[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 176 (Thursday, November 17, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7696-S7697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      END UNNECESSARY MAILERS ACT

  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I firmly believe that members of the public 
must have access to the information contained in annual consumer 
confidence reports, which are required by the Safe Drinking Water Act's 
right-to-know provisions. For the past 11 years, the Environmental 
Protection Agency has required community water systems

[[Page S7697]]

to provide customers with an annual report on the quality of their 
drinking. Currently, large water systems, those serving 10,000 people 
or more, are required to mail copies of the entire report to every 
customer.
  Today, believing wholeheartedly that public access to consumer 
confidence reports is critical and must be maintained, I am 
cosponsoring Senator Toomey's bill, S. 1578. Under this bill, community 
water systems would be required to send reports in the mail if a 
violation of the maximum contaminant level occurs during the year. 
However, if there is no violation, water systems could post the reports 
online and only mail hard copies upon request. I believe that S. 1578 
draws attention to an area in which our Federal policy might benefit 
from discussion, debate, and potential modernization. Since Internet 
access has increased dramatically since 1999, the option of reviewing 
reports online is likely far more appealing to consumers than it once 
was. Also, amendments to the current requirements have the potential to 
reduce paper waste and to reduce unnecessary administrative burden and 
expense by providing customers with the ability to choose whether or 
not to receive the report in the mail.

                          ____________________