EPA drops regulation for contaminant harming babies’ brains
By ELLEN KNICKMEYER, Associated Press
Published: June 18, 2020, 9:28am
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Andrew Wheeler, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, listens during a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee oversight hearing to examine the Environmental Protection Agency, Wednesday, May 20, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Al Drago/Pool via AP)
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday ended an Obama-era drive to regulate a widespread contaminant in drinking water linked to brain damage in infants. The agency rejected warnings that the move will mean lower IQs for an unknown number of American newborns.
Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s announcement was the latest in a series of Trump administration rollbacks or eliminations of existing or pending public health and environmental protections, targeting Obama administration initiatives in particular.
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