Session 8 - National security, risk, and the politics of precaution: Addressing the military role in endocrine disrupting chemicals

Presenters

Chad Briggs

Location

University of Nevada Las Vegas, Stan Fulton Building

Start Date

2-6-2007 8:30 AM

End Date

2-6-2007 8:40 AM

Description

Sources of drinking water have been contaminated by military-related activity for decades, but such environmental pollution has not been recognized as a security threat in its own right. The case of perchlorate in the United States demonstrates the reflexive nature of environmental security risks, as well as the inconsistent burdens of proof required for responses to uncertain threats. A known endocrine disruptor, perchlorate blocks the uptake of iodide in the thyroid, and poses a differential risk to women, children, and other at-risk groups. Despite a conclusion by the National Research Council that known studies of perchlorate indicate no harm at low levels of ingestion (translated roughly to 27 parts per billion in water), newer research indicates a measure of concern for some tens of millions of residents in the southwestern US. This research examines the decision-making process that translated risk assessment studies to regulatory levels, including how endocrine disrupting chemicals pose a methodological dilemma for chemical risk assessment policy.

Keywords

Armed Forces – Operations other than war; Groundwater – Pollution; Groundwater – Purification – Perchlorate removal; Military activities; National security – Environmental aspects; Perchlorate; Perchlorates; Pollution; Southwest; New; Southwest United States; Water contamination; Water – Pollution; Water – Purification – Perchlorate removal

Disciplines

Environmental Health and Protection | Fresh Water Studies | Military and Veterans Studies | Water Resource Management

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or use interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the article. Publisher copyright policy allows author to archive post-print (author’s final manuscript). When post-print is available or publisher policy changes, the article will be deposited


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Jun 2nd, 8:30 AM Jun 2nd, 8:40 AM

Session 8 - National security, risk, and the politics of precaution: Addressing the military role in endocrine disrupting chemicals

University of Nevada Las Vegas, Stan Fulton Building

Sources of drinking water have been contaminated by military-related activity for decades, but such environmental pollution has not been recognized as a security threat in its own right. The case of perchlorate in the United States demonstrates the reflexive nature of environmental security risks, as well as the inconsistent burdens of proof required for responses to uncertain threats. A known endocrine disruptor, perchlorate blocks the uptake of iodide in the thyroid, and poses a differential risk to women, children, and other at-risk groups. Despite a conclusion by the National Research Council that known studies of perchlorate indicate no harm at low levels of ingestion (translated roughly to 27 parts per billion in water), newer research indicates a measure of concern for some tens of millions of residents in the southwestern US. This research examines the decision-making process that translated risk assessment studies to regulatory levels, including how endocrine disrupting chemicals pose a methodological dilemma for chemical risk assessment policy.