WHB/5/1
Sponsored by Andrea Dolaptchiev, Ella Nilson, Katherine Koenig of Franklin High School
This legislation was filed in the Health category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section 1: Terms in this act are defined as follows: |
| 4 | Environmental Working Group (EWG): An established research group of environmental scientists, |
| 5 | lawyers, etc. They test on local agriculture and chemicals to create standards of concern where |
| 6 | certain chemicals are harmful to society and the environment. |
| 7 | Reverse Osmosis Filter: a process by which a solvent passes through a porous membrane in the |
| 8 | direction opposite to that for natural osmosis when subjected to a hydrostatic pressure greater |
| 9 | than the osmotic pressure. |
| 10 | Ion Exchanging Tools: the exchange of ions of the same charge between an insoluble solid and a |
| 11 | solution in contact with it, used in water-softening and other purification and separation processes. |
| 12 | Carbon Activators: a method of filtering that uses a bed of activated carbon to remove impurities |
| 13 | from a fluid using adsorption. Air purifier HEPA filter with an activated carbon section in the |
| 14 | middle. |
| 15 | Transmissional Diseases: illnesses that result from the infection, presence and growth of |
| 16 | pathogenic (capable of causing disease) biologic agents in an individual human or other animal |
| 17 | host. Can include cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, polio, cancer, etc. |
| 18 | Safety Guidelines: A principle or regulation governing actions, procedures or devices intended to |
| 19 | lower the occurrence or risk of injury, loss and danger to persons, property or the environment. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | Section 2: There are 18 types of contaminations in Tennessee tap water across the state in the |
| 22 | year 2024. Nine of those contaminations exceed the EWG’s tap water safety limits for safe water. |
| 23 | All of these contaminants are linked to transmission of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, |
| 24 | hepatitis A, typhoid, polio, cancer, and much more. These contaminants are 2.3x to 459x over |
| 25 | what the healthy limit is by EWG’s standards. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Section 3: This bill proposes that we add more reverse osmosis, ion changing, and carbon |
| 28 | activating tools into the 473 community filtration systems in the state. These filtration tools will be |
| 29 | replaced every 15 years to produce the most sanitary water the state can provide. |
| 30 | |
| 31 | Section 4: We would also enforce legal limits to the chemicals in state water that have been |
| 32 | proven to be harmful to people and the environment. These chemicals include, |
| 33 | bromodichloromethane, nitrate, radium, total trihalomethanes, chloroform, chromium, |
| 34 | dibromochloromethane, and haloacetic acids. These chemicals' legal limit would be limited based |
| 35 | on the EWG’s health and safety guidelines. |
| 36 | |
| 37 | Section 5: Finally, it would be required to have water quality data sent to each Tennessee citizen |
| 38 | with their monthly water bill either electronically or through mail so that the public is more |
| 39 | |
| 40 | |
| 41 | Section 6: For this bill, we request 25 million USD every 15 years so the state is able to transport, |
| 42 | purchase, and reinstall these vital filtration tools all throughout the state. |
| 43 | |
| 44 | Section 7: Be it enacted by the Tennessee Youth in Government, this bill will allow for improved |
| 45 | water conditions and a better and healthier society. This law will take effect immediately. |
| 46 |