WASHINGTON, DC – Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Chairman of the Environment & Public Works Committee, commented today on a study released by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) that concluded adults can safely consume up to 20 parts per billion of perchlorate without experiencing health problems. This is about 20 times higher than the level set out in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) controversial risk assessment for perchlorate. The NAS reference dose includes a ten-fold safety factor for sensitive populations.

The NAS study was requested and sponsored by the EPA, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and NASA to determine if EPA's findings were consistent with current scientific evidence.

“The NAS study release yesterday clearly contradicts EPA’s risk assessment for perchlorate. I believe the study plainly shows that legislation forcing EPA to create standards for perchlorate in the very near future as some environmental extremists are advocating would be imprudent until a new risk assessment can be conducted reflecting the independently-reviewed, sound science provided by the NAS,” Senator Inhofe stated.

The study states that the NAS committee, “does not think that the animal data or the outcomes selected by EPA should be used as the basis of the perchlorate risk assessment." Instead, the use of abundant, readily-available human exposure data provides a “more reliable and valid measure” and is a "conservative, health-protective approach to the perchlorate risk assessment."