House passes Drinking Water Protection Act of 2015

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 212, the Drinking Water Protection Act of 2015, on Tuesday. The bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a strategic plan to identify and manage the risks of harmful toxins that develop in drinking water.

The bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Robert Latta (R-OH) and co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI), gives the EPA a hard deadline of 90 days to assemble and submit a strategic plan to Congress for assessing and managing the risks associated with cyanotoxins present in the drinking water provided by public water systems.

“Last summer, as a result of toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie, hundreds of thousands of residents in Toledo were banned from using the city’s drinking water, creating a state of emergency for local counties,” Miller said. “This incident is a reminder of the serious threat these toxic blooms pose to all of our Great Lakes and the communities that rely on them, and not just the immediate surrounding communities. The Great Lakes account for over 20 percent of the freshwater drinking supply on the entire planet, and they generate billions of dollars each year through the fishing and shipping industries, and recreational activities. We can’t ignore the threat posed by these toxic algae blooms and need to do more to protect our magnificent lakes.”

“Assuring that we have adequate resources dedicated to monitoring and managing this threat across the entire Great Lakes region must be a priority, which is why I have and will continue to support legislative measures like the Drinking Water Protection Act,” Miller said.