SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO ARSENIC CONTAMINATION IN DRINKING WATER IN BANGLADESH.

SEC. 700. SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO ARSENIC CONTAMINATION IN DRINKING WATER IN BANGLADESH. (a) Findings.—Congress finds that— 116 STAT. 1419 (1) beginning in 1993, naturally occurring inorganic arsenic contamination of water began to be confirmed in Bangladesh in tube-wells installed in the 1970s, when standard water testing did not include arsenic tests; (2) because health effects of ingesting arsenic-contaminated drinking water appear slowly, preventative measures are critical to preventing future contamination in the Bangladeshi population; and (3) health effects of exposure to arsenic include skin lesions, skin cancer, and mortality from internal cancers. (b) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary should— (1) work with appropriate United States Government agencies, national laboratories, universities in the United States, the Government of Bangladesh, international financial institutions and organizations, and international donors to identify a long-term solution to the arsenic-contaminated drinking water problem in Bangladesh, including drawing arsenic out of the existing tube-wells and finding alternate sources of water; and (2) submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees on proposals to bring about arsenic-free drinking water to Bangladeshis and to facilitate treatment for those who have already been affected by arsenic-contaminated drinking water in Bangladesh.