As Introduced
136th General Assembly
Regular Session H. B. No. 815
2025-2026
Representatives Russo, Rader
Cosponsors: Representatives Piccolantonio, Brownlee, McNally, Miller, J.
To amend section 6111.041 and to enact section 6109.26 of the Revised Code to require the Director of Environmental Protection to adopt rules establishing maximum allowable contaminant levels in drinking water and water quality standards for certain contaminants.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That section 6111.041 be amended and section 6109.26 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:
Sec. 6109.26. (A) As used in this section:
(1) "Maximum contaminant level" and "MCL" mean the maximum permissible level of contaminant in drinking water delivered to a user of a public water system.
(2) "Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances" and "PFAS" mean the class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom that includes perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid.
(B)(1) The director of environmental protection shall adopt, and may amend and rescind, rules under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code establishing a maximum contaminant level for all of the following drinking water contaminants:
(a) PFAS. In establishing an MCL for PFAS, the director shall establish an individual MCL for each of the following:
(i) Combined total PFAS;
(ii) Perfluorooctanoic acid;
(iii) Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid;
(iv) Any other individual PFAS, as determined necessary by the director.
(b) Chromium-6;
(c) 1,4 dioxane.
(2) When adopting rules under this section, the director shall consider all of the following:
(a) MCLs established by other states;
(b) Studies and scientific evidence reviewed by other states;
(c) Materials produced by the federal agency for toxic substances and disease registry;
(d) Recent independent and government agency peer-reviewed scientific studies.
(3) The director shall ensure that rules establishing MCLs under this section are both of the following:
(a) Protective of public health, including the health of pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and children;
(b) Not less stringent than an MCL or health advisory established by the United States environmental protection agency.
(C) The director shall annually review rules adopted under this section and shall adopt, amend, or rescind any rules necessary to account for the most recent peer-reviewed scientific studies addressing the contaminants listed in division (B)(1) of this section.
(D) Division (F) of section 121.95 of the Revised Code does not apply to rules adopted under this section.
Sec. 6111.041. (A) As used in this section, "PFAS" has the same meaning as in section 6109.26 of the Revised Code.
(B)(1)
In
furtherance of sections 6111.01 to 6111.08 of the Revised Code, the
director of environmental protection shall adopt standards
of rules
establishing water
quality to
be applicable to standards
for the
waters of the state.
Such standards shall be adopted pursuant to a schedule established,
and from time to time amended, by the director, to apply to the
various waters of the state, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the
Revised Code. Such standards shall be adopted in accordance with
section 303 of the "Federal Water Pollution Control Act"
and shall be designed to improve
The director shall adopt the rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of
the Revised Code and section 303 of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act. In adopting the rules, the director shall ensure that
the rules are designed to do both of the following:
(a)
Improve and
maintain the quality of such
the
waters
of
the state for
the purpose of protecting the public health and welfare,
and to enable;
(b)
Enable the
present and planned use of such
the
waters
of
the state for
public water supplies, industrial and agricultural needs,
recreational
purposes, and the propagation
of fish, aquatic life, and wildlife,
and recreational purposes. Such standards may be amended from time to
time as determined by the director. Prior to .
(2) Subject to division (D)(4) of this section, the director shall establish the standards according to an established schedule, however, the director may review and amend the standards from time to time as determined by the director.
(C)
Before establishing,
amending, or repealing standards
of water
quality standards
under this section, the
director shall, after due notice, conduct public hearings thereon.
Notice of hearings shall specify the waters to which the standards
relate, and the time, date, and place of hearing.
Standards
of quality for the waters of the state(D)(1)
In addition to standards established under this section for any other
contaminants, the director shall include in the rules adopted under
this section water quality standards for all of the following
contaminants:
(a) PFAS. In establishing water quality standards for PFAS, the director shall establish an individual standard for each of the following:
(i) Combined total PFAS;
(ii) Perfluorooctanoic acid;
(iii) Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid;
(iv) Any other individual PFAS, as determined necessary by the director.
(b) Chromium-6;
(c) 1,4 dioxane.
(2) In adopting water quality standards for the contaminants listed in division (D)(1) of this section, the director shall consider all of the following:
(a) Water quality standards established by other states;
(b) Studies and scientific evidence reviewed by other states;
(c) Materials produced by the federal agency for toxic substances and disease registry;
(d) Recent independent and government agency peer-reviewed scientific studies.
(3) The director shall ensure that the water quality standards established for contaminants listed in division (D)(1) of this section are both of the following:
(a) Protective of public health, including the health of pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and children;
(b) Not less stringent than any water quality standards established by the United States environmental protection agency.
(4) The director shall annually review water quality standards for the contaminants listed in division (D)(1) of this section and shall adopt, amend, or rescind them as necessary to account for the most recent peer-reviewed scientific studies addressing the contaminants.
(E)
Water quality standards established under this section,
or any amendment or repeal thereof, become effective upon adoption by
the director. The director shall implement the water
quality standards
so
established in
the issuance, revocation, modification, or denial of permits.
(F) Division (F) of section 121.95 of the Revised Code does not apply to any rules adopted under this section.
Section 2. That existing section 6111.041 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.