Rep. Kildee Introduces New Lead Notice Requirements

On February 1st, Representative Dan Kildee (D-MI) introduced HR 4414, the Improving notification for Clean and Safe Drinking Water Act of 2016.  The bill amends Sections 1412 (National Drinking Water Regulations) and 1414 (Enforcement of Drinking Water Regulations) of the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments to require public notification when a water utility exceeds a lead action level or any other prescribed lead level, including monitoring results.

Further, if the water utility or state does not make such a report, the measure requires that the EPA Administrator make public notification within 15 days of the exceedance that reports the fact of the exceedance, and the concentrations of lead found.  The Administrator also may provide public notice of lead monitoring results to any person served by the public water system or to the local or state health department where the utility is located.  Finally, the Administrator may provide such notice via press release or via local media.

The measure has been referred to the House Energy & Commerce Committee where Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) has agreed to co-sponsor the bill and wants to move it directly to the House Floor under suspension of the rules — presuming that the entire Michigan delegation agrees.  That could bring the bill to a House vote as early as next week.