| 12 | 13 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 |
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| 13 | 14 | | AN ACT TO PROTECT NORTH CAROLINA CITIZENS FROM HARMFUL TOXINS IN 2 |
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| 14 | 15 | | DRINKING WATER BY REQUIRING THE COMMISSION FOR PUBLIC HEALTH TO 3 |
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| 15 | 16 | | ESTABLISH MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVELS FOR CHEMICALS THAT ARE 4 |
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| 16 | 17 | | PROBABLE OR KNOWN CARCINOGENS OR ARE OTHERWISE TOXIC. 5 |
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| 17 | 18 | | The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6 |
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| 18 | 19 | | SECTION 1.(a) The Commission for Public Health shall, no later than October 15, 7 |
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| 19 | 20 | | 2025: 8 |
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| 20 | 21 | | (1) Commence rulemaking to establish maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), as 9 |
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| 21 | 22 | | that term is defined under G.S. 130A-313, for probable or known carcinogens 10 |
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| 22 | 23 | | and other toxic chemicals that are likely to pose a substantial hazard to public 11 |
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| 23 | 24 | | health. At a minimum, the Commission shall establish MCLs for all of the 12 |
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| 24 | 25 | | following contaminants: 13 |
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| 25 | 26 | | a. Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 14 |
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| 26 | 27 | | b. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). 15 |
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| 27 | 28 | | c. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). 16 |
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| 28 | 29 | | d. Hexavalent chromium (chromium-6). 17 |
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| 29 | 30 | | e. 1,4-Dioxane. 18 |
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| 30 | 31 | | (2) Consider establishment of MCLs for any other contaminants for which at least 19 |
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| 31 | 32 | | two other states have set MCLs or issued guidance. 20 |
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| 32 | 33 | | SECTION 1.(b) In the course of establishing MCLs as required by subsection (a) of 21 |
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| 33 | 34 | | this section, the Commission shall: 22 |
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| 34 | 35 | | (1) Review MCLs adopted by other states, the studies and scientific evidence 23 |
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| 35 | 36 | | reviewed by those states, material in the Agency for Toxic Substances and 24 |
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| 36 | 37 | | Disease Registry, and the latest peer-reviewed science and independent or 25 |
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| 37 | 38 | | government agency studies on appropriate MCLs for such contaminants. 26 |
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| 38 | 39 | | (2) Adopt MCLs protective of public health, including vulnerable subpopulations 27 |
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| 39 | 40 | | such as pregnant and nursing mothers, infants, and children, which state 28 |
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| 40 | 41 | | MCLs shall not exceed any MCL or health advisory established by the United 29 |
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| 41 | 42 | | States Environmental Protection Agency. 30 |
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| 42 | 43 | | SECTION 2. The Commission for Public Health shall annually review the latest 31 |
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| 43 | 44 | | peer-reviewed science and independent or government agency studies and undertake additional 32 |
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| 44 | 45 | | rulemaking as necessary to establish or revise MCLs for contaminants that are likely to pose a 33 |
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| 45 | 46 | | substantial threat to public health. 34 |
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| 46 | 47 | | SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law. 35 |
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