The Republican-led House of Representatives on Dec. 11 approved sweeping bipartisan legislation, authored by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin (R-LA) and Ranking Member John Dingell (D-MI), designed to bolster homeland security for critical infrastructure systems including water treatment facilities.
Authors of H.R. 3448, The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Response Act of 2001, authorized over $100 million for developing "vulnerability" analyses and emergency response plans for drinking water systems.
"That we are no longer immune to the threat of bioterrorism is abundantly clear," Tauzin said. "In a post September 11th world, it's critically important that Congress strengthen our public health infrastructure at the national, state and local levels to better protect the American people."
The White House expressed hope the bill will pass the Democratic-led Senate quickly and be signed, possibly before Congress took its month-long holiday break.
"I commend Congressmen Tauzin and Dingell for successfully passing bipartisan legislation that will help meet our immediate bioterrorism defense needs," Bush said. "Their legislation includes many of my priorities, including proposals to expand the pharmaceutical stockpile, increase our supply of smallpox vaccines, strengthen state and local preparedness, and improve the safety of our food supply.
"I look forward to working closely with Congressmen Tauzin and Dingell, as well as Senators Kennedy (D-MA), Gregg (R-NH), and Frist (R-TN) to quickly reach a bipartisan consensus on this important legislation."
The House bill would amend a small piece of the Safe Drinking Water Act that focuses on security. Water managers that serve communities with more than 3,300 residents must conduct vulnerability assessments and report back to the Environmental Protection Agency although there is no clear deadline when they must do so. Those same communities also must prepare or revise emergency response plans based on the vulnerability assessment.
Meanwhile EPA must warn systems by March 1 of probable threats that could disrupt supplies or "significantly affect safety" of drinking water systems. Drinking water utilities that serve under 3,300 people will get help from EPA on how to conduct vulnerability assessments and prepare emergency response plans. The agency can also provide financial help to meet any of the legislation's security mandates.
Other provisions of the bill include measures directing EPA in consultation with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to review current and future research on ways a terrorists may try to contaminate local drinking water supplies. The bill also calls for tougher penalties for those convicted of tampering with a drinking system, although EPA officials have said current legal statutes give the agency enough authority to prosecute already.
In a related effort, the federal government said it plans to accelerate bioterrorism research that could be used to ensure that the threat of a terrorist poisoning drinking water systems remains a remote possibility. US Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson, on Dec. 6, unveiled seven new initiatives that will be overseen by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
"Lethal bioterrorism has become a stark reality, and our ability to detect and counter this danger depends on having reliable, up-to-date knowledge," Thompson said. "Under these new initiatives, the submission, review and funding of this flood of scientific proposals will be expedited so that important research in this area can advance as quickly as possible."
The initiatives will fund research investigating high-priority, Category A biological diseases, as defined by the (CDC) — anthrax, botulism, plague, smallpox, tularemia and viral hemorrhagic fevers. Many of the programs will encourage government partnerships with business and academia, US officials said.
Other ActionIn other Capitol Hill action, Senate Democratic leaders in late November proposed legislation that would require the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the use of the oxygenate methyl tertiary butyl ether within four years and authorize funds to clean up groundwater contamination. States would also be allowed to waive the oxygen content from clean fuel programs. The bill would also offer grants to MTBE producers who convert production to other fuel additives. The proposal is part of a larger, 400-page energy reform bill S. 1766 that the Senate is expected to begin debating in January.
EPA FundingThe White House has signed a budget bill that funds the Environmental Protection Agency for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, 2001, and includes language codifying the tighter arsenic standard for drinking water.
The law gives EPA a March 1, 2002, deadline to give Congress ideas for helping small communities meet the new rule that will be in place by 2006. Under the legislation, EPA's overall budget is $7.9 billion, $597 million above the administration's request and $75 million over last year's level. About $1.35 billion is earmarked for the clean water state revolving fund, the same level as last year but $500 million above what EPA requested. The safe drinking water state revolving fund gets $850 million; that amount is $25 million more than last year.
Governors Seek Funds for SecurityIncreased security measures at water and wastewater plants could cost an estimated $11 million, according to preliminary results from a new survey of state governors.
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices released the preliminary survey results Dec. 5. It outlines possible state costs associated with funding new federal homeland security measures.
Featuring data from 17 states and one territory and representing more than 25 percent of the United States population, the survey indicates the cost of homeland security to the states will be approximately $4 billion in the first year alone. Bioterrorism and emergency communications represent $3 billion of the costs with an additional $1 billion for guarding critical infrastructure.
The survey is being compiled as the governors ask Congress to appropriate at least $2 billion directly to states and territories to enhance capacity and preparation of state and local health systems to respond to bioterrorism and an additional $1 billion in state grants for public safety, emergency response and other related costs.
The recently passed House bill HR 3448 authorizes $1 billion in grants to states, local governments, and other public and private health care facilities and other entities to improve planning and preparedness activities, enhance laboratory capacity, educate and train health care personnel, and to develop new drugs, therapies, and vaccines. WW/
