Wednesday
July 5, 2006
Domenici
Reviews Jemez Pueblo Water Projects, Continues Push for Arsenic Standard
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Source: Senator Domenici
Domenici today joined Jemez Pueblo Governor James Roger Madalena and Sandia National Laboratories officials to dedicate two water projects—the new Jemez Pueblo Municipal Water Filtration System and an arsenic treatment demonstration project.
“I am pleased to see Sandia working with the Pueblo to examine arsenic removal techniques. I will continue to support these projects, but it is clear to me that Congress should pay more attention to the implementation of this arsenic standard. Too many small rural water systems and their users face costly upgrades, and possibly fines, if they don’t comply with the new standard,” Domenici said.
“Having a clean, available water supply for our families is a critical issue. Jemez Pueblo is making great progress with this new plant. But the Pueblo also faces the same arsenic issue that many New Mexico communities are dealing with. Even with this beautiful new system, the revised arsenic standard puts it out of compliance with EPA regulations,” he said.
The pueblo is the fourth New Mexico town to team with Sandia to try to find more affordable ways to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s 10 parts per billion (ppb) arsenic standard. This new project will test four coagulation/filtration systems. Data gained from the project is expected to benefit Jemez Pueblo and other rural systems with similar water chemistry.
Jemez Pueblo water has tested at 20-30 ppb, which exceeds the new standard but is lower than the old 50 ppb standard.
Rio Rancho, Socorro and Anthony also have arsenic demonstration projects underway with Sandia to try to meet the 10 ppb standard, which went into effect in January. Sandia leads the DOE Arsenic Water Technology Partnership with the AWWA Research Foundation and WERC: A Consortium for Environmental Education and Technology Development.
Domenici, as chairman of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, has provided funding for these demonstration projects, providing $3.0 million in FY2005 and another $8.0 million in FY2006 in DOE funding to support desalination and arsenic treatment technologies.
In June, he cosponsored a $5.0 million amendment to the FY2007 Interior Appropriations Bill for the EPA to help small communities comply with the arsenic standard.
Domenici, who has been critical of the 10 ppb standard, has also asked EPA to reconsider this standard, based on the impacts it is having on small western communities, and he has encouraged the New Mexico Environment Department to be as helpful as possible as communities work to implement plans for treatment. More than 80 New Mexico water systems have arsenic contaminants that exceed 10 ppb. http://www.arsenicpartners.org/