AWWA JAW51280

As part of the Stage 1 Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts (D/DBP) Rule,the US Environmental Protection Agency set a maximum contaminant level goal for chloroform at zero. This action touched off a firestorm of criticism, both technical and policy-related, from several corners. The agency was accused of sacrificing science at the political alter on the one hand and praised for not changing a long-standing policy on the other. This article discusses how the saga of chloroform regulation mirrors the controversies raised when advances in science collide with traditional policies and national politics. Includes 16 references.