To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure that drinking water consumers are informed about the risks posed by arsenic in drinking water.

April 26, 2001

Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mr. REID, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. CORZINE, Mr. KENNEDY, and Mr. WELLSTONE) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure that drinking water consumers are informed about the risks posed by arsenic in drinking water.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Community Right-to-Know Arsenic Risk Act'.

SEC. 2. NOTICE CONCERNING RISKS POSED BY ARSENIC IN DRINKING WATER.

Part F of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-21 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`SEC. 1466. NOTICE CONCERNING RISKS POSED BY ARSENIC IN DRINKING WATER.

`(a) IN GENERAL- A consumer confidence report prepared by a community water system under section 141.154 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation), shall include a short educational statement concerning arsenic that--

`(1) uses language such as the following: `While your drinking water meets EPA's standard for arsenic, it does contain arsenic. EPA's standard is based not only on the possible health effects of arsenic, but also on the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. EPA continues to research the health effects of arsenic ingestion, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory problems.'; or

`(2) uses substantially similar language developed by the community water system in consultation with the State agency having jurisdiction over safe drinking water matters.

`(b) APPLICABILITY- Subsection (a) applies to any community water system that--

`(1) is required to prepare and deliver consumer confidence reports under subpart O of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation); and

`(2)(A) with respect to a report required to be delivered under that subpart not later than July 1, 2001, detects arsenic in the drinking water provided by the community water system at a level that is above 0.025 milligrams per liter but below the maximum contaminant level; and

`(B) with respect to a report required to be delivered under that subpart after July 1, 2001, detects arsenic in the drinking water provided by the community water system at a level that is above 0.005 milligrams per liter but that is equal to or below the maximum contaminant level.'.

END