Greg Ganske: “I speak in favor of this bill. This legislation not only protects the environment and human health, but it does so in a…”

“I speak in favor of this bill. This legislation not only protects the environment and human health, but it does so in a way that is smarter and better than before. Gone are many of the costly and inflexible command and control mandates. For the first time, true risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis is brought to this statute. We have made more manageable the requirements of the EPA in determining new contaminants. Greater flexibility has been given to local systems, which have vastly different needs and concerns from each other. We have increased the technical assistance provided to smaller systems in order to ensure that they can deliver the best and safest drinking water possible. One area of particular concern to me in my home State of Iowa is adequate and fair source water protection. The measure we are debating today contains an honest and fair source water program. Up to 10 percent of the State revolving fund can be used by water systems to enter into voluntary incentive-based source water protection programs with willing upstream neighbors, whether they are farmers or businesses. This is a very good addition. I urge its prompt adoption.”