Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110
§300j Assurances of Availability of Adequate Supplies of Chemicals Necessary for Treatment of Water
Title 42 › CHAPTER 6A — PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER XII — SAFETY OF PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS › Part E — General Provisions › § 300j
Summary
If a person who runs or works for a public water system thinks they cannot get enough of a needed chemical (for example, chlorine, activated carbon, lime, ammonia, soda ash, potassium permanganate, caustic soda, or similar substances) to treat water, they can apply to the Administrator for a certification saying the needed amount is not reasonably available. The application must say who might supply the chemical, who the applicant already tried to get it from, and any other information the Administrator asks for. The Administrator will publish a notice and summary, notify affected parties, and allow written comments unless an immediate public health need means those steps are skipped. The Administrator must decide to grant or deny the application within 30 days after the notice or 30 days after receiving the application if no notice is published. If the Administrator finds supplies are not reasonably available, the Administrator must issue the certification, and within 7 days the President or a delegate must order suppliers to provide the needed amounts. Orders can cover manufacturers, producers, processors, distributors, and repackers but not firms that make the chemical only for themselves. Orders should be shared fairly among suppliers, with extra factors used for chlorine (like geography and past supply amounts). People affected can consult about how to carry out the order. Following an order is a defense against contract breach claims. Knowingly ignoring an order can bring a criminal fine up to $5,000 per violation and a civil penalty up to $2,500 per violation. A court can also be asked to stop violations. No certification or order can last more than one year.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §300j
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Certification of need application
If any person who uses chlorine, activated carbon, lime, ammonia, soda ash, potassium permanganate, caustic soda, or other chemical or substance for the purpose of treating water in any public water system or in any public treatment works determines that the amount of such chemical or substance necessary to effectively treat such water is not reasonably available to him or will not be so available to him when required for the effective treatment of such water, such person may apply to the Administrator for a certification (hereinafter in this section referred to as a “certification of need”) that the amount of such chemical or substance which such person requires to effectively treat such water is not reasonably available to him or will not be so available when required for the effective treatment of such water.
(b)Application requirements; publication in Federal Register; waiver; certification, issuance or denial
(1)An application for a certification of need shall be in such form and submitted in such manner as the Administrator may require and shall (A) specify the persons the applicant determines are able to provide the chemical or substance with respect to which the application is submitted, (B) specify the persons from whom the applicant has sought such chemical or substance, and (C) contain such other information as the Administrator may require.
(2)Upon receipt of an application under this section, the Administrator shall (A) publish in the Federal Register a notice of the receipt of the application and a brief summary of it, (B) notify in writing each person whom the President or his delegate (after consultation with the Administrator) determines could be made subject to an order required to be issued upon the issuance of the certification of need applied for in such application, and (C) provide an opportunity for the submission of written comments on such application. The requirements of the preceding sentence of this paragraph shall not apply when the Administrator for good cause finds (and incorporates the finding with a brief statement of reasons therefor in the order issued) that waiver of such requirements is necessary in order to protect the public health.
(3)Within 30 days after—
(A)the date a notice is published under paragraph (2) in the Federal Register with respect to an application submitted under this section for the issuance of a certification of need, or
(B)the date on which such application is received if as authorized by the second sentence of such paragraph no notice is published with respect to such application,
the Administrator shall take action either to issue or deny the issuance of a certification of need.
(c)Certification of need; issuance; executive orders; implementation of orders; equitable apportionment of orders; factors considered
(1)If the Administrator finds that the amount of a chemical or substance necessary for an applicant under an application submitted under this section to effectively treat water in a public water system or in a public treatment works is not reasonably available to the applicant or will not be so available to him when required for the effective treatment of such water, the Administrator shall issue a certification of need. Not later than seven days following the issuance of such certification, the President or his delegate shall issue an order requiring the provision to such person of such amounts of such chemical or substance as the Administrator deems necessary in the certification of need issued for such person. Such order shall apply to such manufactures, producers, processors, distributors, and repackagers of such chemical or substance as the President or his delegate deems necessary and appropriate, except that such order may not apply to any manufacturer, producer, or processor of such chemical or substance who manufactures, produces, or processes (as the case may be) such chemical or substance solely for its own use. Persons subject to an order issued under this section shall be given a reasonable opportunity to consult with the President or his delegate with respect to the implementation of the order.
