PRINTER'S NO. 524
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
551
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY ZIMMERMAN, GREINER, HAMM, PICKETT, FINK, STAMBAUGH
AND M. JONES, MARCH 20, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
MARCH 20, 2023
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
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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 one hundred eighty 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 three hundred sixty-five 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.
20230HB0551PN0524 - 2 -
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