Proposed Kasich bill reduces lead notification time to 2 days

COLUMBUS

Public systems would have two days to inform residents when dangerously high levels of lead are found in water supplies, under legislation being offered by Gov. John Kasich to lawmakers.

Those systems also would have two days to test homeowners’ water for lead contamination, and the state threshold for determining lead contamination in new building projects would be lowered to match federal standards.

The legislation comes after lead issues surfaced in water systems in Sebring.

“I think it is a huge step forward for the state, and we think it’s a great road map for the rest of the country to follow,” said Craig Butler, director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

The proposed law changes are part of the governor’s midbiennium budget review, this year encompassing a series of bills that include policy revisions in various state agencies. The administration released the details of the water-related legislation this morning.

Read more about it in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.