[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 32 (Monday, August 12, 1996)]
[Pages 1413-1414]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996

August 6, 1996

    Today I am pleased to sign into law S. 1316, the ``Safe Drinking 
Water Act Amendments of 1996.'' This Act will provide the American 
people with much greater protection for the drinking water on which we 
all rely every day of our lives.
    Safe drinking water is the American people's first line of defense 
for public health. In 1993, my Administration called for reinvention of 
safe drinking water law to improve public health protection. This Act 
achieves this objective by following the basic principles we 
articulated. It balances responsible regulatory improvements with 
common-sense measures to help States and water systems prevent drinking 
water contamination problems in the first place. It also authorizes for 
the first time the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds that I first 
proposed in 1993. These Funds will provide the resources for drinking 
water infrastructure that will help hundreds of communities to protect 
their people from harmful contaminants.
    Regrettably, the Congress failed to pass this legislation prior to 
the August 1 deadline, so the $725 million of previously appropriated 
funds are no longer available for the Drinking Water State Revolving 
Funds and have been transferred to the Clean Water Program. I urge the 
Congress to act promptly to correct this problem and to restore these 
monies to the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds as soon as possible.
    The Act is in several respects a model for responsible reinvention 
of regulations. It replaces an inflexible approach with the authority to 
act on contaminants of greatest risk and to analyze costs and benefits, 
while retaining public health as the paramount value. It embraces 
principles of pollution prevention and a cost-effective, community-based 
approach for ensuring drinking water safety. It affirms the right of all 
Americans to know about the quality of their drinking water and the 
potential threats to its safety.

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    The consensus that has been achieved on this Act shows how strong 
protection of the health and environment of the American people can be 
achieved through partnerships with State and local governments and 
affected communities. The result achieved today by the Administration 
and Congress will give the American people confidence for years to come 
in the safety of their drinking water.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
August 6, 1996.

Note: S. 1316, approved August 6, was assigned Public Law No. 104-182.