AL SB71

Prohibits Alabama state agencies from adopting environmental rules with numeric criteria for chemical substances, pollutants, or hazardous waste that are more stringent than federal requirements in areas including drinking water, air quality, water pollution, and hazardous waste handling

Requires any new state environmental rule adopted in the absence of federal standards to be based on "best available science" and "weight of scientific evidence," with scientific support from peer-reviewed journals or quality-assured studies

Mandates that rules protecting human health must establish a direct causal link between exposure levels and "manifest bodily harm" — defined as presently existing, diagnosable physical disease or injury, excluding conditions based solely on substance detection or increased disease risk

Bars agencies from using EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) as the default for developing numeric water quality criteria, with existing rules required to be revised within 9 months

Exempts rules required by federal law, rules less stringent than federal standards, rules that repeal or reduce existing regulations, and emergency rules