Representative Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) released the following statement today after introducing H.R 3542, the Community Fire Safety Act of 2013 -- important legislation that would keep fire hydrants legal.
"On October 22, 2013 the EPA quietly decided that fire hydrants would no longer be compliant with a rule regulating the public's drinking water. Under the rule, no commercially available fire hydrants could be installed after January 4, 2014. This means that whenever a car slides off the road and into a fire hydrant, cities across the country will either have to pay a fine to the EPA for installing an illegal fire hydrant, or risk leaving citizens in danger of being without life-saving fire hydrants.
While I support reducing the amount of lead in our drinking water, it is unconscionable that the EPA has put our public safety at risk because during the hot summer months sometimes, somewhere kids may play in fire hydrant water. I've never heard of children becoming sick from playing in fire hydrant water.
My common sense legislation simply exempts fire hydrants from the law, just as shower valves are already exempted. I urge the House to take quick action on this legislation and bring it to the floor for a vote."