The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting small businesses, governments, and not-for-profit entities to participate as Small Entity Representatives (SERs) providing advice and recommendations to a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel.
This SBAR Panel will focus on the agency’s development of a rule that will regulate perchlorate in drinking water to protect public health.
EPA is developing a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for the chemical contaminant perchlorate (ClO4–) under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and as required by court orders.
The EPA has committed to issuing a proposed NPDWR for perchlorate by November 2025 and a final regulation by May 2027.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires agencies to establish an SBAR Panel for rules that may have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The SBAR Panel will include federal representatives from the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the EPA.
The Panel members ask a selected group of SERs to provide advice and recommendations on behalf of their company, government, or organization to inform the Panel members about potential impacts of the proposed rule on small entities.
The EPA seeks self-nominations directly from the small public water systems (serving 10,000 or fewer people) that may be subject to the rule requirements.
Other representatives, such as trade associations that exclusively or at least primarily represent potentially regulated small public water systems, may also serve as SERs.
Self-nominations must be received by October 7, 2024.
