Extends funding for State- and interstate-managed pollution control programs.
Revises State water pollution control revolving fund provisions concerning: (1) agreements for treatment works capitalization grants; (2) technical and planning assistance for small treatment works; and (3) additional subsidization.
Requires the Administrator to: (1) prepare and transmit to Congress a five-year program plan to guide water pollution control research, development, and technology demonstration activities under FWPCA; and (2) submit the plan for review and comment to the Water Quality Research Technical Advisory Committee established by this Act; (3) establish a nationwide demonstration program, carried out in selected municipalities, to promote technological innovations and alternative approaches to water quality management and reduce municipalities' FWPCA compliance costs.
[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3996 Introduced in House (IH)]
107th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3996
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize
appropriations for water pollution control research, development, and
technology demonstration, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 19, 2002
Mr. Boehlert (for himself and Mr. Hall of Texas) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Science, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize
appropriations for water pollution control research, development, and
technology demonstration, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Water Quality Research, Development,
and Technology Demonstration Act''.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT OF FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ACT.
Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an
amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal
of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to
be made to a section or other provision of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.).
SEC. 3. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
(a) Technical Assistance for Rural and Small Treatment Works.--
Section 104(b) (33 U.S.C. 1254(b)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (6);
(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (7) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(8) make grants to nonprofit organizations to provide
technical assistance to rural and small municipalities for the
purpose of assisting, in consultation with the State in which
the assistance is provided, such municipalities to plan,
develop, and gain financing for wastewater infrastructure
assistance;
``(9) make grants to nonprofit organizations to provide
technical assistance and training to rural and small publicly
owned treatment works and decentralized wastewater treatment
systems to enable such treatment works and systems to protect
water quality and achieve and maintain compliance with the
requirements of this Act; and
``(10) make grants to nonprofit organizations to
disseminate information to rural municipalities, small
municipalities, and municipalities that meet the affordability
criteria established under section 603(i)(2) by the State in
which the municipality is located with respect to planning,
design, construction, and operation of publicly owned treatment
works and decentralized wastewater treatment systems.''.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 104(u) (33 U.S.C.
1254(u)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and (6)'' and inserting ``(6)''; and
(2) by inserting before the period at the end the
following: ``(7) not to exceed $80,000,000 for fiscal year
2003, $85,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, $90,000,000 for fiscal
year 2005, $95,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, and $100,000,000
for fiscal year 2007 for carrying out subsections (b)(3),
(b)(8), (b)(9), and (b)(10), except that not less than 20
percent of the amounts appropriated pursuant to this paragraph
in a fiscal year shall be used for carrying out subsections
(b)(8), (b)(9), and (b)(10)''.
(c) Competitive Procedures for Awarding Grants.--Section 104 (33
U.S.C. 1254(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(v) Competitive Procedures for Awarding Grants.--The
Administrator shall establish procedures that, to the maximum extent
practicable, promote competition and openness in the award of grants to
nonprofit private agencies, institutions, and organizations under this
section.''.
SEC. 4. CAPITALIZATION GRANT AGREEMENT ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT.
Section 602(b) (33 U.S.C. 1382(b)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (9);
(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (10) and
inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(11) beginning in fiscal year 2004, the State will
include as a condition of providing assistance under section
603(c)(1) that the recipient of such assistance study and
evaluate the cost and effectiveness of innovative and
alternative processes, materials, and techniques for carrying
out projects and activities eligible for such assistance under
section 603(c), and select, to the extent practicable, projects
and activities that more efficiently use energy and natural and
financial resources or provide greater environmental
benefits.''.
SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE AND SUBSIDIZATION.
(a) Technical and Planning Assistance for Small Systems.--Section
603(d) (33 U.S.C. 1383(d)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (6);
(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (7) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(8) to provide to treatment works, which serve a
population of 20,000 or fewer, with technical and planning
assistance to improve wastewater treatment plant management and
operations; except that such amounts shall not exceed 2 percent
of grant awards to such fund under this title.''.
(b) Additional Subsidization.--Section 603 (33 U.S.C. 1383) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(i) Additional Subsidization.--
``(1) In general.--In any case in which a State provides
assistance under subsection (d), the State may provide
additional subsidization, including forgiveness of principal
and negative interest loans, for projects and activities
eligible for assistance under section 603(c)(1) to implement
innovative and alternative processes, materials, and techniques
(including nonstructural protection of surface waters, new or
improved methods of waste treatment, and pollutant trading)
that are of a type recommended under paragraph (2) and that may
result in cost savings or increased environmental benefit when
compared to standard processes, materials, and techniques.
``(2) Support for innovative and alternative processes,
materials, and techniques.--Based on recommendations of the
Water Quality Research Technical Advisory Committee under
section 104(a)(3), the Administrator shall annually prepare a
list and description of innovative and alternative processes,
materials, and techniques that the Administrator recommends for
additional State subsidization under this subsection.''.
SEC. 6. PROGRAM PLAN.
Section 104 (33 U.S.C. 1254) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4),
(5), and (6) as subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), (D), (E),
and (F), respectively; and
(B) by moving such subparagraphs 2 ems to the
right;
(2) by striking the section heading, the section
designation, and ``(a) The Administrator shall'' and inserting
the following:
``SEC. 104. RESEARCH, INVESTIGATION, TRAINING, AND INFORMATION.
``(a) National Programs.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Administrator shall''; and
(3) by adding at the end of subsection (a) the following:
``(2) Program plan.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 18 months after
the date enactment of this subparagraph, the
Administrator, in cooperation with other Federal,
State, and local agencies and nonprofit organizations
with expertise in water pollution control research,
development, and technology demonstration, shall
prepare and transmit to Congress a 5-year program plan
to guide water pollution control research, development,
and technology demonstration activities under this Act.
