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Larry Ladd, Perchlorate Awareness Activist
Grade: A
Perchlorate is a chemical used in the production of rocket, rocket fuel and fireworks. Excessive exposure to perchlorate is thought to cause a variety of health concerns -- among them thyroid disease and thyroid cancer. Perchlorate that has ended up contaminating water supplies throughout the nation. The most extensive contamination appears to be the American West and Southwest in general, and throughout the country in targeted areas where rocket and fireworks manufacturers maintained facilities.
Perchlorate exposure is now an issue throughout the nation, however, as experts have found that perchlorate contaminated water is frequently used to irrigate California and other Western/Southwestern grown fruits and vegetables.
In the past year, we are finally seeing regulators and scientists starting to take a harder and more substantial look at the issue of perchlorate, and its potential health impact. And the credit for this increased awareness must go to Larry Ladd.
Larry is a medical geographer who has single-handedly brought the issue of perchlorate into the public eye. Larry's own town of Rancho Cordova CA has lost 20 municipal water wells to rocket fuel contamination. Larry maintains the site Perchlorate.org, and serves as the nation's leading community activist and advocate on behalf of awareness of the dangers of environmental perchlorate. Reducing perchlorate overexposure is one factor in helping to prevent thyroid disease -- and we have Larry Ladd to thank for the fact that it's even on the legislative, media and public radar!
