House Bill 26-010

This bill establishes statewide standards for water and air purity testing, monitoring, and reporting to protect public health and environmental quality. The bill requires regular testing of public drinking water systems and expanded monitoring of air quality to ensure compliance with established environmental safety standards.

Under the bill, public water systems must conduct routine testing for contaminants such as heavy metals, bacteria, industrial chemicals, and agricultural runoff. The legislation requires immediate notification to the Department of Public Health and Environment and affected communities when contamination exceeds allowable limits. The Department is also directed to maintain air quality monitoring standards statewide and require emissions testing for major industrial sources.

The bill increases transparency by requiring the Department to maintain a publicly accessible online database containing air and water testing results, violation notices, and corrective actions. The legislation also provides enforcement authority for administrative penalties and compliance orders for entities that fail to meet testing or reporting requirements.

The purpose of the Act is to ensure consistent statewide environmental monitoring, improve public access to environmental information, and strengthen protections for clean air and safe drinking water.