Ninety percent of all drinking water in Florida comes from wells. So it is a significant concern that a pesticide containing arsenic is still being sprayed on golf courses and other grassy areas, and finds its way into the groundwater.
The Environmental Protection Agency set about trying to ban MSMA from the market in 2006. But Congress, under pressure from the industry, blocked that action time and again, eventually taking the project away from EPA altogether.
An investigation by the Center for Public Integrity found that one powerful lobbyist and a single member of the House were able to effectively block EPA. The center pointed to Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, a dentist before being elected to Congress. Simpson said he didn't know that his action kept a weed-killer containing arsenic on the market, according to the report. Read more.