On October 3, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is seeking small public water systems (PWSs) and other regulated entities to participate in a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel. The panel will focus on the EPA’s development of regulations for perchlorate in drinking water.
Perchlorate is commonly used in solid rocket propellants, munitions, fireworks, airbag initiators for vehicles, matches, and signal flares. Perchlorate may occur naturally, particularly in arid regions such as the southwestern United States and is found as an impurity in hypochlorite solutions used for drinking water treatment and in nitrate salts used to produce nitrate fertilizers, explosives, and other products.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires EPA to establish an SBAR Panel for rules that may have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Panel participants will provide advice and recommendations on behalf of their company, government, or organization to inform EPA about the potential impacts of the proposed rule.
To qualify for the panel, a participant must:
- Be a PWS serving 10,000 or fewer people AND expect to be directly subject to requirements of the proposed rule; or
- Exclusively represent or at least primarily represent potentially regulated small entities (e.g., a trade association that exclusively or primarily represents small PWSs).
Nominations must be submitted by October 17, 2024.
Submit a nomination to serve on the SBAR panel.
Read about EPA’s efforts to regulate perchlorate in drinking water.
Advocacy contact: Send an email to Nick Goldstein at nick.goldstein@sba.gov.