Tennessee is one of only eight states in which none of our water treatment systems violate the federal arsenic standards for drinking water.  Arsenic enters our drinking water from natural deposits in the earth or through runoff from agricultural and industrial practices. Exposure to arsenic has significant impacts to your health. According to EPA, long-term exposure to arsenic has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidneys, nasal passages, liver and prostate. However, EPA notes, these effects are unlikely to occur from U.S. public water supplies that are in compliance with the arsenic standard.

H.R. 2018 passed out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last week with the support of Rep. Duncan and Rep. Fleischmann.  Congressman Cohen stood up for water quality in Tennessee by opposing the bill. H.R. 2018 would seriously restrict EPA’s ability protect water as it flows across state lines, instead relying on each state to do so and losing consistency. States upstream of us with less protective standards could threaten our quality of life. Contact your representative and tell them to oppose H.R. 2018.