Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act

Bill: 110-hr-2452
Sponsor: Rep. Bishop, Timothy H. [D-NY-1]
Introduced: 2007-05-23 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Drainage
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Emergency communication systems
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental health
Environmental monitoring
Federal aid to water pollution control
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Health
Infrastructure
Law
Maintenance and repair
Pollution measurement
Revolving funds
Sewage disposal
Sewerage
Waste water
Water pollution control
Water treatment plants

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-23
text: 
Raw Sewage Overflow Community 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 not later than 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: 2008-06-23
text: 
 Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to require owners or operators of publicly owned treatment works to: (1) institute monitoring systems to provide timely alerts of sewer overflows; (2) notify the public, not later than 24 hours after receiving knowledge, of such overflows in areas where human health is potentially affected; (3) notify public health authorities and other affected entities, in the case of an overflow that may imminently and substantially endanger human health, immediately after the owner or operator knows of the overflow; (4) report each overflow on discharge monitoring reports to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the state; and (5) annually report to the Administrator or the state on the total number of overflows in a calendar year.

Makes specified exceptions to notification and reporting requirements for backups into single-family residences and for overflows that occur in the course of treatment works maintenance, respectively.

Requires annual summary reports by states to the Administrator.

Requires the Administrator to issue regulations, including to establish overflow assessment guidance and develop communications measures to provide notification under this Act. Provides procedures for review and approval, after issuance of such regulations, of state notification programs. 

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


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2008-06-24
text: Received in the Senate.
action_date: 2008-06-23
text: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2008-06-23
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2008-06-23
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5820-5821)
action_date: 2008-06-23
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H5820-5821)
action_date: 2008-06-23
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2452.
action_date: 2008-06-23
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5820-5824)
action_date: 2008-06-23
text: Ms. Johnson, E. B. moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2008-06-19
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 458.
action_date: 2008-06-19
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Transportation. H. Rept. 110-723.
action_date: 2008-06-19
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Transportation. H. Rept. 110-723.
action_date: 2008-05-15
text: Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2008-05-15
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2008-05-07
text: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
action_date: 2008-05-07
text: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2007-05-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2007-05-23
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2007-05-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-05-23
text: Introduced in House