WASHINGTON, DC - Adding to the Energy and Commerce Committee’s #RecordOfSuccess, the U.S. Senate last evening approved by voice vote H.R. 212, the Drinking Water Protection Act. Committee member Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) authored the bipartisan bill in response to a water emergency last summer caused by algal blooms found in Lake Erie near Toledo, Ohio. H.R. 212, which passed the House 375 - 37 in February, requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and submit a plan to Congress for assessing and managing risks from cyanotoxins in drinking water. The Drinking Water Protection Act now heads to the president to be signed into law.
“I applaud my Senate colleagues for supporting this bipartisan bill and I’m looking forward to it being signed into law. The Great Lakes are important to Northwest Ohio, as millions of people rely on them for their drinking water," said Rep. Latta. “With the help of the States, and the academic and scientific communities, we were able to craft legislation that is a major step to better understand and further mitigate the risk of harmful algal toxins. Ohioans and folks across the country deserve access to safe drinking water, and I’m thankful we were able to address this issue while preserving one of our greatest national gifts, Lake Erie."
Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL) commented, “In the Midwest, nothing is more important than the Great Lakes and this bill will ensure millions of folks will continue to have access to clean Great Lakes drinking water. With Lake Erie’s algal bloom expected to be severe this year, Bob Latta’s solution couldn’t be timelier. It provides EPA with the long-term tools they need to prevent future occurrences like the one that happened in Ohio and it is an important step forward in understanding and addressing the risk posed by algal toxins. Protecting our drinking water is a nonpartisan issue and we’re looking forward to this important bill being signed into law."
