I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2566

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a Great

Lakes Research Council.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 30, 1993

Mr. FINGERHUT (for himself, Mr. QUINN, Mr. STOKES, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr.

YATES, Mr. LAFALCE, and Mr. BARCIA of Michigan) introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Public Works

and Transportation and Science, Space, and Technology

A BILL

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to

establish a Great Lakes Research Council.

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 ‘‘Great Lakes Federal

5 Effectiveness Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES RESEARCH COUNCIL.

7 Subsection (d) of section 118 of the Federal Water

8 Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1268) is amended to

9 read as follows:
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1 ‘‘(d) GREAT LAKES RESEARCH COUNCIL.—

2 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this subsection:

3 ‘‘(A) COUNCIL.—The term ‘Council’ means

4 the Great Lakes Research Council established

5 under paragraph (2).

6 ‘‘(B) GREAT LAKES.—The term ‘Great

7 Lakes’ means—

8 ‘‘(i) Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake

9 Michigan, Lake Ontario, and Lake Supe10 rior;

11 ‘‘(ii) the connecting waters of the

12 lakes listed in clause (i), including the St.

13 Mary’s River, the St. Clair River, Lake St.

14 Clair, the Detroit River, and the Niagara

15 River; and

16 ‘‘(iii) the St. Lawrence River.

17 ‘‘(C) GREAT LAKES RESEARCH.—The term

18 ‘Great Lakes research’ means the application of

19 scientific or engineering expertise to explain,

20 understand, and predict the physical, chemical,

21 biological, and socioeconomic processes, and

22 their interactions, in the Great Lakes eco23 system.

24 ‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a

25 Great Lakes Research Council.
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1 ‘‘(3) DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL.—The Council

2 shall—

3 ‘‘(A) not later than 12 months after the

4 date of enactment of this subparagraph, pre5 pare and provide to Congress and other inter6 ested parties, a report that—

7 ‘‘(i) promotes the coordination of Fed8 eral research activities to avoid unneces9 sary duplication and ensure greater effec10 tiveness in achieving protection of the eco11 system of the Great Lakes and the goals of

12 the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement;

13 ‘‘(ii) assesses the research activities

14 needed to fulfill the Great Lakes Water

15 Quality Agreement goals;

16 ‘‘(iii) assesses Federal expertise and

17 capabilities existing on the date of enact18 ment of this clause in activities needed to

19 fulfill the Great Lakes Water Quality

20 Agreement goals, including an inventory of

21 existing Federal Great Lakes research pro22 grams, projects, facilities, and personnel;

23 ‘‘(iv) recommends long-term and

24 short-term research priorities for Federal

25 research on the Great Lakes, based on a
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1 comparison of the assessments conducted

2 under clauses (ii) and (iii), and programs

3 existing on the date of enactment of this

4 clause; and

5 ‘‘(v) describes coordination efforts

6 with Canada;

7 ‘‘(B) identify topics for, and participate in,

8 meetings, workshops, symposia, and conferences

9 on Great Lakes research issues;

10 ‘‘(C) make recommendations for the uni11 form collection and storage of data for enhanc12 ing research and management protocols relating

13 to the protection and restoration of the phys14 ical, biological, and chemical integrity of the

15 Great Lakes ecosystem;

16 ‘‘(D) consider and make recommendations

17 with respect to the establishment of a com18 prehensive, multimedia database for the Great

19 Lakes ecosystem; and

20 ‘‘(E) ensure that the results, findings, and

21 information regarding Great Lakes research

22 programs conducted or sponsored by the Fed23 eral Government be disseminated in a timely

24 manner, and in useful forms, to interested per25 sons, using as much as possible existing mecha-
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1 nisms such as the Great Lakes Research Inven2 tory prepared by the International Joint Com3 mission.

4 ‘‘(4) MEMBERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL.—

5 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall be

6 comprised of 1 research manager with extensive

7 knowledge, scientific expertise, and experience

8 in the Great Lakes ecosystem from each of the

9 following organizations:

10 ‘‘(i) The Environmental Protection

11 Agency.

12 ‘‘(ii) The National Oceanic and At13 mospheric Administration.

14 ‘‘(iii) The Fish and Wildlife Service.

15 ‘‘(iv) The Coast Guard.

16 ‘‘(v) Any other relevant Federal de17 partment, agency, or instrumentality, as

18 determined by the Council membership.

19 ‘‘(B) NON-VOTING MEMBERS.—Any other

20 person who is not a Federal employee may

21 serve as a non-voting member of the Council, at

22 the request of the Council membership.

23 ‘‘(5) CHAIRPERSON.—The members of the

24 Council shall elect a Chairperson from among the

25 members of the Council appointed pursuant to para-
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1 graphs (4)(A) (i), (ii), and (iii). The Chairperson

2 shall serve a term of 2 years but may not serve for

3 more than 2 consecutive terms.

4 ‘‘(6) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of the

5 Council who is not an employee of the Federal Gov6 ernment shall be allowed travel expenses, including

7 per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized

8 for employees under subchapter I of chapter 57 of

9 title 5, United States Code, while away from the

10 home or regular place of business of the member in

11 the performance of services for the Council.

12 ‘‘(7) INTERAGENCY COOPERATION.—The head

13 of each department, agency, or other instrumentality

14 of the Federal Government that is represented on

15 the Council—

16 ‘‘(A) may, upon written request of the

17 Chairperson, make available, on a reimbursable

18 basis or otherwise, personnel, services, or facili19 ties as may be necessary to assist the Council

20 in achieving the purposes of this subsection;

21 and

22 ‘‘(B) shall, upon written request from the

23 Chairperson, furnish data or other information

24 necessary to achieve the purposes of this sub25 section.
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1 ‘‘(8) EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.—Nothing in

2 this subsection is intended to amend, restrict, or

3 otherwise alter the authority of any Federal depart4 ment, agency, or instrumentality, under any law, to

5 undertake Great Lakes research activities.’’.

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