California Assembly Bill AB2583 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2583AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 7, 2010 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Hall FEBRUARY 19, 2010 An act to add Section 13003 to the Water Code, relating to water quality. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2583, as amended, Hall. Water quality: treatment chemicals. Existing law declares that activities and factors that may affect the quality of the waters of the state shall be regulated to attain the highest water quality that is reasonable, considering all demands being made and to be made on those waters and the total values involved, beneficial and detrimental, economic and social, tangible and intangible. This bill would require water agencies, as defined, and their direct suppliers, in order to mitigate the potential catastrophic harm involved in the unintended and intentional releases of hazardous substances that are in transit, to utilize raw material chemical products derived from  Inherently Safer Technology or inherently safer production measures where   safer technology, as defined, if  the products derived from safer  measures or  technology are appropriate, given the disinfection methodology used by the water agency, and commercially available without being materially cost prohibitive to the water utilities or rate payers.  The bill would provide that this requirement applies to water agencies operating potable water treatment facilities, nonpotable water treatment facilities, or both.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 13003 is added to the Water Code, to read: 13003.  (a)    Water agencies, as defined in Section 12970, and their direct suppliers  shall  , in order to mitigate the potential catastrophic harm involved in the unintended and intentional releases of hazardous substances as they are transported for use as raw materials by the water agencies and their direct suppliers,  shall  utilize raw material chemical products derived from  Inherently Safer Technology or inherently safer production measures where   safer technology if  the products derived from safer  measures or  technology are appropriate given the disinfection methodology used by the water agency, and are commercially available without being materially cost prohibitive to the water utilities or rate payers.  (b) This section applies to water agencies operating potable water treatment facilities, nonpotable water treatment facilities, or both.   (c) As used in this section, "safer technology" means a technology, product, raw material, or practice, the use of which, as compared to currently used technologies, products, raw materials, or practices, significantly reduces or eliminates both of the following:   (1) The possibility of release of hazardous or potentially hazardous raw materials used for purposes of water treatment.   (2) The hazards to public health and safety and the environment associated with the release or potential release of hazardous or potentially hazardous raw materials used for purposes of water treatment.