PRINTER'S NO. 563
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
545
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY YAW, BARTOLOTTA, J. WARD, MENSCH, K. WARD, PITTMAN
AND STEFANO, APRIL 9, 2021
REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, APRIL 9, 2021
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 22, 1937 (P.L.1987, No.394), entitled
"An act to preserve and improve the purity of the waters of
the Commonwealth for the protection of public health, animal
and aquatic life, and for industrial consumption, and
recreation; empowering and directing the creation of
indebtedness or the issuing of non-debt revenue bonds by
political subdivisions to provide works to abate pollution;
providing protection of water supply and water quality;
providing for the jurisdiction of courts in the enforcement
thereof; providing additional remedies for abating pollution
of waters; imposing certain penalties; repealing certain
acts; regulating discharges of sewage and industrial wastes;
regulating the operation of mines and regulating the impact
of mining upon water quality, supply and quantity; placing
responsibilities upon landowners and land occupiers and to
maintain primary jurisdiction over surface coal mining in
Pennsylvania," in other pollutions and potential pollution,
providing for notice of discharge endangering public health
or environment.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of June 22, 1937 (P.L.1987, No.394),
known as The Clean Streams Law, is amended by adding a section
to read:
Section 404. Notice of Discharge Endangering Public Health
or Environment.--(a) A person who spills, discharges or
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
releases a substance into the waters of this Commonwealth, or on
a location from which the substance is likely to enter the
waters of this Commonwealth, taking into account any control and
remedial measures, shall notify the department if the spill,
discharge or release is not authorized by a permit from the
department and is likely to render the receiving waters harmful
to public health or the environment as determined by reportable
quantities or other readily ascertainable standards adopted by
regulation under subsection (c).
(b) No later than sixty days after the effective date of
this section, the Environmental Quality Board shall publish for
public comment proposed regulations establishing reportable
quantities or other readily ascertainable standards by which a
person under subsection (a) may determine whether a spill,
discharge or release is likely to render the receiving waters
harmful to public health or the environment.
(c) No later than one hundred eighty days after the
effective date of this section, the Environmental Quality Board
shall promulgate final regulations establishing reportable
quantities or other readily ascertainable standards by which a
person under subsection (a) may determine whether a spill,
discharge or release is likely to render the receiving waters
harmful to public health or the environment.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20210SB0545PN0563 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24