1.
This Act may be cited as the
Rural Community Arsenic Relief
Act
.
2.
Exemption for nonprofit small public water systems from
standards relating to naturally occurring contaminants
The Safe Drinking Water Act is
amended by inserting after section 1416 (42 U.S.C. 300g–5) the
following:
1416A.
Exemption for nonprofit small public water systems from
standards relating to naturally occurring contaminants
(a)
In this section:
(1)
The term low-income family means a family the
total annual income of which does not exceed the poverty line.
(2)
Naturally occurring contaminant
The term naturally occurring contaminant
includes—
(A)
arsenic;
(B)
radon;
(C)
radium; and
(D)
uranium.
(3)
Nonprofit small public water system
The term nonprofit small public water system means
a nonprofit public water system (including a local government) that serves
10,000 or fewer individuals.
(4)
The term poverty line has the meaning given the
term in section 673 of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C.
9902).
(b)
A State exercising primary enforcement responsibility for
public water systems under section 1413 (or the Administrator, with respect to
any nonprimacy State) shall exempt any nonprofit small public water system that
submits a request in accordance with subsection (c) from the requirements of
any national primary drinking water regulation for a naturally occurring
contaminant.
(c)
To be eligible for an exemption from a national primary
drinking water regulation under this section, a nonprofit small public water
system shall submit a written application to the State exercising primary
enforcement responsibility with respect to the system (or the Administrator,
with respect to any nonprimacy State) demonstrating that compliance by the
nonprofit small public water system with the national drinking water
regulation—
(1)
is not economically feasible;
(2)
has a disproportionate and adverse impact on low-income
families;
(3)
is substantially impeded by limited access of the nonprofit
small public water system to innovative and affordable technology; or
(4)
is not necessary, based on the fact that drinking water
provided by the nonprofit small public water system does not pose an
unreasonable health risk.
(d)
A nonprofit small public water system that receives an
exemption for arsenic under this section shall comply with a standard of
arsenic in drinking water provided by the nonprofit small public water system
of—
(1)
not later than January 1, 2007, not more than 50 parts per
billion;
(2)
not later than January 1, 2010, not more than 35 parts per
billion;
(3)
not later than January 1, 2012, not more than 30 parts per
billion;
(4)
not later than January 1, 2014, not more than 20 parts per
billion; and
(5)
not later than January 1, 2016, not more than 10 parts per
billion.
.
3.
University-based arsenic research Consortium
(a)
In this section:
(1)
The term Administrator means the Administrator of
the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2)
The term Consortium means the university-based
arsenic research consortium established under subsection (b)(1).
(b)
(1)
The Administrator shall establish a university-based arsenic
research consortium.
(2)
The Consortium shall be comprised of the following
members:
(A)
The University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
(B)
The University of Nebraska Medical Center.
(C)
The University of New Mexico.
(D)
The University of Texas.
(E)
Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health.
(F)
Georgetown University Medical School.
(c)
The Consortium shall—
(1)
conduct reviews and analyses, and carry out health effects
studies, using United States morbidity data relating to low levels of arsenic
commonly found in States;
(2)
assess studies on arsenic in drinking water, as adjusted by the
Administrator, carried out in—
(A)
Millard County, Utah;
(B)
Inner Mongolia, China; and
(C)
southwest Taiwan;
(3)
develop recommendations on which levels of arsenic in drinking
water constitute unreasonable risks to public health, and which levels should
be considered to be protective of public health, under the Safe Drinking Water
Act (42 U.S.C.
300f et seq.); and
(4)
conduct reviews and analyses of, and carry out health effects
studies on, all forms of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and vascular
toxicity.
(d)
(1)
The Administrator may provide grants to the Consortium for use in
carrying out the duties of the Consortium under subsection (c).
(2)
Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
subsection $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(e)Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to
Congress a report that describes the findings and recommendations of the
Consortium for the year covered by the report.