Max Baucus: “the amendment I am offering on behalf of myself and Senator Chafee is essentially a managers' amendment to the Safe…”

“the amendment I am offering on behalf of myself and Senator Chafee is essentially a managers' amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act legislation. This is an amendment that includes various provisions that Senator Chafee and I and many other Senators, including the Senator from Nebraska, have worked out. We think it is a big improvement to the bill. It addresses several concerns expressed by State and local governments, by environmental organizations, and by water companies. I will briefly explain some of the major changes it makes in the committee-reported bill. In the selection of new contaminants to be regulated, the amendment makes two additions to the new process that is established in the bill. It requires the EPA to consult with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it also requires the administrator to use appropriate peer-reviewed science in setting drinking water standards. Third, the amendment clarifies that a new contaminant must meet the criteria specified in the bill on occurrence and risk to public health before it can be regulated. To help customers better know whether their drinking water meets the standards, the amendment requires community water systems to notify their customers by mail, at least once a year, if they have violated a standard. It also requires noncommunity systems to notify their users if there is a serious threat to health from drinking the water.”