The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on March 31 announced that it will not regulate the chemical called perchlorate in drinking water. Perchlorate is widely used in rocket fuel and munitions, fertilizers, and is also a component of fireworks and airbag initiators for vehicles, among other things. While it can occur naturally, high concentrations have been found in at least 26 states, typically near military bases and defense contractors in the U.S. West, particularly around Las Vegas and in Southern California. Human exposure to high levels of the chemical has been linked to a deficiency of iodide in the thyroid and fetal brain damage. A 2014 study shows that babies born to mothers with high levels of perchlorate during their first trimester are more likely to have lower IQs later in life. The Trump administration in 2020 decided not to regulate perchlorate after determining that it did not appear in drinking water “with a frequency and at levels …