HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 5769 RESOLUTION NO. 57 6 9
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
DOWNEY SUPPORTING H.R. 3392, THE SLATTERY/BLILEY SAFE
DRINKING WATER ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1993.
WHEREAS, the Safe Drinking Water Act empowers the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to protect the public health through the establishment of water quality
standards; and
WHEREAS, the current Safe Drinking Water Act fails to provide a mechanism to establish
standards that are based on scientific evidence and the availability of reasonable treatment
technologies; and
WHEREAS, the Act is now pending re- authorization by the United States Congress; and
WHEREAS, revisions to the Act are necessary to establish reason able water quality
standards, which are directly linked to affordable safe drinking water; and
WHEREAS, current law ignores the principle that scarce public financial resources
should be targeted on environmental hazards presenting the greatest comparable risk,
regardless of exposure medium (air, water, occupational); and
WHEREAS, pending standards under the current law would, if implemented, impose
millions of dollars of increased costs to water agencies within the Central Groundwater Basin
and billions of dollars nationally in additional treatment costs with virtually no public benefit or
disclosure about alternative investment options or comparable risk; and
WHEREAS, U.S. Representatives Jim Slattery and Thomas Bliley have introduced H.R.
3392 to reform the Safe Drinking Water Act; and
WHEREAS, H.R. 3392 has been endorsed by the National League of Cities, the U.S.
Conference of Mayors, the National Governors Association, the National Association of
Counties, the American Water Works Association, the Association of State Drinking Water
Administrators and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissions; and
WHEREAS, reforming the Safe Drinking Water Act is necessary to provide a functioning
regulatory system to promote public health.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Downey declares that revisions to the
Safe Drinking Water Act are necessary and hereby resolves that H.R. 3392 provides the
following provisions that regulate water utilities to insure the integrity of the public's drinking
water supply while addressing local needs and eliminating wasteful exorbitant costs to the user:
1. Standards for drinking water based on risk reduction, best technology and cost
to water user;
2. A separate standard setting process for contaminants that by their nature should
be given special consideration. The City Council of the City of Downey would support an
additional amendment that would insure that naturally occurring elements are to be given
special consideration and recognized apart from manmade constituents;
3. Procedures that require the EPA to set time tables necessary to gather data and
complete research, thus eliminating special interest groups from dictating federal policy through
court action;
4. Provisions that empower state regulators to grant variances in concert with the
EPA to systems that, due to local circumstances, may not be able to fund expensive capital
improvements;
5. Procedures that regulate only those contaminants that are of public health
concern; and
6. Provisions that require water utilities to monitor for "unregulated" contaminants
to be specified by the EPA and submit information to the EPA for establishment of a data base
to aid in setting national priorities.
RESOLUTION NO. 5 7 6 9
Page 2
APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 8th day of March , 1994.
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,Aayor Rober ' S Braz = ' ton
ATTEST:
ete: ^ 1
I ir k41, act te,
ty Clerk
HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the City Council
of the City of Downey at a regular meeting thereof held on the 8th day of March , 1994,
by the following vote:
AYES: 5 Council Members: McCaughan, Riley, Boggs, Lawrence, Brazelton
NOES: 0 Council Members: None
ABSENT: 0 Council Members: None
,City Clerk
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