Bill Text: NJ SCR103 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Strongly urges DEP to adopt standards for certain drinking water contaminants as recommended by NJ Drinking Water Quality Institute.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-05-02 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee [SCR103 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-SCR103-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator RAYMOND J. LESNIAK
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Strongly urges DEP to adopt standards for certain drinking water contaminants as recommended by NJ Drinking Water Quality Institute.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution strongly urging the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt standards for certain drinking water contaminants as recommended by the New Jersey Drinking Water Quality Institute.
Whereas, The maintenance of high quality potable water is essential in order to safeguard the health and welfare of the people of the State; and
Whereas, Recognizing this, in 1977, the Legislature passed the "Safe Drinking Water Act," which, among other things, directed the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to adopt and enforce State primary drinking water regulations; and
Whereas, In 1983, amendments to the act created the Drinking Water Quality Institute (DWQI), a panel of experts tasked with developing standards for hazardous contaminants in drinking water and recommending those standards for adoption by the DEP; and
Whereas, The 1983 amendments also directed the DEP, after considering the recommendations of the DWQI, to establish standards for 22 listed organic compounds and any other contaminants that are present in New Jersey drinking water and may be harmful to human health; and
Whereas, Despite the State's strides in improving the quality of drinking water, today many contaminants remain unregulated, including several specified in the 1983 amendments; and
Whereas, Since at least 2005, the DEP has failed to adopt new or more stringent standards for approximately 16 contaminants, even though the DWQI has made recommendations concerning those contaminants; and
Whereas, The DWQI's recommendations include new or more stringent standards for: perchlorate, a hazardous industrial chemical used in the production of explosives; radon-222, a radioactive gas and known human carcinogen; and formaldehyde, an organic compound used in embalming to temporarily preserve human and animal remains; and
Whereas, Most recently, the DWQI recommended a standard for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), a hazardous organic chemical recently detected in the drinking water supplies of several municipalities in southern New Jersey; and
Whereas, As the agency responsible for ensuring the safety of the State's drinking water supply, the DEP has a duty to adopt new and more stringent drinking water standards when doing so would protect the health and welfare of New Jersey residents and visitors; and
Whereas, The DWQI's recommendations are based on the latest scientific information concerning the health effects of, and testing and treatment methods for, various contaminants and, consequently, the recommendations of the DWQI should be swiftly considered and adopted by the DEP; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. The Department of Environmental Protection is strongly urged to adopt the standards for the following drinking water contaminants, as recommended by the New Jersey Drinking Water Quality Institute:
Perchlorate, recommended in October 2005;
Radon-222, recommended in February 2009;
Benzene, recommended in March 2009;
Carbon tetrachloride, recommended in March 2009;
1,3-dichlorobenzene, recommended in March 2009;
1,4-dichlorobenzene, recommended in March 2009;
1,2-dichloroethane, recommended in March 2009;
Formaldehyde, recommended in March 2009;
n-Hexane, recommended in March 2009;
Methyl ethyl ketone, recommended in March 2009;
Vinyl chloride, recommended in March 2009;
DCPA and degradates, as recommended in March 2009;
1,1-dichloroethane, recommended in March 2009;
1,1,2-trichloroethane, recommended in March 2009;
1,2,3-trichloropropane, recommended in March 2009; and
Perfluorononanoic acid, recommended in July 2015.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the Governor, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, and each member of the New Jersey Drinking Water Quality Institute.
STATEMENT
This concurrent resolution would strongly urge the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to adopt drinking water standards for 16 hazardous contaminants, as recommended by the Drinking Water Quality Institute (DWQI).
In 1977, the Legislature passed the "Safe Drinking Water Act," which, among other things, directed the DEP to adopt and enforce State primary drinking water regulations. Amendments to that act in 1983 created the DWQI, a panel of experts tasked with developing standards for hazardous contaminants in drinking water and recommending those standards to the DEP. The 1983 amendments also directed the DEP, after considering the recommendations of the DWQI, to establish standards for 22 listed organic compounds and any other contaminants that are present in New Jersey drinking water and may be harmful to human health.
Despite the State's strides in improving the quality of drinking water, today many contaminants remain unregulated, including several specified in the 1983 amendments. Since at least 2005, the DEP has failed to adopt new or more stringent standards for approximately 16 contaminants, even though the DWQI has made recommendations concerning those contaminants. The DWQI's recommendations include new or more stringent standards for: perchlorate, a hazardous industrial chemical used in the production of explosives; radon-222, a radioactive gas and known human carcinogen; and formaldehyde, an organic compound used in embalming to temporarily preserve human and animal remains. More recently, the DWQI has recommended a standard for perfluorononanoic acid, a hazardous organic chemical recently detected in the drinking water supplies of several townships in southern New Jersey.
As the agency responsible for ensuring the safety of the State's drinking water supply, the DEP has a duty to adopt new and more stringent drinking water standards when doing so would protect the health and welfare of New Jersey residents and visitors. The DWQI's recommendations are based on the latest scientific information concerning the health effects of, and testing and treatment methods for, various contaminants. As such, the recommendations of the DWQI should be swiftly considered and adopted by the DEP.
