Contact:

Matt Dempsey Matt_Dempsey@epw.senate.gov (202) 224-9797

David Lungren David_Lungren@epw.senate.gov (202) 224-5642

Inhofe Comments on EPA Drinking Water Proposal

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today commented on the announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on a new approach to regulation of drinking water.

"EPA's goal to strengthen protection for the drinking water Americans use is both laudable and necessary, and one that I certainly share," Sen. Inhofe said.  "I am concerned, however, by the manner in which EPA is attempting to achieve this goal.  Using the Safe Drinking Water Act to ‘leverage' other statutes that regulate chemicals is not the most effective way to provide safe drinking water or regulate chemicals.  In the coming weeks, I will be seeking information from the agency as to how it developed this proposal, including how well EPA assessed the impact on small, rural drinking water systems, many of which cannot afford to meet existing standards, and whether it engaged and sought input from stakeholders such as farmers and small businesses." 

Background:

In February, Senator Inhofe introduced the Small System Drinking Water Act of 2010, a bill to assist water systems in Oklahoma and throughout the country in complying with Federal drinking water standards, and require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to utilize all of its resources provided by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act amendments (SDWA).

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