Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act

Bill: 110-s-2080
Sponsor: Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2007-09-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Drainage
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Emergency communication systems
Environmental health
Environmental monitoring
Federal aid to water pollution control
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Health
Pollution measurement
Revolving funds
Sewage disposal
Sewerage
Waste water
Water pollution control

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: 
Sewage Overflow Right-to-Know Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to direct owners or operators of publicly owned treatment works to: (1) institute an alert system for sewer overflows; (2) notify the public of such overflows in areas where human health is potentially affected within 24 hours; (3) immediately notify public health authorities and other affected entities; and (4) provide specified reports to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the state.

 Makes the alert systems eligible for state water pollution control revolving fund assistance. 

action_date: 2008-09-24
text: 
Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require owners or operators of publicly owned sewage treatment works to: (1) institute a monitoring program that alerts such owners or operators of sewer overflows; (2) notify the public of such overflows within 24 hours in areas where human health is potentially affected; (3) immediately notify public health authorities and other affected entities in the case of overflows that may imminently and substantially endanger public health; and (4) make specified reports on overflows, including the number of overflows in a calendar year, to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or a state.

Requires each state to provide the Administrator an annual summary of sewer overflows. 

Authorizes a state to submit evidence to the Administrator that it has in place a legally enforceable sewage overflow notification program that is substantially equivalent to the notification requirements of this Act. Sets forth factors for determining substantial equivalency.

Authorizes funding from state water pollution control revolving funds to carry out the monitoring of sewer overflows.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-24
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1075.
action_date: 2008-09-24
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-497. Minority views filed.
action_date: 2008-09-24
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-497. Minority views filed.
action_date: 2008-09-17
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11859-11860)
action_date: 2007-09-20
text: Introduced in Senate