Bill > H3410

This bill, titled "Protecting public drinking water," aims to regulate the construction or expansion of solid waste disposal facilities by establishing a protective zone around public water sources. Specifically, it prohibits the assignment of a site for a new or expanded facility if it falls within 400 feet of a public water supply well or well field, or certain critical areas of an aquifer that contribute to a well's safe yield or a spring's natural flow. An aquifer is a layer of rock or soil that can hold and transmit groundwater, and this bill defines specific zones within aquifers that are crucial for supplying drinking water. The bill also clarifies that this protective zone can extend to include streams or lakes that help recharge the aquifer and should be considered to extend to natural geological boundaries. The Department of Environmental Protection is empowered to create necessary rules and regulations to implement these protections.