{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr212-114/featured_drinking-water-protection-act-1454545541.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr212-114/featured_large_drinking-water-protection-act-1454545541.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr212-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-01-08","title_override":"Should The EPA Be Responsible For Managing Algal Toxins In Drinking Water?","summary_override":"

Cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, grow rapidly when water is contaminated with phosphorus and nitrogen – common components of agricultural run-off. When an overgrowth of algae released harmful chemicals into Lake Erie in the summer of 2013, over 400,000 residents of Toledo, Ohio lost their main source of water.

In response to the incident, Sponsoring Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) introduced this bill, proposing to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act. If passed, the EPA would have 90 days to develop a plan to manage the risks associated with algal toxins. The EPA would be required to provide a list of algal toxins that present risks to human health, summaries of those effects, and guidelines for monitoring toxins.

At the end of the 90-day period, the EPA would be expected to submit a report to Congress, including findings and recommendations for removing algal toxins from contaminated drinking water.

","official_title":"To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide for the assessment and management of the risk of algal toxins in drinking water, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Drinking Water Protection Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on February 24, 2015. The summary of that version is repeated here.)\n\nDrinking Water Protection Act \n\n(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and submit to Congress a strategic plan for assessing and managing risks associated with algal toxins in drinking water provided by public water systems. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, have the ability to produce cyanotoxins, or algal toxins. When certain conditions are favorable, algae can rapidly multiply causing blooms, or dense surface scums, that may be toxic.\n\nThe plan must include steps and time lines to:\n\n evaluate the risk to human health from drinking water contaminated with algal toxins; establish, publish, and update a comprehensive list of algal toxins that may have an adverse effect on human health, taking into account likely exposure levels; summarize the known adverse human...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"People whose water supply is susceptible to algal toxins, local and state agencies responsible for responding to contaminated drinking water","argument_for":"Clean drinking water is essential and uncontrolled algal toxins can contaminate the water supply for an entire city. These instances are preventable, and the EPA needs to take on the responsibility to reduce risks to clean water. ","argument_against":"Because the conditions causing specific cyanobacteria to release toxins are not well understood, and are connected to other essentials like agriculture — these issues must be understood locally before the government can meaningfully intervene.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr212-114","bill_id":"hr212-114","formal_id":"H.R. 212","chamber":"house","congress":114,"last_action_at":"2015-08-07T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":true,"enacted_at":"2015-08-07","vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2015-08-05T00:00:00.000Z","debated_on":"2015-02-23T00:00:00.000Z","congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/212","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr212enr/html/BILLS-114hr212enr.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr212-114.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/212/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2015-01-08","related_bill_ids":["s460-114","hr1709-114"],"progress":"Enacted","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":true,"position_count":140,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Energy and Commerce","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSIF","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Environment and Climate Change","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSIF18","subcommittee":true}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr212-114","details":"/api/bills/hr212-114/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr212-114","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr212-114/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr212-114/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":6,"slug":"hr212-114-drinking-water-protection-act","latest_chamber_votes_id":"hr212-114","official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":3194,"yea_vote_count":2257,"nay_vote_count":934,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":true,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["environment"],"issue_ids":["environment","climate-change"],"sponsor_id":348}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"environment","name":"Environment","slug":"environment","description":"Congressional legislation related to research and regulation of the Environment, including: Air and water quality, Pollution, Climate Change, Recycling, Radioactive Waste, Hazardous Wastes and Toxic Substances. ","page_title":"Federal legislation related to environmental protections and regulation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/environment/black_environment-1429042042.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/environment/grey_environment-1429042042.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/environment/white_environment-1429042042.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"climate-change","name":"Climate Change","slug":"climate-change","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Climate Change. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about.\r\n","page_title":"Climate Change Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/climate-change/black_climate-change-1429641619.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/climate-change/grey_climate-change-1429641619.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/climate-change/white_climate-change-1429641619.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Bernadette","vote_count":5,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-hat.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-hat.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-hat.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/jW2qaJ9w/following","followers":"/api/users/jW2qaJ9w/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":0,"influence_level":0,"follower_count":0,"following_count":0,"position_count":5,"id":"jW2qaJ9w","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"39cb5303-d6bc-4e22-a619-2335a890800a","argument_for":"Please, publicize this issue more so that the public is more aware of it and has more information about it. Please be sure the local news programs highlight it. If that's \"bad stuff,\" by all means strictly regulate it. Thanks.","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":0,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/39cb5303-d6bc-4e22-a619-2335a890800a"},"body":"Please, publicize this issue more so that the public is more aware of it and has more information about it. Please be sure the local news programs highlight it. If that's \"bad stuff,\" by all means strictly regulate it. Thanks.","stance":"yea","created_at":"2015-02-21T13:14:44.339Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/39cb5303-d6bc-4e22-a619-2335a890800a.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr212-114","user_id":"jW2qaJ9w","endorser_ids":[]}}

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Should The EPA Be Responsible For Managing Algal Toxins In Drinking Water?