“STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS--MARCH 27, 2001” published by the Congressional Record on March 28, 2001

Volume 147, No. 43 covering the 1st Session of the 107th Congress (2001 - 2002) was published by the Congressional Record.

The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.

“STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS--MARCH 27, 2001” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Senate section on pages S3054 on March 28, 2001.

The publication is reproduced in full below:

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS--MARCH 27, 2001

By Mr. DODD:

S. 635. A bill to reinstate a standard for arsenic in drinking water; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

S. 635

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 ``Arsenic Standard Reinstatement Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--

(1) in 1996, Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act

(42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.) to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to revise the standard for arsenic in drinking water;

(2) after conducting scientific and economic analyses, the Administrator, on January 22, 2001, promulgated a final rule to reduce the public health risks from arsenic in drinking water by reducing the permissible level of arsenic from 50 parts per billion (.05 milligrams per liter) to 10 parts per billion (.01 milligrams per liter);

(3) the new standard would provide additional protection against cancer and other health problems for 13,000,000 people;

(4) the National Academy of Sciences has determined that drinking water containing 50 parts per billion of arsenic

``could easily'' result in a 1-in-100 risk of cancer;

(5) 50 parts per billion of arsenic causes a cancer risk that is 10,000 times the level of any cancer risk caused by any carcinogen that the Environmental Protection Agency permits to be present in food;

(6) 10 parts per billion of arsenic in drinking water is the standard used by the European Union, Japan, and the World Health Organization;

(7) public water systems may apply for financial assistance through the drinking water State revolving loan fund under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12);

(8) since 1996, the revolving loan fund program has made

$3,600,000,000 available to assist public water systems with projects to improve infrastructure; and

(9) on March 20, 2001, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency proposed to withdrew the pending arsenic standard that was promulgated on January 22, 2001, and due to take effect on March 23, 2001.

SEC. 3. REINSTATEMENT OF FINAL RULE.

(a) In General.--On and after the date of enactment of this Act, the final rule promulgated by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency entitled ``Arsenic and Clarifications to Compliance and New Source Contaminants Monitoring'' (66 Fed. Reg. 6976 (January 22, 2001)), and the amendments to parts 9, 141, and 142 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, made by that rule, shall have full force and effect.

(b) Maximum Contaminant Level.--The maximum contaminant level for arsenic in drinking water of .01 milligrams per liter established by the final rule described in subsection

(a) shall not be subject to revision except by Act of Congress.

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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 147, No. 43