Sacramento - An Assembly Bill targeting water quality issues in disadvantaged California towns struggling with nitrate contamination was approved in the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee Tuesday.

Assembly Bill 1669, Nitrate at Risk Areas, was introduced by Assemblymember Henry T. Perea (D-Fresno) to address the troubling results of the UC Davis report Addressing Nitrate in California’s Drinking Water.

The report found roughly 254,000 people living in the Tulare Lake Basin and Salinas Valley are at risk for nitrate contaminated ground water.

AB 1669 would designate those communities reliant on nitrate tainted drinking water as “Nitrate at Risk Areas” and would provide them with existing funding sources designated for the use of groundwater cleanup.

The Nitrate at Risk Area Fund would help streamline the process for developing and funding drinking water solutions in disadvantaged communities facing high nitrate contamination.

Assemblymember Henry T. Perea represents the 31st District in the California State Assembly which includes the central San Joaquin Valley communities of Cutler-Orosi, Dinuba, Firebaugh, Fowler, Kerman, Mendota, Parlier, Reedley, Sanger, San Joaquin, Selma and the city of Fresno.

Contact: Alisha Gallon, 661-364-3655