II

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1219

To require the establishment of a research and grant program for the

eradication or control of Pfiesteria piscicida and other aquatic toxins.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

SEPTEMBER 25, 1997

Mr. FAIRCLOTH (for himself, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. WARNER,

and Mr. ROBB) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and

referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

A BILL

To require the establishment of a research and grant program for the eradication or control of Pfiesteria piscicida

and other aquatic toxins.

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 ‘‘Pfiesteria Research

5 Act of 1997’’.

6 SEC. 2. PFIESTERIA AND OTHER AQUATIC TOXINS RE7 SEARCH AND GRANT PROGRAM.

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Envi9 ronmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of Commerce
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1 (acting through the Director of the National Marine Fish2 eries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad3 ministration), the Secretary of Health and Human Serv4 ices (acting through the Director of the National Institute

5 of Environmental Health Sciences and the Director of the

6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and the Sec7 retary of Agriculture shall—

8 (1) establish a research program for the eradi9 cation or control of Pfiesteria piscicida and other

10 aquatic toxins; and

11 (2) make grants to colleges, universities, and

12 other entities in affected States for the eradication

13 or control of Pfiesteria piscicida and other aquatic

14 toxins.

15 (b) GRANTS.—In carrying out subsection (a)(2), the

16 heads of the agencies referred to in subsection (a) shall

17 make grants to—

18 (1) North Carolina State University in Raleigh,

19 North Carolina, for the establishment of an Applied

20 Aquatic Ecology Center and for research conducted

21 by the Center relating to aquatic toxins;

22 (2) the University System of Maryland and the

23 Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Mary24 land, for the establishment of a cooperative Agro25 Ecosystem Center for research and demonstration
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1 projects related to aquatic toxins, such as Pfiesteria

2 piscicida, including projects that relate to dietary,

3 waste management, and other alternative-use related

4 strategies that reduce the undesirable nutrient and

5 other chemical content from waste into waterways;

6 and

7 (3) the Virginia Institute of Marine Science of

8 the College of William and Mary in Gloucester

9 Point, Virginia, for the establishment of a Marine

10 Pathology and Applied Ecology Center and for re11 search conducted by the Center relating to the effect

12 of algal toxins on marine fish and shellfish and to

13 understanding human influences on estuarine

14 planktonic communities with an emphasis on harm15 ful algal species, except that a portion of the grants

16 made under this paragraph shall be allocated to Old

17 Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, for re18 search support.

19 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is

20 authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary

21 to carry out this section, of which not less than—

22 (1) $1,883,619 for fiscal year 1998, and

23 $655,890 for fiscal year 1999, shall be used to carry

24 out subsection (b)(1);
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1 (2) $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1998

2 and 1999 shall be used to carry out subsection

3 (b)(2); and

4 (3) $1,750,000 for fiscal year 1998, and

5 $545,000 for fiscal year 1999, shall be used to carry

6 out subsection (b)(3).

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