Yannis Zabetakis

Ecogreens holding the banner [from right to left]

Michalis Tremopoulos, Nikos Chrysogelos, Labros Bouklis, Margarita Karavassili and Maria Vitoraki

[photo by Yannis Zabetakis]

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Μr Michalis Tremopoulos, MEP

has asked on the 13th of January 2010 Commission’s officials about the Reconsideration of Cr(VI) Limits in Water

From: ”TREMOPOULOS Michail”
To: <dimitri.giotakos@

ec.europa.eu>, <marco.gasparinetti@ec.europa.eu>
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:41:19 +0100
Subject: Reconsideration of Cr(VI) Limits in Water

Dear Mr GIOTAKOS

Dear Mr GASPARINETTI

Last April, GREEN ECOLOGISTS (the Greek Green party, members of GREENS/EFA) organised a conference in the European Parliament on the pollution of Asopos River.

On the sidelines of that conference, you agreed that the current legal limit for Cr(VI)  in water (i.e. 50 μg/l for total chromium) is not satisfactory.

The current scientific data are outlined in this publication

http://www.scribd.com/doc/15619015/Hexavalent-Chromium-Is-Carcinogenic-to-F344N-Rats-and-B6C3F1-Miceafter-Chronic-Oral-Exposure

According to it, Cr(VI) causes cancer through drinking. Therefore, a new legal limit must be established for Cr(VI) in drinking water. In California, US, the State authorities are acting towards a li mit of 0.06 μg/l.

Given your opinion that a new limit for Cr(VI) in drinking water is essential to protect the public health (e.g. in Greece there are many places with levels of Cr(VI) in water up to 128 μg/l !!!), we ask

1. what actions have you taken or you are willing to take?

2. what it the timetable of this legal procedure?

3. in the meantime, how can we protect Public Health in such places with high levels of Cr(VI) in drinking water?

Regards

Michail Tremopoulos, MEP
European Parliament

The GREENS/EFA
ASP 08 H 247
Rue Wiertz 60
B-1047 Brussels
Tel: +32.2.28-45402
Fax: +32.2.28-49402

Strasbourg Office
Bât. Louise Weiss
T05059
1, avenue du Président Robert Schuman
CS 91024
F-67070 Strasbourg Cedex
Tel: +33(0)3 88 1 75402
Fax: +33 (0)3 88 1 79402

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up to today, there is no official reply…

Why???