Idaho Senate Panel Approves Divisive Water Quality Rules

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho legislative panel has approved new water quality standards tied to fish consumption rates, which critics argue places the state's Native American residents at a higher risk of cancer than their non-Indian counterparts.

Officials with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality presented the proposed rule change to the Senate Resources and Environmental Committee on Tuesday. The updated standards stem from a directive from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

If disapproved by the federal agency, the EPA will create its own standards for the state. The standards were based on the level of cancer-causing toxins in the average amount of fish consumed by members of the Nez Perce Tribe.

Critics say that will protect the vast majority of Idaho's white residents, who typically eat less fish, but will put the tribal members who consume more than the average amount at risk. Under federal law, bodies of water must be clean enough so people can safely eat fish from those waters.