An Environmental Protection Agency push to regulate fire hydrants and require that all new ones be built without lead fell flat this week, as the Senate voted to override a House bill containing the measure.
The regulation originated from Reps. Bill Johnson and Paul Tonko, in response to an EPA advisement in late October, The Hill reported.
The guidance indicated the agency was going to start requiring fire hydrants to be covered under the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, beginning in 2014.
The logic: The EPA said that fire hydrants are sometimes used as sources of drinking water, The Hill reported.
But some in the Senate said there was no way the fire hydrant industry could meet that regulation by the Jan. 4 deadline.
And several argued that the rule would have been too burdensome for cities and towns to comply.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.