Emergency OASIS Act

Bill: 117-hr-3286
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36]
Introduced: 2021-05-17
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Environmental assessment, monitoring, research

Environmental health

Environmental regulatory procedures

Hazardous wastes and toxic substances

Metals

Public utilities and utility rates

Water quality

Water use and supply
Latest action: action_date: 2021-05-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-05-17
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Emergency Order Assurance, Safety, and Inspection of water Systems Act or the Emergency OASIS Act</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue regulations that require community water systems to flush their drinking water distribution systems of contaminants under certain circumstances; it also expands the EPA's emergency powers to address metalloid contaminants in community water systems when state and local authorities have not acted to protect the health of persons in those communities.</p> <p>Specifically, the EPA must issue regulations to require each community water system to flush its distribution system if any contaminant has exceeded the applicable maximum contaminant level for longer than six months or if the drinking water has stood motionless in the system for longer than six months.</p> <p>The EPA may take steps under its emergency powers to test community water systems for metalloid contaminants in drinking water and provide alternative water supplies. Further, the EPA may require the owner of the water system to pay an amount that is at least twice the cost of providing such alternative water supplies.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3286 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 17, 2021 Mr. Ruiz introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to require drinking water distribution systems to be flushed under certain circumstances, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Emergency Order Assurance, Safety, and Inspection of water Systems Act or the Emergency OASIS Act . 2. Amendments to Safe Drinking Water Act (a) Drinking water distribution system flushing Section 1412(b) of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300g–1(b) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (16) Drinking water distribution system flushing Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Emergency OASIS Act , the Administrator shall promulgate a regulation to require each community water system to flush its distribution system if— (A) the concentration of any contaminant in the drinking water of the community water system has exceeded the applicable maximum contaminant level for longer than 6 months; or (B) drinking water has stood motionless in the distribution system of the community water system for longer than 6 months. . (b) Emergency orders Section 1431 of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300i ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (c) The actions the Administrator may take under subparagraph (a) also include, with respect to a community water system that is the subject of an order issued under subsection (a)(1)— (1) carrying out testing for metalloid contaminants at not more than 25, but not less than 10 percent, of the service connections of such a community water system; and (2) providing alternative water supplies in accordance with subsection (d). (d) If the Administrator determines that, after a period of 7 days beginning on the date on which an order is issued under subsection (a)(1), a community water system has not provided alternative water supplies as required by such order— (1) the Administrator may provide such alternative water supplies; and (2) if the Administrator provides such alternative water supplies under paragraph (1), the Administrator may require the owner of the community water system to pay an amount that is not less than twice the cost of providing such alternative water supplies. (e) Any community water system that is required to provide alternative water supplies under an order issued under subsection (a) may not increase any fees, rent, or other costs on customers in order to comply with such order. .