South Carolina General Assembly
123rd Session, 2019-2020

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H. 4718

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Moore, Robinson, Clyburn, Hosey, Brawley, Pendarvis, Wheeler, Caskey, Govan, Morgan, Hayes, McDaniel, King, Elliott, Clary, Felder and W. Newton
Document Path: l:\council\bills\cc\15644vr20.docx
Companion/Similar bill(s): 5339

Introduced in the House on January 14, 2020
Currently residing in the House Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs

Summary: Pollutants

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  11/20/2019  House   Prefiled
  11/20/2019  House   Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources 
                        and Environmental Affairs
   1/14/2020  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 76)
   1/14/2020  House   Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources 
                        and Environmental Affairs (House Journal-page 76)
   1/15/2020  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Wheeler
   1/16/2020  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Caskey, Govan, 
                        Morgan
   1/22/2020  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hayes
   1/23/2020  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: McDaniel, King, 
                        Elliott
   2/26/2020  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Clary
    3/3/2020  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Felder
   3/11/2020  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: W.Newton

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

11/20/2019

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 44-55-130 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL TO PROMULGATE REGULATIONS TO ESTABLISH MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVELS FOR CERTAIN POLLUTANTS IN PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Article 1, Chapter 55, Title 44 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 44-55-130.    (A)    It is the goal of the State of South Carolina to protect residents from harmful toxins in drinking water.

    (B)    Within one hundred days of the effective date of this act, the department shall commence, in accordance with subsections (C) and (D), the regulatory process authorized in Section 44-55-30 to promulgate regulations that establish maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for likely or known carcinogens and toxic chemicals likely to pose a substantial health hazard in public water systems.

    (C)    The department shall promulgate regulations that establish statewide MCLs for the following pollutants in public water systems:

        (1)    PFOS, PFOA, and other PFAS compounds;

        (2)    chromium-6;

        (3)    1, 4 dioxane; and

        (4)    any other public water system pollutants for which at least two other states have established MCLs or issued public health guidance.

    (D)(1)    As part of promulgating the regulations pursuant to subsections (B) and (C), the department shall review MCLs adopted by other states, the studies and scientific evidence reviewed by those states, data and other information maintained by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the latest peer-reviewed science and independent or governmental agency public water system studies.

        (2)    An MCL promulgated pursuant to this section must protect the public health, including vulnerable populations such as pregnant and nursing mothers, infants, and children, and in no case, may an MCL exceed an MCL or health advisory promulgated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

        (3)    The department annually shall review the latest peer-reviewed science and independent or governmental agency studies and promulgate, if necessary, additional or revised regulations to ensure compliance with item (2).

    (E)    For purposes of this section:

        (1)    'MCL' means maximum contaminant level, or the legal threshold on the amount of a substance that is allowed in a public water system.

        (2)    'PFAS' means per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance.

        (3)    'PFOA' means perfluorooctanoic acid.

        (4)    'PFOS' means perfluorooctanesulfonic acid."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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