November 29, 2016, Introduced by Rep. Schor and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
A bill to amend 1976 PA 399, entitled
"Safe drinking water act,"
(MCL 325.1001 to 325.1023) by adding sections 11e and 11f.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 11e. (1) The lead abatement fund is created within the
state treasury.
(2) The state treasurer may receive money or other assets from
any source for deposit into the lead abatement fund. The state
treasurer shall direct the investment of the lead abatement fund.
The state treasurer shall credit to the lead abatement fund
interest and earnings from fund investments.
(3) Money in the lead abatement fund at the close of the
fiscal year shall remain in the lead abatement fund and shall not
lapse to the general fund.
(4) The department shall be the administrator of the lead
abatement fund for auditing purposes.
(5) The department shall expend money from the lead abatement
fund, upon appropriation, only for lead abatement grants issued
under section 11f.
Sec. 11f. (1) The department shall establish and administer a
lead abatement grant program that provides grants for lead
infrastructure remediation. A grant may be awarded for 1 or more of
the following:
(a) Surveying water supply systems for the presence of
infrastructure that may represent a lead hazard, including pipes,
connectors, and solder containing lead, lead alloys, and galvanized
iron.
(b) Replacing mains, connectors, or service lines to remove
lead from contact with drinking water. All service line
replacements financed in whole or in part with a grant under this
section must include the entire length from the connection box to
the building or water faucet. An application that proposes only
partial lead service line replacements shall not be approved.
(c) Replacing valves for the purposes of conducting safe lead
abatement in the water supply system.
(d) Plant upgrades designed to optimize corrosion control.
(2) An application for a grant under this section may be
submitted by a supplier of water that provides water to a community
supply or a noncommunity supply. The application shall include both
of the following:
(a) A detailed plan, budget, and timeline. The plan shall, at
a minimum, contain all of the following:
(i) The methods that will be used to systematically identify
plumbing materials across the water supply system.
(ii) How the plan will seek to maximize reductions in lead
levels at water consumers' taps.
(iii) The methods that will be used to assess lead levels at
the tap before and after remediation.
(iv) An identification of current lead levels at the tap and
the sampling procedures used.
(v) A comprehensive plan to prevent the remediation effort
itself from causing any additional lead exposures.
(b) The local resources that will be committed to the
remediation. An applicant for a grant shall provide a match of not
less than 25% of the cost of the project. However, up to 50% of the
match may be provided as goods and services.
(3) In reviewing grant applications under this section, the
department shall consider all of the following:
(a) Whether a proposed project meets the requirements of the
grant program.
(b) Whether the proposed project is feasible.
(c) The level of local funding commitment from public and
private sources relative to available local resources.
(d) The level of commitment from other governmental agencies.
(e) Whether there is evidence of adverse economic and
socioeconomic conditions in the community where the water supply
system is located.
(f) The reduction in population exposure to lead that will be
achieved by the project relative to other grant applications.
(4) The department shall prioritize the applications received
based upon which projects will provide the greatest value to the
state considering the likelihood of the local community undertaking
the project in the absence of the grant and which projects will
accomplish the greatest reduction in lead levels for the money
expended.
(5) Following approval of a grant under this section, but
prior to releasing any funds, the department shall enter into a
grant agreement with the grant recipient. The grant agreement shall
include provisions required by the department including a
requirement that the grant recipient provide to the department a
complete accounting of the money received.
(6) The department shall annually submit a report to the
legislature that includes all of the following:
(a) The number of applications received.
(b) The number of grants issued.
(c) A description of the purpose of each grant that was issued
and the amount of the grant.
Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect
unless the question provided for in the clean Michigan initiative
reauthorization act is approved by a majority of the registered
electors voting on the question at the next general election.