HB 871 — An Act amending the act of June 22, 1937 (P.L.1987, No.394), known as The Clean Streams Law, in other pollutions and potential pollution, providing for notice of discharge endangering public health or environment.

PRINTER'S NO.    907

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 871
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY ZIMMERMAN, HAMM, GREINER, PICKETT, KRUPA, FINK AND
        GROVE, MARCH 11, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE
        PROTECTION, MARCH 11, 2025


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




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