January 2005

National Academies Advisory: Jan. 11 public briefing on perchlorate in drinking water

Perchlorate, a chemical used in rocket fuel and fireworks, has been found in drinking water supplies across the nation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently assessing the need for a standard for allowable amounts of this substance in drinking water.

HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF PERCHLORATE INGESTION, a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council, assesses the possible adverse health effects of perchlorate.

The report will be released at a one-hour public briefing.

DETAILS: Tuesday, Jan. 11, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Lecture Room of the National Academies building, 2100 C St., N.W., Washington, D.C. Reporters who cannot attend may listen to a live audio webcast of the briefing and submit questions using an e-mail form at http://national-academies.org. (The webcast requires RealPlayer software, available free at http://www.real.com/player. For more information on setup and hardware requirements, see the Real.com site.)

REPORTERS: Obtain copies or register to attend by contacting the Office of News and Public Information at tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail [email protected]. Advance copies will be available to reporters only beginning at 8 a.m. EST on Jan. 11. THE REPORT IS EMBARGOED AND NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE BEFORE 2 P.M. EST ON JAN 11.