(2)Orders which are to be issued under paragraph (1) to manufacturers, producers, and processors of a chemical or substance shall be equitably apportioned, as far as practicable, among all manufacturers, producers, and processors of such chemical or substance; and orders which are to be issued under paragraph (1) to distributors and repackagers of a chemical or substance shall be equitably apportioned, as far as practicable, among all distributors and repackagers of such chemical or substance. In apportioning orders issued under paragraph (1) to manufacturers, producers, processors, distributors, and repackagers of chlorine, the President or his delegate shall, in carrying out the requirements of the preceding sentence, consider—
(A)the geographical relationships and established commercial relationships between such manufacturers, producers, processors, distributors, and repackagers and the persons for whom the orders are issued;
(B)in the case of orders to be issued to producers of chlorine, the (i) amount of chlorine historically supplied by each such producer to treat water in public water systems and public treatment works, and (ii) share of each such producer of the total annual production of chlorine in the United States; and
(C)such other factors as the President or his delegate may determine are relevant to the apportionment of orders in accordance with the requirements of the preceding sentence.
(3)Subject to subsection (f), any person for whom a certification of need has been issued under this subsection may upon the expiration of the order issued under paragraph (1) upon such certification apply under this section for additional certifications.
(d)Breach of contracts; defense
There shall be available as a defense to any action brought for breach of contract in a Federal or State court arising out of delay or failure to provide, sell, or offer for sale or exchange a chemical or substance subject to an order issued pursuant to subsection (c)(1), that such delay or failure was caused solely by compliance with such order.
(e)Penalties for noncompliance with orders; temporary restraining orders and preliminary or permanent injunctions
(1)Whoever knowingly fails to comply with any order issued pursuant to subsection (c)(1) shall be fined not more than $5,000 for each such failure to comply.
(2)Whoever fails to comply with any order issued pursuant to subsection (c)(1) shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $2,500 for each such failure to comply.
(3)Whenever the Administrator or the President or his delegate has reason to believe that any person is violating or will violate any order issued pursuant to subsection (c)(1), he may petition a United States district court to issue a temporary restraining order or preliminary or permanent injunction (including a mandatory injunction) to enforce the provision of such order.
(f)Termination date
No certification of need or order issued under this section may remain in effect for more than one year.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1996—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 104–182 inserted a period after “year”. 1986—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 99–339 substituted “in effect for more than one year” for “in effect— (1) for more than one year, or (2)
September 30, 1982, whichever occurs first.” 1979—Subsec. (f)(2). Pub. L. 96–63 substituted “
September 30, 1982” for “
September 30, 1979”. 1977—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 95–190 substituted “
September 30, 1979” for “
June 30, 1977”.
Executive Documents
Ex. Ord. No. 11879. Delegation of Functions to Secretary of Commerce Relating to Orders for Provision of Chemicals or Substances Necessary for Treatment of Water Ex. Ord. No. 11879, Sept. 17, 1975, 40 F.R. 43197, provided: By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 1441 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended by the Safe Drinking Water Act [now Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974] (88 Stat. 1680, 42 U.S.C. 300j), and as President of the United States, the Secretary of Commerce is hereby delegated, with power to redelegate to agencies, officers and employees of the Government, the functions of the President contained in said section 1441 [42 U.S.C. 300j]. Those functions shall be administered under
Regulations
or agreements which are identical or compatible with other
Regulations
and agreements, including those provided pursuant to Executive Order No. 10480, as amended [former 50 U.S.C. App. 2153 note], for the allocation of similar chemicals or substances. Gerald R. Ford.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 300j
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110