WSP12258

• File Number: 8021
• Description: Section D General Correspondence - Western States Water Council
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 1/7/1994
• Author: Western States Water
• Title: Western States Water 1994 - Issues 1025-1076
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Creekview Plaza, Suite A-201/942 East 7145 So. 1 Midvale, Utah 84047 1 [phone] 1 FAX [phone]

Chairman - Dave Kennedy; Executive Director - Craig Bell; Editor - Norm Johnson; Typist - Carrie Curvin

WATER aUAUTY

Clean Water Act - Reauthorization

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Reauthorization of the Clean Water Act (CWA)
faces significant challenges, including the reluctance
of 46 agricuttural-state Senators to support S. 1114,
the Senate CWA bill, in its current form as explained
in a recent letter to Senator Baucus (D-Ml), the bill's
principle sponsor and Environment Committee Chair
CNSW #1042). Despite this and other distractions,
Senate Majority Leader Ge\lrge Mitchell (D-ME) has
indicated he considers passage of a CWA bill this
session to be a high priority. He would like S. 1114
brought to the Senate floor quickly, if possible by
Memorial Day. In response, the Environment
Committee Staff have redoubled their efforts to find
common ground on a number of important,
outstanding issues.

In the House, one or more hearings will be held
prior to markup by the Public Works Committee of
H.R. 3948, to reauthorize CWA..

Ground Water/Utah

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The State of Utah has recently published a revised
version of its Administrative Rules for Ground Water
Quality Protection. They are the result of a three-year
effort by state and federal agencies, industry, and
citizen interest groups to broaden and improve the
regulations that protect ground water in Utah.
Revisions to the regulations fit within three basic
categories: (1) clarifications of meaning or intent and
removal of redundant requirements; (2) addition of
new ground water quality standards; (3) inclusion of a
section to address corrective and remedial actions.
Newly adopted maximum contaminant levels for

drinking water resulted in'the need for some new
ground water quality standards. Also, the revisions
include a section to establish the means and
methodology for cleaning up ground water when
contaminated by spills or other discharges. The
regulations will apply to both new and existing facilities
that discharge to ground water. For more information
call [phone],

Safe Drinking Water Act - Reauthorization

Senate leaders have apparently reached
consensus concerning the most contentious,
outstanding issue related to the Safe Drinking Water
Act (SDWA) reauthorization. S. 2019, to reauthorize
SDWA, now could be brought to the Senate floor for
a vote as early as May 13, or possibly during the week
of May 16. The final, difficutt issue was standard
setting. Senate staff, EPA,and the White House finally
agreed to the compromise on May 11.

The language will establish a new EPA process for
setting standards. It includes more flexibility to make
risk analysis and cost control part of the process.
Current law calls for maximum contaminant levels to
be set at zero for carcinogenic substances. Under the
compromise, standards would be set to "ensure a
reasonable certainty of no harm," For carcinogenic
substances, standards could not "resutt in a significant
increase in individual lifetime cancer risks," The
compromise also calls for a study on standard setting
and related matters by the National Academy of
Sciences to help form the basis for the new process.

Reportedly, some environmentalists believe the
standard setting compromise would unacceptably
weaken protection against both carcinogenic and non-
carcinogenic substances in drinking water, and would