In the 109th Congress, key drinking water issues have involved
water infrastructure funding and problems caused by specific
contaminants, such as the gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl
ether (MTBE), perchlorate, and lead in drinking water. Congress
last reauthorized the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1996, and
although funding authority for most SDWA programs expired in
FY2003, reauthorization bills have not been proposed, as the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), states, and water systems
remain focused on implementing the requirements of the 1996
amendments. One SDWA amendment has been enacted in the 109th
Congress. The Energy Policy Act of 2005, Section 322, amended SDWA
to preclude the EPA from regulating the injection of any fluids,
except diesel fuel, into underground sources of drinking water for
hydraulic fracturing purposes related to oil, gas, and geothermal
production. Congress also has considered legislation to address
concerns about drinking water contamination by perchlorate, the key
ingredient in solid rocket fuel. The House passed H.R. 18 and H.R.
186, which would establish groundwater remediation programs in
California, where most perchlorate contamination has been
identified. Other bills would direct the EPA to issue a SDWA
standard for perchlorate. The 107th Congress added drinking water
security provisions to the SDWA in the Bioterrorism Preparedness
Act. The act required community water systems to conduct
vulnerability assessments and prepare emergency plans, and it
called for drinking water security research. In the 109th Congress,
several bills, including a reported bill, S. 2145, would add
further water security requirements for certain water systems. An
overriding SDWA issue involves the cumulative cost and complexity
of drinking water standards and the ability of water systems,
especially small systems, to comply with standards. The issue of
the affordability of drinking water standards, such as the new
arsenic standard, has merged with the larger debate over the
federal role in assisting communities with financing drinking water
infrastructure. Congress authorized a drinking water state
revolving fund (DWSRF) program in 1996 to help communities finance
projects needed to comply with drinking water standards. For
FY2006, Congress provided $837.5 million for this program. However,
studies show that a large funding gap exists and could continue to
grow as SDWA requirements increase and infrastructure ages. The
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has reported S. 1400,
the Water Infrastructure Financing Act, to authorize increased
funding for the DWSRF and parallel wastewater programs, and to
provide grant assistance for small communities. Several other bills
would establish a grant program to help small communities comply
with drinking water standards and provide greater compliance
flexibility for small water systems. This report, which will be
updated as warranted, replaces CRS Issue Brief IB10118, Safe
Drinking Water Act: Implementation and Issues, by Mary Tiemann.
General
Imprint: |
Bibliogov
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
2013 |
First published: |
2013 |
Authors: |
Mary Tiemann
|
Dimensions: |
246 x 189 x 1mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
26 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-288-67075-8 |
Categories: |
Books >
Social sciences >
Politics & government >
General
|
LSN: |
1-288-67075-3 |
Barcode: |
9781288670758 |
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