Associated Press members JEFF DONN, MARTHA MENDOZA and JUSTIN PRITCHARD reported today US Manufacturers including drug companies have released atleast 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into waterways that often provide drinking water for millions of Americans. The most alarming aspect of the comprehensive investigation, is the federal governments consistentency in turning a blind-eye to the released chemicals. In what is described as a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, government oversight on a variety of released chemicals and pharmaceuticals has been un-tracked for decades.
From the AP report:
To date, drugmakers have dismissed the suggestion that their manufacturing contributes significantly to what’s being found in water. Federal drug and water regulators agree. But some researchers say the lack of required testing amounts to a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy about whether drugmakers are contributing to water pollution. “It doesn’t pass the straight-face test to say pharmaceutical manufacturers are not emitting any of the compounds they’re creating,” said Kyla Bennett, who spent 10 years as an EPA enforcement officer before becoming an ecologist and environmental attorney.