``(B) Comments of advisory committee.--The program
plan shall be submitted to the Water Quality Research
Technical Advisory Committee established under
paragraph (3) for review and comment.
``(3) Water quality research technical advisory
committee.--
``(A) Establishment.--Not later than 12 months
after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Administrator shall establish under paragraph (1)(D) a
Water Quality Research Technical Advisory Committee (in
this paragraph referred to as the `Advisory
Committee').
``(B) Duties.--The Advisory Committee shall--
``(i) advise the Administrator on the
development and implementation of the program
plan under paragraph (1);
``(ii) advise the Administrator annually on
priority needs for water pollution control
research, development, and technology
demonstration under this Act and resources
necessary for meeting such needs;
``(iii) make recommendations annually to
the Administrator on types of innovative and
alternative processes, materials, and
techniques that should be recommended for
additional subsidization under section 603(i);
and
``(iv) review annually the results of water
pollution control research, development, and
technology demonstration carried out under this
Act in the preceding fiscal year.
``(C) Membership.--The Advisory Committee shall be
composed of 7 members appointed by the Administrator
after seeking and receiving recommendations from the
National Academy of Sciences. Members appointed to the
Advisory Committee shall have experience or be technically qualified,
by training or knowledge, in water pollution control research,
development, and technology demonstration.
``(D) Compensation.--The members of the Advisory
Committee shall serve without compensation, but shall
receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703
of title 5, United States Code.
``(E) Meetings.--The Advisory Committee shall meet
at least 4 times each year.
``(F) Termination.--The Advisory Committee shall
terminate 5 years after the date of its establishment.
``(4) Reports to congress.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of the Water Quality Research, Development,
and Technology Demonstration Act, and annually thereafter, the
Administrator shall transmit to Congress a report on the status
and results to date of the implementation of the program plan
prepared under paragraph (2). Each report shall include the
comments of the Water Quality Research Technical Advisory
Committee under paragraphs (2) and (3).''.
SEC. 7. TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM FOR WATER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT
AND MANAGEMENT.
Title I of the Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating the second section 121 (relating to
wet weather watershed pilot projects) as section 122; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 123. TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM FOR WATER QUALITY
ENHANCEMENT AND MANAGEMENT.
``(a) Establishment.--
``(1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of
enactment of this section, the Administrator shall establish a
nationwide demonstration program to--
``(A) promote innovations in technology and
alternative approaches to water quality management; and
``(B) reduce costs to municipalities incurred in
complying with this Act.
``(2) Scope.--The demonstration program shall consist of 10
projects per year, to be carried out in municipalities selected
by the Administrator under subsection (b).
``(b) Selection of Municipalities.--
``(1) Application.--A municipality that seeks to be
selected to participate in the demonstration program shall
submit to the Administrator a plan that--
``(A) is developed in coordination with--
``(i) the Water Quality Research Technical
Advisory Committee established under section
104(a)(3);
``(ii) the agency of the State having
jurisdiction over water quality; and
``(iii) interested stakeholders;
``(B) describes adverse water quality impacts
specific to surrounding ecosystems;
``(C) includes a strategy under which the
municipality, through participation in the
demonstration program, could effectively address those
impacts and achieve the same water quality goals as
those goals that could be achieved using more
traditional methods or are mandated under this Act; and
``(D) includes a schedule for achieving the goals
of the municipality.
``(2) Types of projects.--In carrying out the demonstration
program, the Administrator may select projects which have the
potential to advance innovative or alternative approaches to
addressing--
``(A) excessive nutrient growth;
``(B) water reclamation and reuse;
``(C) nonpoint source water pollution;
``(D) sanitary overflows;
``(E) combined sewer overflows;
``(F) problems with naturally-occurring
constituents of concern; or
``(G) problems with erosion and excess sediment.
``(3) Responsibilities of administrator.--In selecting
municipalities under this subsection, the Administrator shall--
``(A) ensure, to the maximum extent practicable--
``(i) the inclusion in the demonstration
program of projects which reflect a broad
geographic distribution and nontraditional
approaches (including low-impact development
technologies) used for the projects; and
``(ii) that each category of project
described in paragraph (2) is adequately
represented;
``(B) give higher priority to projects that address
multiple problems and are regionally applicable;
``(C) ensure, to the maximum extent practicable,
that at least 1 small community having a population of
10,000 or less receives a grant each year; and
``(D) ensure that, for each fiscal year, no
municipality receives more than 25 percent of the total
amount of funds made available for the fiscal year to
provide grants under this section.
``(4) Cost sharing.--The non-Federal share of the cost of a
project carried out under this section shall be at least 20
percent.
``(c) Reports.--
``(1) Reports from municipalities.--A municipality that is
selected for participation in the demonstration program shall
submit to the Administrator, on the date of completion of a
project of the municipality and on each of the dates that is 1,
2, and 3 years after that date, a report that describes the
effectiveness of the project.
``(2) Reports to congress.--Not later than 2 years after
the date of enactment of this section, and every 2 years
thereafter, the Administrator shall compile, and submit to
Congress, a report that describes the status and results of the
demonstration program.
``(d) Incorporation of Results and Information.--To the maximum
extent practicable, the Administrator shall incorporate the results of,
and information obtained from, successful projects under this section
into programs administered by the Administrator.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2003 through 2007.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Science, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Science, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Science, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
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