Washington should keep supercomputers out of the hands of unfriendly nations. But in a world where yesterday's supercomputer is today's laptop, regulators must keep pace with the rapid evolution of technology. By failing to keep pace, the Commerce Department has threatened America's dominance of information technology by preventing U.S. exports of computers that are already widely available. This provides no benefits to national security but does give an edge to overseas competitors. By ignoring the recommendations of its own scientists and torpedoing a science-based standard for chloroform in drinking water, the EPA is forcing water systems across the country to expend precious resources combating fictitious risks.
Chloroform is created when water is purified to remove life-threatening microbes.
Even though exhaustive scientific research shows that trace elements of chloroform pose only a negligible risk, the EPA insists that water systems adhere to a zero standard - which is unobtainable in any event. To reduce the nutrient content of waters spilling into the gulf, the feds propose cutting the use of fertilizer in the Midwest and converting 24 million acres of prime farmland into wetlands and forests. Trouble is, the hypoxic zone has nothing to do with fertilizer runoff. Instead, it is a natural phenomenon associated with rainfall in the Mississippi River Valley. It expands during floods and contracts during droughts.