To read the report in its entirety, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/indicators/