PRINTER'S NO. 563
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 545
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY YAW, BARTOLOTTA, J. WARD, MENSCH, K. WARD, PITTMAN
AND STEFANO, APRIL 9, 2021
REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, APRIL 9, 2021
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 sixty days after the effective date of
11 this section, the Environmental Quality Board shall publish for
12 public comment proposed regulations establishing reportable
13 quantities or other readily ascertainable standards by which a
14 person under subsection (a) may determine whether a spill,
15 discharge or release is likely to render the receiving waters
16 harmful to public health or the environment.
17 (c) No later than one hundred eighty days after the
18 effective date of this section, the Environmental Quality Board
19 shall promulgate final regulations establishing reportable
20 quantities or other readily ascertainable standards by which a
21 person under subsection (a) may determine whether a spill,
22 discharge or release is likely to render the receiving waters
23 harmful to public health or the environment.
24 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0563: P.L.1987, No.394