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Environment

House Passes Bill On Lead Notice

by Jessica Morrison
February 15, 2016 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 94, Issue 7

The House of Representatives approved a measure (H.R. 4470) last week that would give EPA greater authority to take action when lead levels in drinking water exceed federal standards. Under the pending amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act, the federal agency could bypass state regulators to notify the public in as few as 48 hours when local authorities and water utilities have identified violations but have failed to act in the public interest. “When there are unacceptable levels of lead in people’s drinking water, the public should be immediately told about it,” said Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), who represents Flint, Mich., and introduced the measure earlier this month. “This bill in itself wouldn’t have prevented the crisis in my hometown, but it is a necessary first step to ensure that such an emergency doesn’t happen again” (see page 26). The legislation now heads to the Senate, where similar measures are under consideration.

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