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Idaho's Arsenic Settlement: News Release

In a federal court-signed order today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agreed to retract its 2010 approval of Idaho’s water quality standard for arsenic. The lawsuit, filed by the Portland, OR-based Northwest Environmental Advocates last year, challenged EPA’s approval of standards because they failed to protect human health from the adverse effects of arsenic in fish and drinking water.

The court order requires EPA to repeal its previous approval by September and to establish a new arsenic standard for Idaho by mid-2019. In a separate out-of-court agreement, EPA committed to issue Clean Water Act discharge permits using more protective levels during the interim period before the new standards are in place. The agreement also requires EPA to increase monitoring of pollution discharges to detect arsenic.

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