I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8779 

To amend the Water Resources Development Act of 2018 to require projects 

in the Caloosahatchee River watershed, the St. Lucie River and estuary 

basin, and the Lake Okeechobee watershed that mitigate harmful algal 

blooms and nutrient pollution by removing algae and converting the 

algae biomass into biofuel, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 18, 2024 

Mr. DONALDS (for himself and Mr. MAST) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 

A BILL 

To amend the Water Resources Development Act of 2018 

to require projects in the Caloosahatchee River watershed, the St. Lucie River and estuary basin, and the 

Lake Okeechobee watershed that mitigate harmful algal 

blooms and nutrient pollution by removing algae and 

converting the algae biomass into biofuel, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Convert Harmful Algal 

5 Blooms to Fuel Act’’ or the ‘‘Convert HABs to Fuel Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM TECHNOLOGY DEVELOP2 MENT. 

3 Section 1109 of the Water Resources Development 

4 Act of 2018 (36 U.S.C. 610 note) is amended— 

5 (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘DEM6 ONSTRATION’’ and inserting ‘‘DEVELOPMENT’’; 

7 (2) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘a 5-year 

8 harmful algal bloom technology development dem9 onstration program’’ and inserting ‘‘a harmful algal 

10 bloom technology development program’’; 

11 (3) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘demonstra12 tion’’; and 

13 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(c) SPECIFIC PROJECTS REQUIRED.— 

15 ‘‘(1) PROJECTS.—In carrying out the harmful 

16 algal bloom technology development program under 

17 this section, the Secretary shall carry out projects in 

18 the Caloosahatchee River watershed, the St. Lucie 

19 River and estuary basin, and the Lake Okeechobee 

20 watershed (as such watershed is described by the 

21 South Florida Water Management District for pur22 poses of the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Construc23 tion Project 2020 update) that utilize previously 

24 demonstrated technologies that are capable of miti25 gating harmful algal blooms and nutrient pollution 


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1 by harvesting algae and converting the retrieved 

2 algae biomass into renewable biofuel. 

3 ‘‘(2) TECHNOLOGIES.—In carrying out projects 

4 under this subsection, the Secretary shall utilize 

5 technologies that have been previously demonstrated 

6 as effective through research carried out under this 

7 section. 

8 ‘‘(3) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out projects 

9 under this subsection, the Secretary shall consult 

10 with relevant Federal, State, and local agencies, in11 stitutions of higher education, and private organiza12 tions, including nonprofit organizations. 

13 ‘‘(4) SELECTION OF SPECIFIC LOCATIONS.—Not 

14 later than 90 days after the date of enactment of 

15 this subsection, the Secretary, in collaboration with 

16 the entities described in paragraph (3), shall select 

17 specific locations within the Caloosahatchee River 

18 watershed, the St. Lucie River and estuary basin, 

19 and the Lake Okeechobee watershed at which to 

20 carry out projects under this subsection. 

21 ‘‘(5) COORDINATION.—In carrying out projects 

22 under this subsection, the Secretary shall coordinate 

23 with the Secretary of Energy and the Administrator 

24 of the Environmental Protection Agency on the use 

25 of algae biomass derived from the projects that may 


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1 be combined with other wet waste material, such as 

2 municipal biosolids, to support the scaling up of 

3 biofuel projects and the renewable energy activities 

4 of the Office of Energy, Efficiency, and Renewable 

5 Energy of the Department of Energy. 

6 ‘‘(6) COLLABORATION.—In carrying out 

7 projects under this subsection, the Secretary shall 

8 collaborate with relevant Federal, State, and local 

9 agencies and private organizations to the maximum 

10 extent practicable. 

11 ‘‘(7) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the 

12 date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary 

13 shall submit to the Committee on Transportation 

14 and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 

15 and the Committee on Environment and Public 

16 Works of the Senate a report containing the results 

17 of the projects carried out under this subsection, in18 cluding— 

19 ‘‘(A) a determination of whether it is fea20 sible to mitigate harmful algal blooms and con21 vert retrieved algae biomass and other wet 

22 waste material into renewable clean energy 

23 sources, such as biofuel and renewable natural 

24 gas; 


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1 ‘‘(B) a description of any water quality im2 provements that occurred at the locations of the 

3 projects over the period during which the 

4 projects were carried out; and 

5 ‘‘(C) any other information determined ap6 propriate by the Secretary. 

7 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

8 is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 

9 $25,000,000, to remain available until expended, to carry 

10 out this subsection.’’. 

Æ 


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