IB 

Union Calendar No. 408 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4606 

[Report No. 108–668] 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of 

Reclamation and in coordination with other Federal, State, and local 

government agencies, to participate in the funding and implementation 

of a balanced, long-term groundwater remediation program in California, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 17, 2004 

Mr. BACA (for himself, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. CALVERT, Ms. MILLENDERMCDONALD, Ms. LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of California, and Mr. GARY G. 

MILLER of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Resources 

SEPTEMBER 8, 2004 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 17, 2004] 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through 

the Bureau of Reclamation and in coordination with 

other Federal, State, and local government agencies, to 

participate in the funding and implementation of a bal-
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anced, long-term groundwater remediation program in 

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 ‘‘Southern California 

5 Groundwater Remediation Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 For the purposes of this Act: 

8 (1) GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION.—The term 

9 ‘‘groundwater remediation’’ means actions that are 

10 necessary to prevent, minimize, clean up, or mitigate 

11 damage to groundwater. 

12 (2) LOCAL WATER AUTHORITY.—The term ‘‘local 

13 water authority’’ means a currently existing (on the 

14 date of the enactment of this Act) public water dis15 trict, public water utility, public water planning 

16 agency, municipality, or Indian Tribe located within 

17 the natural watershed of the Santa Ana River in the 

18 State of California. 

19 (3) REMEDIATION FUND.—The term ‘‘Remedi20 ation Fund’’ means the Southern California Ground21 water Remediation Fund established pursuant to sec22 tion 3(a). 

23 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

24 the Secretary of the Interior. 
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1 SEC. 3. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GROUNDWATER REMEDI2 ATION. 

3 (a) SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GROUNDWATER REMEDI4 ATION.— 

5 (1) ESTABLISHMENT OF REMEDIATION FUND.— 

6 There shall be established within the Treasury of the 

7 United States an interest bearing account to be 

8 known as the ‘‘Southern California Groundwater Re9 mediation Fund’’. 

10 (2) ADMINISTRATION OF REMEDIATION FUND.— 

11 The Remediation Fund shall be administered by the 

12 Secretary, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation. 

13 The Secretary shall administer the Remediation Fund 

14 in cooperation with the local water authority. 

15 (3) PURPOSES OF REMEDIATION FUND.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subparagraph 

17 (B), the amounts in the Remediation Fund, in18 cluding interest accrued, shall be used by the 

19 Secretary to provide grants to the local water 

20 authority to reimburse the local water authority 

21 for the Federal share of the costs associated with 

22 designing and constructing groundwater remedi23 ation projects to be administered by the local 

24 water authority. 

25 (B) COST-SHARING LIMITATION.— 
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1 (i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

2 not obligate any funds appropriated to the 

3 Remediation Fund in a fiscal year until the 

4 Secretary has deposited into the Remedi5 ation Fund an amount provided by non6 Federal interests sufficient to ensure that at 

7 least 35 percent of any funds obligated by 

8 the Secretary for a groundwater remedi9 ation project are from funds provided to the 

10 Secretary for that project by the non-Fed11 eral interests. 

12 (ii) NON-FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITY.— 

13 Each local water authority shall be respon14 sible for providing the non-Federal amount 

15 required by clause (i) for projects under 

16 that local water authority. The State of 

17 California, local government agencies, and 

18 private entities may provide all or any por19 tion of the non-Federal amount. 

20 (iii) CREDITS TOWARD NON-FEDERAL

21 SHARE.—For purposes of clause (ii), the 

22 Secretary shall credit the appropriate local 

23 water authority with the value of all prior 

24 expenditures by non-Federal interests made 

25 after January 1, 2000, that are compatible 
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1 with the purposes of this section, includ2 ing— 

3 (I) all expenditures made by non4 Federal interests to design and con5 struct groundwater remediation 

6 projects, including expenditures associ7 ated with environmental analyses, and 

8 public involvement activities that were 

9 required to implement the groundwater 

10 remediation projects in compliance 

11 with applicable Federal and State 

12 laws; and 

13 (II) all expenditures made by 

14 non-Federal interests to acquire lands, 

15 easements, rights-of-way, relocations, 

16 disposal areas, and water rights that 

17 were required to implement a ground18 water remediation project. 

19 (b) COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAW.—In car20 rying out the activities described in this section, the Sec21 retary shall comply with any applicable Federal and State 

22 laws. 

23 (c) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER ACTIVITIES.—Nothing 

24 in this section shall be construed to affect other Federal or 

25 State authorities that are being used or may be used to fa-
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1 cilitate remediation and protection of the groundwater in 

2 the natural watershed of the Santa Ana River in the State 

3 of California. In carrying out the activities described in 

4 this section, the Secretary shall integrate such activities 

5 with ongoing Federal and State projects and activities. 

6 None of the funds made available for such activities pursu7 ant to this section shall be counted against any Federal au8 thorization ceiling established for any previously authorized 

9 Federal projects or activities. 

10 (d) FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND AUDITS.—The Sec11 retary shall ensure that all funds obligated and disbursed 

12 under this Act and expended by a local water authority, 

13 are accounted for in accordance with generally accepted ac14 counting principles and are subjected to regular audits in 

15 accordance with applicable procedures, manuals, and circu16 lars of the Department of the Interior and the Office of 

17 Management and Budget. 

18 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

19 authorized to be appropriated to the Remediation such sums 

20 as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act 

21 to remain available until expended. 

Union Calendar No. 408 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4606 

[Report No. 108–668] 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting 

through the Bureau of Reclamation and in coordination with other Federal, State, and local government agencies, to participate in the funding and implementation of a balanced, long-term groundwater remediation program in California, and for other purposes. 

SEPTEMBER 8, 2004 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 

and ordered to be printed