The Hoagland Report

National Rural Water Association Policy Positions (last updated – April 14, 2008)

Legislation	Rural Water Position Summaries
S. 2509 – “The Small System Safe Drinking Water Act of 2007,” to prevent the enforcement of certain water regulations unless sufficient funding is available or variance technology has been identified.	Support: the legislation will enhance public health, especially in low-income communities by allowing for the use of the SDWA affordability and variance provisions. It brings equity and fairness to the law’s implementation for small towns. It corrects the status quo, where thousands of small and rural water communities are forced to spend limited public funds for compliance when there is not an identified public health risk from non-compliance.
	Full statement available at: http://www.ruralwater.org/inhoferelease.pdf
H.R.5577 – “Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2008” H.R. 5533 – “Chemical Facilities Security Act of 2008”	Amend: exempt small local governments (drinking water and wastewater utilities) from this legislation or modify the legislation to assist small and rural communities with security enhancements versus authorizing new, overly complex regulations that are backed up with fines on small, financially struggling local communities. Full statement: http://www.ruralwater.org/chemsecurityletter.pdf Support: Retains Exemption for water and waste water systems.
H.R. 1747 – "Safe Drinking Water for Healthy Communities Act of 2007" (MTBE & TCE)	No national policy position. Generally do not support Congress passing individual laws to set select federal standards. However, the flaws in EPA’s current standard setting process are of greater concern to small communities than the decision to promulgate a standard or not promulgate a standard.
	Full statement: http://www.ruralwater.org/sba%20affordability.pdf
State Revolving Fund Reauthorization – H.R.720 – “Water Quality Financing Act of 2007”	Support with small community priorities including; technical assistance; communities exhibiting the greatest need should receive funding first; programs should not be limited to making loans because in many situations, small communities will not have the ability to pay back a loan; a minimum portion of the funds should be set-aside for small systems; etc.
	Full statement: http://www.ruralwater.org/brasseaux.pdf
H.R.2421 – “Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007”	No national policy position. Rural Water is a proponent of state and local sovereignty where Constitutionally appropriate. Rural Water supports streamlined permitting and special exemptions for public sector water and sanitation development and maintenance. Wyoming Rural Water has expressed reservations on the legislation.
Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water Supplies	The public and community water supplies need to know what levels of substances (including pharmaceuticals) in drinking water are unsafe. The current federal process does not adequately identify safe levels that the public can understand in a timely manner. This process needs to be reformed. Full statement: http://www.ruralwater.org/pharmshearing.pdf
Farm Bill Reauthorization	Support: reauthorizes and funds critical rural water programs including water grants, technical assistance, and source water protection.
	Full statement: http://www.ruralwater.org/matthews.pdf
Reform of EPA’s Variance and Affordability Policies	Support: EPA has adopted a policy that families can afford annual water rates of 2.5% of median household income (MHI) (or $1,000 per household). EPA’s standard does not consider the quantity, concentration, rural demographics, and financial abilities of low-income families or disadvantaged populations to afford the rule as required by the Agency's Environmental Justice policy [E.O. 12898].
	Full statement: http://www.ruralwater.org/sba%20affordability.pdf