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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 137

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to

conduct a study of algal blooms off the coast of Maui, Hawaii, and

for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JANUARY 21 (legislative day, JANUARY 5), 1993

Mr. INOUYE introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

A BILL

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study of algal blooms off the

coast of Maui, Hawaii, 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. FINDINGS.

4 Congress finds the following:

5 (1) Twice since 1989, the northwestern coast of

6 Maui, Hawaii, has been plagued with massive

7 blooms of the green alga, Cladorphora sericea.

8 Blooms of the red alga, Hypnea musciformis, have

9 also occurred in the area and in the Kihei area.
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1 (2) The algal blooms have destroyed corals and

2 other reef-building organisms, and have washed up

3 on beaches and severely impeded the recreational use

4 of affected coastal areas.

5 (3) The algal blooms are particularly detrimen6 tal to the natural ecological balance of the near7 shore reef environment.

8 (4) Although the specific causes of the algal

9 blooms are uncertain, algal growth is stimulated in

10 a proportional manner by concentrations of chemi11 cals such as fertilizers and insecticides, which enter

12 the ocean through freshwater runoff.

13 (5) The Department of Health of the State of

14 Hawaii has indicated that the department does not

15 have the resources at this time to determine the

16 cause of the algal blooms.

17 (6) Extensive research will be required to deter18 mine the factors that contribute to algal growth.

19 (7) Potential sources of nutrients that may con20 tribute to algal growth include the near-shore dis21 posal of sewage in injection wells from the Lahaina

22 Wastewater Treatment Plant, surface runoff from

23 agricultural lands and urban resort areas, and sub24 surface point sources in the areas.
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1 (8) The long-term environmental impacts of the

2 algal blooms are unknown, but in the short term,

3 reefs exposed to the algae are being destroyed and

4 the deterioration of the coral has detrimental effects

5 on fish and other wildlife that depend on the reefs

6 for survival.

7 (9) The algal blooms are generating negative

8 economic impacts as well as negative biological im9 pacts, as additional reports indicate that the algae

10 are decreasing the intake of fish caught by local

11 fishermen in the affected marine waters.

12 (10) The Maui Algae Task Force is comprised

13 of community environmental activists and has been

14 assembled to address the problem of algal blooms.

15 (11) The Maui Algae Task Force hopes to work

16 in cooperation with the Department of Health of the

17 State of Hawaii and the Environmental Protection

18 Agency to identify and eradicate the causes of the

19 algal blooms.

20 SEC. 2. STUDY.

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Envi22 ronmental Protection Agency (hereafter in this Act re23 ferred to as the ‘‘Administrator’’) shall conduct a study

24 to—
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1 (1) determine the causes of recent algal blooms

2 off the northwestern coast of Maui, Hawaii; and

3 (2) research alternatives for the improved man4 agement of chemicals present in wastewater treat5 ment and fresh water runoff.

6 (b) STUDY REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the

7 study under this section, the Administrator shall—

8 (1) survey and monitor—

9 (A) seaweed populations and animals for

10 which the seaweed is a food source;

11 (B) surface water runoff sediments in the

12 study area; and

13 (C) inputs into the study area from sub14 surface point sources, including any such inputs

15 from the Lahaina wastewater treatment plant;

16 and

17 (2) study the responses of—

18 (A) the seaweed populations referred to in

19 paragraph (1)(A) to different concentrations of

20 nutrients; and

21 (B) the animals referred to in paragraph

22 (1)(A) to pesticides and other biological toxins.

23 (c) EQUIPMENT; GRANTS.—

24 (1) ACQUISITION OF EQUIPMENT.—In carrying

25 out the study under this section, the Administrator
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1 is authorized to acquire such monitoring and testing

2 equipment as the Administrator determines nec3 essary.

4 (2) GRANTS.—In carrying out the study under

5 this section, the Administrator is authorized to es6 tablish a grant program to provide grants to eligible

7 entities that submit approved applications to the Ad8 ministrator. The following entities may submit an

9 application to conduct study activities under this

10 section:

11 (A) The Department of Health of the

12 State of Hawaii.

13 (B) The Maui Algae Task Force.

14 (C) Appropriate Federal, State, or county

15 departments or agencies.

16 (D) Any other entity that the Adminis17 trator determines to be appropriate.

18 (d) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.—In carrying out

19 the study under this section, the Administrator is author20 ized to establish demonstration projects to identify and

21 implement best management practices for the control of

22 nonpoint source pollution from erosion and agricultural

23 runoff.

24 (e) REPORTS.—
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1 (1) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than 1 year

2 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis3 trator shall submit to Congress a report that in4 cludes interim results of the study conducted under

5 this section, and such recommendations as the Ad6 ministrator determines to be appropriate.

7 (2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than January

8 31, 1996, the Administrator shall submit to Con9 gress a final report that summarizes the results of

10 the study conducted under this section and includes

11 such recommendations as the Administrator deter12 mines to be appropriate.

13 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

14 are authorized to be appropriated to the Environmental

15 Protection Agency to carry out this section $500,000 for

16 each of fiscal years 1994 and 1995.

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