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t !P M r►zS=te debates rescisabHL passes reg review measure nutiine" d or. _! The Senate at press time was nearing agreement on a bill that . . wards 9e r .. would=xAnd most of$1.3 bMion in appropriated but unspent SDWA state revolving loan funds.The House-passed version of the bill cut all . the previously approved SRF money,but lobbying by EPA,water C suppliers and state and local officials convinced the Senate to retain -� $500 mii:ion of the funds.which would be added to$500 million EPA t um n om- e seeks in FY96. . The Senate had little trouble.however,passing a regulatory reform elar'#�iileaias on, measure that would subject all new regulations to a 45-day :� ,ppoiate crate ln, a 1 e oQ a congressional review and possible veto.Senators he is ihme, • n voted 100-0 to pass the bill(5.219).which is at odds tfe'.Wouid belmited deli g with a House-passed measure(H.R.450)that would ^( � w7tich`�lSYbt" 19 �c u impose a temporary moratorium on rules. 'W11C�,td. 9. On ou`1� i1�) On ogier"pct"issues,meanwhile.the Senate Government oitif,�fidin e�Sa "a�os n ma ��March 24 unanimously passed a risk bili(S291) pings W1ne `e an that is more moderate than one(HIL 1022)passed by the House. c�ear" O!d errs SerLate leaders also blended various"takings" bills into an omnibus package(5.605)that would estabhsh a property owner's-bill of rights." sp� t evereas Unlike the House risk biM 5.291 would not have cost considerations ` ep[an u) i o 0 supersede health based factors for setting environmental standards.It T m Instead would have agencies make"a reasonable determination"that wed A �9h n a regulation's benefits justify its costs as as long as such analysis is consistent with the pertinent statute.The Judiciary Committee, a aittsi In as- b meanwhile.was set to mark up a competing risk bili(S.343)that s r would allow the public to petition for cast-benefit analyses of existing �g e mas- _asa e regulations. aast:ng or ea r e And while Glean Water Act reauthorization is not yet on the �.decade5."t Senate's environmental agenda,the House Ttansportation and w;( The Ve+ir ly�id00 . rn eq Inhwtructare Committee last week began markup of an industry- .wamtng'fha as,ciRentt,`yp{an 8�[, h� friendly CWA measure(H.R.961)that has drawn stinging criticism �rojecti4A&ose& o� auto es a from EPA officials and environmental groups. dga��_ou a[a'[e _ew�lex�ca s F? .r UMS study prompts concern about MTBE in groundwater aa 'riwoems er a pprojee�. ndug - ey a'gasoline additive MTBE is inch�ased ioi� M ra�i7egill oli R''avestIoforhdo"s' lata" liver-an on-_ prompting groundwater concerns that have centered on Denver but 'tttct.s ural tartishV%;11 may soon spread across the country. 4-9-'Both'NeW!i111e0c 'EPA by USGS officials are expected this week to release results of MTBE eum*u-of ftectamatio;i;;h<ch MUlld contamination in eight other US cities.Last month,officials announced, An1MiS- a Ptati,%houtdicondu Amore stidies on the ni "ban loci �`yy that low levels of MTBE were found m 23 of 29 shallow wells in the en tla _„ .},.., -� Denver metro area.prompting concerns about the gasoline additive's rights setiiemeritroJeect''twwmated use in the city's oxygenated fuel which is used to reduce -.m cost 5710 mltiion. � ty xyg P��. ' • "* -� -; � - � carbon monoxide in winter months.The Denver groundwater results, , New pipeitneoielp�eiieve which averaged 0.6 were the highest in the country. ' +=term am a wa !1 ugh" ' - , •�., y�' _ •' S Already.a Wisconsin lawmaker hap asked his state to test for LlS! ratet� MTBE contamination in six southeastern Wisconsin counties The nd am oiire[gelds O in on rbuide �lties—Milwaukee.Waukesha,Racine.Kenosha,Washington and ngl�,millbri people: litwo� Ozaukee—have been using the additive since Jan.i because they do Ire:540-mlifiori�project' o t�nnec'twa. • not meet federal clean air standards Results are expected this week, additional pumping Sites`will help ease'= but Milwaukee officials.announoed April that tests of their diuzking • mpingth*Sdsting we�ilfie,eIs lit water did not find any MTBE. vsron olve e e ioii'sii ater`protje_ms, Colorado health offimaLs say that MTBE,which has hm in use among pocjals horn fttelNes('$°a�st since n four at levels too low to be considered a health i gl°iai wal@ �P. ns ut ey voiced concern that the problem could be growing and eanwtiile, ior1dalp' wer.A , ��ptans 3or iniater,'�p$a1.. J<in n called for more study.State drinking water officials have a request i -,:_N&i"dound'dibus;EoiiritiesWM 'i before the Legislature for$150.000 in stream water quality monitormg i Ba hinds o po&ttlo funds that could be used to help study MTBE, and EPA Region 8 also kes the venrh'irein�eallic` is looking for money. 4 t