II

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1286

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants to improve wastewater treatment for certain communities in the United States

located close to the border between the United States and Mexico, and

for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 26 (legislative day, JUNE 30), 1993

Mr. BINGAMAN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

A BILL

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants to improve wastewater

treatment for certain communities in the United States

located close to the border between the United States

and Mexico, 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 ‘‘Colonias Wastewater

5 Treatment Act of 1993’’.
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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

2 Congress finds that—

3 (1) as of the date of enactment of this Act,

4 there is a severe lack of wastewater treatment facili5 ties in the area of the border between the United

6 States and Mexico;

7 (2) the lack of facilities is leading to the pollu8 tion of rivers and ground water in the area and to

9 environmental degradation; and

10 (3) the pollution presents a grave threat to pub11 lic health through the proliferation of gastro12 intestinal and infectious diseases.

13 SEC. 3. GRANTS TO CERTAIN COMMUNITIES.

14 Title V of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act

15 (33 U.S.C. 1281 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end

16 the following new section:

17 ‘‘SEC. 521. GRANTS TO CERTAIN COMMUNITIES.

18 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro19 vision of law, the Administrator is authorized to award

20 a grant for wastewater treatment to—

21 ‘‘(1) a community that meets the requirements

22 of subsection (b); or

23 ‘‘(2) a county, municipality, or other political

24 subdivision of a State acting on behalf of a commu25 nity that meets the requirements of subsection (b).
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1 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE COMMUNITIES.—A community that

2 meets the requirements of this subsection is a community

3 that—

4 ‘‘(1) is designated by the State or county in

5 which the community is located as a colonia;

6 ‘‘(2) is located in the region along the border

7 between the United States and Mexico;

8 ‘‘(3) the Administrator determines is eligible to

9 receive a grant under this subsection on the basis of

10 objective criteria (including the lack of a potable

11 water supply, an adequate sewage system, or decent,

12 safe, and sanitary housing); and

13 ‘‘(4) before November 28, 1990, existed as a

14 colonia (as determined by the Administrator).

15 ‘‘(c) USE OF GRANT.—A grant awarded under this

16 section may be used for 1 or more of the following:

17 ‘‘(1)(A) The construction (including planning,

18 design, repair, extension, improvement, alteration, or

19 reconstruction) of a publicly owned treatment works

20 (including collection lines or interceptor sewers, not21 withstanding any limitation otherwise imposed with

22 respect to the provision of assistance for collection

23 lines or interceptor sewers).

24 ‘‘(B) The acquisition of land, or any easement

25 or other right-of-way, to which the recipient of as-
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1 sistance is not the owner (at the time of receipt as2 sistance), that is necessary to carry out the con3 struction or operation of the publicly owned treat4 ment works, or the final disposal of residues result5 ing from the treatment of water or waste.

6 ‘‘(2) The disposal of wastewater by surface or

7 underground methods, (or both).

8 ‘‘(d) GRANT AMOUNT.—A grant awarded under this

9 section may be for an amount not to exceed 100 percent

10 of the cost of the project that is the subject of the grant.

11 ‘‘(e) DEFINITION; BORDER AREA.—The term ‘border

12 area’ means the area situated within 100 kilometers on

13 either side of the United States-Mexican international

14 boundary.

15 ‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

16 are authorized to be appropriated to the Environmental

17 Protection Agency, to carry out this section, such sums

18 as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 1994 through

19 2000.’’.

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