September 27, 2016
By:
Walter G. Wright
Category:
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
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A bill that would make comprehensive revisions to the Safe Drinking Water Act (“SDWA”) has been introduced in the United States House of Representatives (“House”).
The bill is titled The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 2016 (“Amendments”) and sponsors include House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Ranking Member Paul Tonko (D-NY).
The SDWA has not been the subject of comprehensive revision since the mid-1990s.
The Amendments are described by the sponsors as a comprehensive update to existing drinking water standards. They also state the resiliency and security of water infrastructure would be improved by:
- Empowering the United States Environmental Protection Agency to set needed drinking water standards
- Requiring water systems to address risks to their source water, climate change, industrial activity, and terrorism
- Authorizing new investments in lead line replacement, climate resiliency, monitoring technology, and overall drinking water infrastructure
- Improving compliance and community right to know
The bill will be referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
A press release drafted by the sponsors, along with a one-page summary of the bill, can be downloaded here.
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