As a steady stream of studies and investigations reveal the extent to which pharmaceuticals are found in the US water supply (see this), a new bill has been introduced in Congress that would create a non-profit organization to develop a nationwide program for disposing of medicines. And the non-profit would be financed by the pharmaceutical industry.“The need for a safe drug disposal program has never been greater. In a 2008 investigation, pharmaceutical contamination was found in 24 out of 28 metropolitan areas drinking water,” says Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, a New York Democrat who introduced the bill, in a statement. “Aquatic wildlife, whole ecosystems, and our communities own drinking water can never escape this witch’s brew of pharmaceuticals.”
