I 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4798 

To facilitate remediation of perchlorate contamination in water sources in 

the State of California, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2006 

Mr. POMBO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 facilitate remediation of perchlorate contamination in 

water sources in the State of California, 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 ‘‘California Perchlorate 

5 Contamination Remediation Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 

7 The purposes of this Act are— 


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1 (1) to provide grants for remediation of per2 chlorate contamination of water sources and supplies 

3 (including wellheads) in the State; 

4 (2) to provide grants for research and develop5 ment of perchlorate remediation technologies; and 

6 (3) to express the sense of Congress that the 

7 Administrator should establish a national drinking 

8 water standard for perchlorate. 

9 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

10 In this Act: 

11 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis12 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ13 mental Protection Agency. 

14 (2) CALIFORNIA WATER AUTHORITY.—The 

15 term ‘‘California water authority’’ means a public 

16 water district, public water utility, public water plan17 ning agency, municipality, or Indian tribe that is— 

18 (A) located in a region identified under 

19 section 4(b)(3)(B); and 

20 (B) in operation as of the date of enact21 ment of this Act. 

22 (3) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the Cali23 fornia Perchlorate Cleanup Fund established by sec24 tion 4(a)(1). 


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1 (4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

2 of California. 

3 SEC. 4. CALIFORNIA PERCHLORATE REMEDIATION 

4 GRANTS. 

5 (a) PERCHLORATE CLEANUP FUND.— 

6 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in 

7 the Treasury of the United States a fund, to be 

8 known as the ‘‘California Perchlorate Cleanup 

9 Fund’’, consisting of— 

10 (A) any amount appropriated to the Fund 

11 under section 7; and 

12 (B) any interest earned on investment of 

13 amounts in the Fund under paragraph (3). 

14 (2) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.— 

15 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara16 graph (B), on receipt of a request by the Ad17 ministrator, the Secretary of the Treasury shall 

18 transfer to the Administrator such amounts as 

19 the Administrator determines to be necessary to 

20 provide grants under subsections (b) and (c). 

21 (B) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—An 

22 amount not to exceed 0.4 percent of the 

23 amounts in the Fund may be used to pay the 

24 administrative expenses necessary to carry out 

25 this subsection. 


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1 (3) INVESTMENT OF AMOUNTS.— 

2 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the 

3 Treasury shall invest such portion of the Fund 

4 as is not, in the judgment of the Secretary of 

5 the Treasury, required to meet current with6 drawals. 

7 (B) INTEREST-BEARING OBLIGATIONS.— 

8 Investments may be made only in interest-bear9 ing obligations of the United States. 

10 (C) ACQUISITION OF OBLIGATIONS.—For 

11 the purpose of investments under subparagraph 

12 (A), obligations may be acquired— 

13 (i) on original issue at the issue price; 

14 or 

15 (ii) by purchase of outstanding obliga16 tions at the market price. 

17 (D) SALE OF OBLIGATIONS.—Any obliga18 tion acquired by the Fund may be sold by the 

19 Secretary of the Treasury at the market price. 

20 (E) CREDITS TO FUND.—The interest on, 

21 and the proceeds from the sale or redemption 

22 of, any obligations held in the Fund shall be 

23 credited to and form a part of the Fund. 

24 (b) CLEANUP GRANTS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (3), 

2 the Administrator shall provide grants to California 

3 water authorities, the total amount of which shall 

4 not exceed $50,000,000, to pay the Federal share of 

5 the cost of activities relating to cleanup of water 

6 sources and supplies (including wellheads) in the 

7 State that are contaminated by perchlorate. 

8 (2) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of 

9 the cost of an activity described in paragraph (1) 

10 shall not exceed 50 percent. 

11 (3) ELIGIBILITY; PRIORITY.— 

12 (A) ELIGIBILITY.—A California water au13 thority that the Administrator determines to be 

14 responsible for perchlorate contamination shall 

15 not be eligible to receive a grant under this sub16 section. 

17 (B) PRIORITY.—In providing grants under 

18 this subsection, the Administrator shall give 

19 priority to an activity described in paragraph 

20 (1) that is carried out in 1 or more of the fol21 lowing regions in the State: 

22 (i) The Santa Clara Valley. 

23 (ii) A region within the natural water24 shed of the Santa Ana River. 

25 (iii) The San Gabriel Valley. 


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1 (iv) Sacramento County. 

2 (v) Any other region that has a dam3 aged water source as a result of per4 chlorate contamination, as determined by 

5 the Administrator. 

6 (c) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall pro8 vide grants, the total amount of which shall not ex9 ceed $8,000,000, to qualified non-Federal entities 

10 (as determined by the Administrator) for use in car11 rying out research and development of perchlorate 

12 remediation technologies. 

13 (2) MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF GRANT.—The 

14 amount of a grant provided under paragraph (1) 

15 shall not exceed $1,000,000. 

16 SEC. 5. EFFECT OF ACT. 

17 Nothing in this Act affects any authority or program 

18 of a Federal or State agency in existence on the date of 

19 enactment of this Act. 

20 SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

21 It is the sense of Congress that the Administrator 

22 should establish a national drinking water standard for 

23 perchlorate as soon as practicable after the date of enact24 ment of this Act. 


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1 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

3 this Act $58,000,000, to remain available until expended. 

Æ 


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