They Hate You and Want You to Die

  I'm kidding, of course. UPI, EPA sides with Trump admin to not regulate perchlorate in drinking water.

The Biden administration has announced it is upholding a Trump-era decision to not regulate the drinking water levels of perchlorate, a chemical linked to infant and fetus developmental issues, angering health advocates and environmentalists.

The announcement was made by the Environmental Protection Agency, affirming the previous administration's decision under then-President Donald Trump to deregulate the chemical in 2020.

The regulation of the perchlorate -- which is found in rocket fuel, explosives and fireworks, and is both naturally occurring and manmade -- has been in flux for over a decade.

The Obama administration in February of 2011 announced that perchlorate met the Safe Drinking Water Act's criteria for regulation -- a decision that the following Trump administration rescinded, arguing that the chemical does not occur "with a frequency and at levels of public health concern" to require regulation under the meaning of the SDWA.

Then on the day of his inauguration, President Joe Biden announced a review of a slew of decisions made under the previous White House, including its ruling on perchlorate.

While the various federal agencies have sought to undo moves conducted by Trump officials, the EPA on Thursday said its review concluded that the administration's decision to deregulate perchlorate "is supported by the best available peer reviewed science."

While I'm not shocked that the data do not support a wide spread problem with perchlorate and thus the need for extensive monitoring and testing for it in water systems, I'm pleasantly surprised that the EPA passed up an opportunity to regulate another substance.