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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2545

To authorize appropriations for grants by the Environmental Protection

Agency and other appropriate entities to assist colonias.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 28, 1993

Mr. DE LA GARZA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Public Works and Transportation

A BILL

To authorize appropriations for grants by the Environmental

Protection Agency and other appropriate entities to assist colonias.

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 ‘‘Colonia Assistance Au5 thorization Act of 1993’’.

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

7 The purpose of this Act is to protect the economy,

8 public health, environment, and water quality of the Unit9 ed States-Mexico border area which is endangered and is
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1 being polluted by raw or partially treated sewage, effluent,

2 or other pollutants.

3 SEC. 3. GRANTS TO ALLEVIATE HEALTH RISK.

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator is authorized

5 to make grants to any Federal agency, any other appro6 priate entity, or border State designated by the President,

7 for eligible communities to provide for the conservation,

8 development, use, and control of water (including the ex9 tension or improvement of existing water supply systems),

10 and the installation or improvement of sewers, wastewater

11 treatment works, and essential community facilities in12 cluding necessary related equipment. Such grants shall be

13 available to provide such water and wastewater treatment

14 facilities and services to eligible communities whose resi15 dents face significant health risks, as determined by the

16 Administrator, due to the fact that a significant propor17 tion of the eligible community’s residents do not have ac18 cess to, or are not served by, adequate affordable—

19 (1) water supply systems; or

20 (2) wastewater treatment works.

21 (b) OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.—The Adminis22 trator or such other agency, entity, or border State as may

23 be designated by the President under subsection (a) is au24 thorized to operate and maintain any treatment works or
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1 other project constructed under subsection (a) in order to

2 accomplish the proposes of this Act

3 (c) APPROVAL OF PLANS.—Any treatment works or

4 other project for which a grant is made under this Act

5 shall be constructed in accordance with plans and speci6 fications developed by the Administrator or such other

7 agency, entity, or border State as may be designated

8 under subsection (a), in consultation with the appropriate

9 officials of the affected border State, and approved by the

10 Administrator, to meet the construction standards which

11 would be applicable if such treatment works were being

12 constructed under title II of the Federal Water Pollution

13 Control Act.

14 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

15 For purposes of this Act—

16 (1) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad17 ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;

18 (2) the term ‘‘border State’’ means the States

19 of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas;

20 (3) the term ‘‘construction’’ and ‘‘treatment

21 works’’ have the meanings such terms have under

22 section 212 of the Federal Water Pollution Control

23 Act (33 U.S.C. 1251); and

24 (4) the term ‘‘eligible communities’’ means

25 those low-income communities commonly referred to
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1 as colonias that are located along the United States2 Mexico border, generally in unincorporated areas,

3 that lack basic sanitation facilities such as safe

4 drinking water, household plumbing, and proper

5 sewage disposal systems.

6 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

7 There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years

8 beginning after September 30, 1993, such sums as may

9 be necessary to the Administrator to make grants under

10 this Act and such sums as may be necessary to any agen11 cy, entity, or border State that the President may des12 ignate under section 3 to carry out this Act.

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