SB 1513 - Under this act, whenever the Department of Natural Resources receives a complaint that a person released a contaminant, as defined in the act, into a public water system or a drinking water source, the Department shall initiate an investigation to determine if the contaminant will cause a risk to public health and safety and damage to the public water infrastructure. If the Department determines that such risk and damage exist, the Department shall request that the Attorney General bring a civil action against the person to recover the cost of remediation, actual damages, and other appropriate relief. The operator of the public water system may intervene in any such civil action brought by the Attorney General. If the court finds that the person released a contaminant into the public water system or a drinking water source, the court shall order that the person pay the cost of remediation, actual damages, injunctive relief, and other appropriate relief. If the party found responsible for releasing the contaminant is a public utility, the public utility shall not pass the cost of remediation and actual damages to its customers through a rate making proceeding. The act is similar to SB 483 (2023). JULIA SHEVELEVA