STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman LISA SWAIN
District 38 (Bergen)
Assemblywoman SHAMA A. HAIDER
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblyman CHRIS TULLY
District 38 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Stanley, Conaway and Assemblywoman Murphy
SYNOPSIS
Requires DEP and Drinking Water Quality Institute to perform study concerning regulation and treatment of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and supplementing P.L.1977, c.224 (C.58:12A-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Drinking Water Quality Institute established pursuant to section 10 of P.L.1983, c.443 (C.58:12A-20), shall conduct a study on the regulation of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water. The study shall include an assessment of the feasibility of establishing a maximum contaminant level or other standard for the entire class, or for certain subclasses or mixtures, of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water, rather than for each individual substance. The study shall also include an assessment of treatment technologies that may be effective in removing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances from drinking water or wastewater.
b. No later than 24 months after the effective date of this section, the department shall submit a written report containing its findings to the Senate Environment and Energy Committee and the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee, or their successors, and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The department shall also publish its findings in the New Jersey Register and post the findings on the department's Internet website.
c. As used in this section, "perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance" means any member of the class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in consultation with the Drinking Water Quality Institute, to conduct a study on the regulation of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water.
The study would include an assessment of the feasibility of establishing a maximum contaminant level or other standard for the entire class, or for certain subclasses or mixtures, of PFAS in drinking water, rather than for each individual substance. The study would also include an assessment of treatment technologies that may be effective in removing PFAS from drinking water or wastewater. The bill would require the DEP to publish the report no later than 24 months after the bill's enactment.