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Schwarzenegger Declares Emergency Over Barstow Water

BARSTOW (AP) — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in Barstow, where excessive levels of a chemical found in rocket fuel has left the water supply contaminated.

 
 

The governor issued the declaration Saturday afternoon, saying more than 40,000 customers of Golden State Water Company are without their normal safe drinking water supply, and many businesses including hotels and restaurants have been forced to close.

The declaration releases state resources otherwise unavailable to the city.

The company says it learned Thursday that water samples showed levels of perchlorate above the maximum contaminant level of six parts per billion, according to a statement posted on the city's Web site.

Perchlorate has been shown to interfere with the uptake of iodide by the thyroid gland, which could lead to adverse effects on hormone levels. Boiling and filtering do not help.

(© Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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