Bill
Bill > HR4806
summary
Introduced
03/17/2016
03/17/2016
In Committee
03/18/2016
03/18/2016
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/03/2017
01/03/2017
Introduced Session
114th Congress
Bill Summary
CLEAR Act of 2016 Copper and Lead Evaluation and Reporting Act of 2016 This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate new lead and copper regulations that would set a health-based, household action level for lead and copper that triggers: (1) a consumer notification of drinking water contamination; (2) a report to the appropriate public health agency; and (3) an examination by the public water system of service line material and, if applicable, the removal of lead portions of the service line. That action level must be based on the amount of lead that would result in a blood lead level greater than five micrograms per deciliter in an average, healthy infant who consumes infant formula made with water. The regulations must also: provide outreach about the health risk and protection available to consumers with known or suspected lead service lines, institutions and facilities that serve other vulnerable populations, and the caregivers and health care providers of those consumers or populations; require reporting by public water systems for each monitoring period to the populations they serve on information concerning lead and copper levels; require public water systems to provide a public statement of lead service line ownership where a community has such lines; modify monitoring requirements to provide for voluntary, consumer-requested tap samples for lead; and provide for utilizing the results of those samples.
AI Summary
This bill, known as the CLEAR Act of 2016, amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish new regulations for lead and copper in drinking water. These regulations will set a health-based "action level" for lead and copper in households, meaning if contamination reaches this level, it will trigger immediate consumer notification about the contamination, a report to public health officials, and an investigation by the water system into the material of service lines, with a requirement to remove lead portions if found. This action level will be determined based on the amount of lead that could cause a blood lead level of 5 micrograms per deciliter in an infant consuming formula made with that water. The bill also mandates outreach to educate consumers, especially vulnerable populations like children, pregnant women, the immunocompromised, and the elderly, about lead risks and protections, requires public water systems to report lead and copper levels to their customers, and to publicly state ownership of lead service lines. Additionally, it modifies monitoring rules to allow for voluntary, consumer-requested tap water samples for lead, and to use the results of these samples to inform consumers, public health agencies, and to assess the effectiveness of treatment or other causes of elevated lead levels.
Committee Categories
Agriculture and Natural Resources, Business and Industry
Sponsors (7)
Mike Quigley (D)*,
Cheri Bustos (D),
Matt Cartwright (D),
Tammy Duckworth (D),
Jared Huffman (D),
Barbara Lee (D),
Ted Lieu (D),
Last Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy. (on 03/18/2016)
Official Document
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