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CED-81-58 1 (1981-04-23)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabbvc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 






    e                 COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES
                               WASHINGTON D.C. 20548


B-166506

The Honorable John D. Dingell
Chairman, Committee on Energy                    APRIL 23, 191
   and Commerce
House of Representatives

The Honorable Robert Stafford
Chairman, Committee on Environment
   and Public Works                                      114996
United States Senate

     Subject: gequacy of EPA Resources and Authority to Carry
               Out Drinking Water Program Activities3 (CED-81-58)

     In our review of the Safe Drinking Water Program administered
by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we became aware of
two matters which merit your attention: the adequacy of resources
available for selected Safe Drinking Water Program activities and
the need to clarify EPA's authority to carry out Safe Drinking
Water Program activities.

BACKGROUND

     In December 1974, the Congress passed the Safe Drinking
Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.) to safeguard public drinking
water supplies and to protect the public health. The act
directed EPA to establish national drinking water regulations
which set purity standards for drinking water and authorized
EPA to grant States 1/ primary responsibility, or primacy,
for enforcing the regulations and standards. As of March 31,
1981, 49 States had established drinking water programs and were
granted primacy by EPA. The remaining eight States--District
of Columbia, Indiana, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Wyoming,
American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands--either declined
to seek primacy or were not granted primacy by EPA. EPA has
assumed responsibility for enforcing the drinking water regula-
tions in these nonprimacy States.

     To assist the States in developing and implementing public
water system supervision programs, the act authorized EPA to
award annual grants to supplement existing State funds. These
grants, which are based on land area, population, and number
of public water systems in each State, may cover up to 75



i/The term State as defined for the Safe Drinking Water Act
   includes the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto
   Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Trust
   Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the Government of the
   Northern Mariana Islands.


(990591)

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