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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Res 7229 2021-12-13RESOLUTION 7229 A RESOLUTION OF THE SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL SUPPORTING FEDERAL PFAS LEGISLATION THAT PROTECTS RATEPAYERS AND WATERMASTEWATER AGENCIES WHEREAS, PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals developed by chemical manufacturers that would otherwise not exist naturally and despite playing no role in releasing PFAS into the environment, cities and water agencies must find ways to remove them from local water supplies; and, WHEREAS, PFAS have been detected in the Orange County Groundwater Basin, managed by Orange County Water District, and are estimated to cost Orange County communities more than $1 billion, over 30 years—a cost that will likely increase; and, WHEREAS, Ratepayers are at risk from pending PFAS legislation and associated PFAS costs and water agencies and stakeholders must take action to inform members of Congress of these devastating impacts; and, WHEREAS, All PFAS related legislation must exempt water and wastewater agencies from any liability for PFAS cleanup costs; and, WHEREAS, A water utility that complies with applicable and appropriate federal management and treatment standards must not be responsible for current and future costs associated with a PFAS cleanup; and, WHEREAS, Given the potential for federal legislation, such as the PFAS Action Act of 2021 (H.R. 2467), to expose water agencies, that simply receive and treat water supplies, with across-the-board liability for PFAS-related cleanups when they have no responsibility for the presence of PFAS, an explicit exemption from Superfund clean-up liability must be made for water and wastewater agencies; and, WHEREAS, Under existing law, the USEPA (Safe Drinking Water Act), ensures that public health benefits of new drinking water standards are reasonably balanced with the compliance costs that water system ratepayers will ultimately incur and eliminating this analysis would burden ratepayers of all income levels with astronomical costs to comply with drinking water standards; and, WHEREAS, Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act should not delete the longstanding cost -benefit analysis; and, WHEREAS, The City of Seal Beach supports providing direct grant funding for PFAS remediation to water and wastewater agencies as provided in the Senate -passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684); and, FURTHERMORE, we call upon the Orange County Congressional Delegation and California Senatorial Delegation to cast votes implementing these public policy positions. THE SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL DOES HEREBY RESOLVE: Section 1. That the Seal Beach City Council hereby supports these federal PFAS policy principles to protect water/wastewater agencies and their ratepayers. Section 2. That the Seal Beach City Council call upon the Orange County U.S Congressional Delegation and California U.S. Senatorial Delegation to cast votes implementing these public policy positions. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Seal Beach City Council at a regular meeting held on the 13th day of December, 2021 by the following vote: AYES: Council Members: Kalmick, Massa-Lavitt, Moore, Sustarsic, Varipapa NOES: Council Members: None ABSENT: Council Members: None ABSTAIN: Council Members: None — - �h) �OT' 7 W; jj� Joe Kalmick, Mayor ATTEST: /t loria D. ffigfper`,, City Clerk STATE OF CALIFORNIA } COUNTY OF ORANGE }SS CITY OF SEAL BEACH } I, Gloria D. Harper, City Clerk of the City of Seal Beach, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is the original copy of Resolution 7229 on file in the office of the City Clerk, passed, approved, and adopted by the City Council at a regular meeting held on the 13th day of December 2021, I Gloria D. Harpe ,- 6ty Clerk