Clean Water in Every Tap
Millions of people across thousands of communities in the U.S. have chemicals in their drinking water that put them at risk. PFOA and PFOS and related compounds linked to cancer, Chromium-6 (the Erin Brockovich chemical) and 1,4 dioxane are in millions of people’s tap water. The Safe Drinking Water Act will limit these known toxins in drinking water, protecting families, homes, schools and businesses from harmful toxins.
Parents and Families
Clean water advocates
Private water system operators
This act shall be known as the Safe Drinking Water Act
This bill directs the Department of Health or other appropriate Department to establish state-level maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for likely or known carcinogens found in public drinking water systems. The bill also directs the Department to consider limits to a contaminant in public drinking water when two or more other states have set maximum contaminant levels or limits on said pollutant(s).
(a) It is the goal of STATE to protect residents from harmful toxins in drinking water.
(b) Accordingly, within 100 days the Department is directed to commence proceedings to establish state-level maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for likely or known carcinogens and toxic chemicals likely to pose a substantial health hazard in accordance with sections (c) and (d) below.
(c) Departmental action shall include (1) the establishment of state-wide maximum contaminant levels for PFOS, PFOA, and other PFAS compounds in public drinking water systems; (2) the establishment of state-wide maximum contaminant levels for chromium-6 in public drinking water systems; (3) the establishment of state-wide maximum contaminant levels for 1,4 dioxane in public drinking water systems; and (4) a Department directive to consider limits on other pollutants in public drinking water systems when two or more other states have set limits or issued guidance on a given pollutant(s).
(d) In proceedings pursuant to section (b) and (c) above, the Department shall review MCLs adopted by other states, the studies and scientific evidence reviewed by those states, material in the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the latest peer reviewed science and independent or government agency studies, and shall adopt an MCL protective of public health, including vulnerable subpopulations such as pregnant and nursing mothers, infants, and children, that provides at least as much protection to such populations as any MCL or health advisory promulgated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The commissioner shall annually review the latest peer reviewed science and independent or government agency studies and undertake additional rulemaking if needed to comply with this paragraph.
-(i) “MCL” as defined in this section means maximum contaminant level, or the legal threshold limit on the amount of a substance that is allowed in public water systems.