Bill Text: NH HB1737 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Relative to the permissible level of methyl tertiary butyl ether in drinking water.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-03-06 - Inexpedient to Legislate: Motion Adopted DV 264-61 03/06/2018 House Journal 6 P. 102 [HB1737 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2018-HB1737-Introduced.html

HB 1737-FN-LOCAL - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2018 SESSION

18-2588

06/08

 

HOUSE BILL 1737-FN-LOCAL

 

AN ACT relative to the permissible level of methyl tertiary butyl ether in drinking water.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. McConnell, Ches. 12; Rep. Messmer, Rock. 24

 

COMMITTEE: Resources, Recreation and Development

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill sets the permissible level of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in drinking water at .5 micrograms per liter.

 

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

18-2588

06/08

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eighteen

 

AN ACT relative to the permissible level of methyl tertiary butyl ether in drinking water.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE); Drinking Water Standards.  RSA 485:16-a is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

485:16-a  Drinking Water Standards.  No public water system shall deliver water with greater than .5 micrograms per liter methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE).

2  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.

 

LBAO

18-2588

11/16/17

 

HB 1737-FN-LOCAL- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT relative to the permissible level of methyl tertiary butyl ether in drinking water.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [ X ] County               [ X ] Local              [    ] None

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

   Appropriation

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Expenditures

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Funding Source:

  [ X ] General            [    ] Education            [    ] Highway           [ X ] Other - Various funds associated with gasoline, MtBE and drinking water

 

 

 

 

 

COUNTY:

 

 

 

 

   Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Expenditures

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

 

 

 

 

 

LOCAL:

 

 

 

 

   Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Expenditures

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill would prohibit the concentration of MtBE in water for public water systems to exceed 0.5 micrograms per liter.  The bill would apply to community, non-transient and transient water systems.  

 

The Department of Environmental Services indicates drinking water treatment systems are generally not designed to remove MtBE below a concentration of 0.5 micrograms per liter so the costs to meet this requirement is unknown.  Currently, transient water systems are generally not required to test for MtBE unless sampling is completed as part of a nearby waste site environmental investigation so there is limited data on the concentration of MtBE in drinking water at transient water systems.  Local and county governments operate public water systems and would need to treat water sources of water with MtBE above 0.5 micrograms or replace water sources that exceed this level.  The Department of Environmental Services would administer the provisions of this bill and would incur costs associated with enforcing the requirements and reviewing plans for water treatment systems and replacement water sources. In addition, several funds managed by the Department's Water Division associated with addressing gasoline or MtBE impacts to drinking water may be used to comply with the requirements of the bill.

 

The New Hampshire Municipal Association indicates the current standard established by the Commissioner of Environmental Services for MtBE concentration is 13 micrograms per liter.  The Association assumes reducing the limit to 0.5 micrograms would require additional expenditures by municipal water systems for the removal of MtBE.  The Association believe such expenditures are likely to be significant, but the Association does not have information to estimate the amount.

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Environmental Services and New Hampshire Municipal Association

 

 

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