H972 - Water Safety Act

• Governor authorized to require facilities with NPDES permits to cease operations if they have multiple violations within two years and unauthorized PFAS discharges that violate federal drinking water standards, with authority expiring December 31, 2020.

• Secretary of Environmental Quality empowered to order responsible parties to establish permanent replacement water supplies (via public connection or whole-house filtration) for households with private wells contaminated by PFAS/GenX; $2,000,000 appropriated to assist local governments with connection costs, with responsible parties required to reimburse the state.

• $8,000,000 appropriated to University of North Carolina Board of Governors for North Carolina Policy Collaboratory to coordinate academic research on emerging water contaminants through targeted and nontargeted analysis at all public water supply intakes and selected wells statewide.

• $530,839 in recurring funds appropriated to Department of Health and Human Services to establish a Water Health and Safety Unit for assessing health impacts of PFAS and other emerging contaminants.

• Department of Environmental Quality directed to develop a comprehensive remediation plan for PFAS-contaminated groundwater and surface water by January 1, 2019; NPDES permit holders required to submit documentation of identified pollutants by September 1, 2018; additional funding provided for mass spectrometer acquisition and water quality sampling activities.