12-06-2013 BPU RPT 14 - Laserfiche WebLink

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t �Aa t City - .fArts &.Innovation December 2, 2013 The Honorable Mark Takano 1507 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congressman Takano: On behalf of Riverside Public Utilities we respectfully ask for your co- sponsorship on the bipartisan "Community Fire Safety Act" (H.R. 3588). The legislation is urgently needed to correct an EPA ruling that could render millions of dollars worth of brand -new fire hydrants unusable by the New Year. In 2010 Congress passed the "Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act" (P. L. 111 -380) which reduced the amount of allowable lead in pipes and plumbing fixtures that deliver water for human consumption. That measure, which passed with the strong support of the water utility community, is scheduled to take effect on January 4, 2014. However, on October 22, 2013 — less than three months before the federal law's effective date — U.S. EPA for the first time said it would subject newly - installed fire hydrants to the law's new lead content requirements. As a'result of this surprise ruling, millions of dollars worth of replacement fire hydrant inventories held by communities across the country will become unusable on January 4. Riverside is no exception; we too now face the reality of this agency maneuver. It would be impossible to obtain sufficient numbers of compliant hydrants before the end of the year, so EPA's ruling would effectively prevent us from legally replacing any broken fire hydrants with those in our existing inventory after January 4. Numerous broken or inoperable hydrants would therefore have to be left out -of- service for an unknown period of time, until enough new compliant hydrants can be procured, delivered, and installed. This would carry significant financial and public safety costs for our community. The "Community Fire Safety Act" would address this problem by simply adding fire hydrants to the list of devices that are already exempt from the law's new lead content standards. This modification would not otherwise impact implementation of the statute on January 4, but would bring the law in line with the intent of Congress, and the understanding of the water utility community, when it was approved in 2010. Time is of the essence; therefore Riverside Public Utilities once again respectfully asks for your co- sponsorship of H.R. 3588 TODAY and encourages congressional action before the end of the year. Sincerely, <:�k A`�' Stephen H. Badgett Interim General Manager Riverside Public Utilities w n T c R [ B[ It G T L I F E Riverside Public Utilities • Administration UK2_� 69& 3750 University Avenue, 3rd floor • Riverside, CA 92501 • 951.826.2135 • RiversidePublicUtilities.com P U B L I C U T I L I T I E S