Great Lakes Nutrient Removal Assistance Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a program to provide grants to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and municipalities in such states to upgrade eligible municipal wastewater treatment plants with nutrient removal technologies. Requires the Administrator to give priority to plants at which nutrient removal technology upgrades would: (1) produce the greatest nutrient load reductions at points of discharge, (2) result in the greatest environmental benefits to the Great Lakes System, and (3) help meet the objectives related to nutrients outlined in Annex four of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
Defines as "eligible" a plant that: (1) has a permitted design capacity to treat an annual average of at least 500,000 gallons of wastewater per day, and (2) is located within the Great Lakes System in any of such states.
Prohibits the federal share from exceeding 55% of the total cost of upgrading such plants.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 600 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 600
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide assistance
for nutrient removal technologies to States in the Great Lakes System.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 8, 2013
Mr. Higgins (for himself, Mr. Levin, Mr. Conyers, Ms. Slaughter, Mr.
Dingell, Ms. Moore, and Mr. Ryan of Ohio) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide assistance
for nutrient removal technologies to States in the Great Lakes System.
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 ``Great Lakes Nutrient Removal
Assistance Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) ineffective wastewater treatment is one of the most
common sources of water pollution;
(2) nutrient pollution, particularly phosphorus loading,
continues to be one of the most significant water quality
issues facing the Great Lakes System;
(3) limiting phosphorus loads is key to controlling
excessive algal growth, and a coordinated Great Lakes System-
wide strategy to change how nutrients are discharged is urgent;
and
(4) nutrient removal technology is one of the most
reliable, cost effective, and direct methods for reducing the
flow of phosphorus and other harmful nutrients from point
sources in the Great Lakes System.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency to provide financial assistance to Great
Lakes States and municipalities for use in upgrading publically
owned wastewater treatment plants in the Great Lakes System
with nutrient removal technologies; and
(2) to further the goal of restoring the water of the Great
Lakes System to conditions that are protective of human health
and aquatic life.
SEC. 3. SEWAGE CONTROL TECHNOLOGY GRANT PROGRAM.
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``TITLE VII--MISCELLANEOUS
``SEC. 701. SEWAGE CONTROL TECHNOLOGY GRANT PROGRAM.
``(a) Grant Program.--
``(1) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall establish
a program within the Environmental Protection Agency to provide
grants to Great Lakes States, and municipalities thereof, to
upgrade eligible facilities with nutrient removal technologies.
``(2) Priority.--In providing a grant under paragraph (1),
the Administrator shall--
``(A) consult with the Program Office; and
``(B) give priority to eligible facilities at which
nutrient removal technology upgrades would--
``(i) produce the greatest nutrient load
reductions at points of discharge;
``(ii) result in the greatest environmental
benefits to the Great Lakes System; and
``(iii) help meet the objectives related to
nutrients outlined in Annex 4 of the 2012 Great
Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
``(3) Application.--
``(A) In general.--On receipt of an application
from a State or municipality for a grant under this
section, if the Administrator approves the request, the
Administrator shall transfer to the State or
municipality the amount of assistance determined
necessary by the Administrator, in consultation with
the Program Office, to carry out the facility upgrades
that are the subject of the application.
``(B) Form.--An application submitted by a State or
municipality under subparagraph (A) shall be in such
form and shall include such information as the
Administrator may prescribe.
``(4) Use of funds.--A State or municipality that receives
a grant under this section shall use the grant to upgrade
eligible facilities with nutrient removal technologies that are
designed to reduce total nutrients in discharged wastewater.
``(5) Cost sharing.--
``(A) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost
of upgrading any eligible facility as described in
paragraph (1) using funds provided under this section
shall not exceed 55 percent.
``(B) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of
the costs of upgrading any eligible facility as
described in paragraph (1) using funds provided under
this section may be provided in the form of funds made
available to a State or municipality under--
``(i) any provision of this Act other than
this section (including funds made available
from a State water pollution control revolving
fund established under title VI); or
``(ii) any other Federal or State law.
``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) 2012 great lakes water quality agreement.--The term
`2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement' means the Great
Lakes Water Quality Protocol of 2012, signed at Washington on
September 7, 2012 (further amending the Agreement between the
United States of America and Canada on Great Lakes Water
Quality, 1978, signed at Ottawa on November 22, 1978).
``(2) Eligible facility.--The term `eligible facility'
means a municipal wastewater treatment plant that--
``(A) as of the date of enactment of this section,
has a permitted design capacity to treat an annual
average of at least 500,000 gallons of wastewater per
day; and
``(B) is located within the Great Lakes System in
any of the Great Lakes States.
``(3) Great lakes states; great lakes system.--The terms
`Great Lakes States' and `Great Lakes System' have the meanings
given those terms in section 118.
``(4) Program office.--The term `Program Office' means the
Great Lakes National Program Office established by section
118(b).
``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated
to carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2013 through 2017. Such sums shall remain available until
expended.
``(2) Administrative costs.--The Administrator may use not
to exceed 4 percent of any amount made available under
paragraph (1) to pay administrative costs incurred in carrying
out this section.''.
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Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
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