(4) submit to Congress a report on any changes
made.
(g) CLEANUP OF HYDROCARBON CONTAMINATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, subject
to the availability of appropriations, make a pay-
ment of $1,000,000 to the Tahoe Regional Planning
Agency and the South Tahoe Public Utility District
to develop and publish a plan, not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of this Act, for the pre-
vention and cleanup of hydrocarbon contamination
(including contamination with MTBE) of the surface
water and ground water of the Lake Tahoe basin.
(2) CONSULTATION.—In developing the plan,
the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the South
Tahoe Public Utility District shall consult with the
States of California and Nevada and appropriate po-
litical subdivisions.
(3) WILLING SELLERS.—The plan shall not in-
clude any acquisition of land or an interest in land
except an acquisition from a willing seller.
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated, for the implementation of
projects on the priority list and the payment identified in
subsection (g), $20,000,000 for the first fiscal year that
begins after the date of enactment of this Act and for each
of the 9 fiscal years thereafter.
SEC. 7. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT PAYMENTS.
Section 2 of Public Law 96–586 (94 Stat. 3381) is
amended by striking subsection (g) and inserting the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(g) PAYMENTS TO LOCALITIES.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall, subject to the availability of appropria-
tions, make annual payments to the governing bod-
ies of each of the political subdivisions (including
any public utility the service area of which includes
any part of the Lake Tahoe basin), any portion of
which is located in the area depicted on the final
map filed under section 3(a).
‘‘(2) USE OF PAYMENTS.—Payments under this
subsection may be used—
‘‘(A) first, for erosion control and water
quality projects; and
‘‘(B) second, unless emergency projects
arise, for projects to address other threshold
categories after thresholds for water quality and
soil conservation have been achieved and main-
tained.
‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY FOR PAYMENTS.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible for a
payment under this subsection, a political sub-
division shall annually submit a priority list of
proposed projects to the Secretary of Agri-
culture.
‘‘(B) COMPONENTS OF LIST.—A priority
list under subparagraph (A) shall include, for
each proposed project listed—
‘‘(i) a description of the need for the
project;
‘‘(ii) all projected costs and benefits;
and
‘‘(iii) a detailed budget.
‘‘(C) USE
OF
PAYMENTS.—A payment
under this subsection shall be used only to
carry out a project or proposed project that is
part of the environmental improvement pro-
gram adopted by the Tahoe Regional Planning
Agency in February 1998 and amendments to
the program.
‘‘(D) FEDERAL OBLIGATION.—All projects
funded under this subsection shall be part of
Federal obligation under the enviromental
improvment program.
‘‘(4) DIVISION OF FUNDS.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The total amounts ap-
propriated for payments under this subsection
shall be allocated by the Secretary of Agri-
culture based on the relative need for and mer-
its of projects proposed for payment under this
section.
‘‘(B) MINIMUM.—To the maximum extent
practicable, for each fiscal year, the Secretary
of Agriculture shall ensure that each political
subdivision in the Lake Tahoe basin receives
amounts appropriated for payments under this
subsection.
‘‘(5) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In
addition to the amounts authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out section 6 of the Lake Tahoe
Restoration Act, there is authorized to be appro-
priated for making payments under this subsection
$10,000,000 for the first fiscal year that begins
after the date of enactment of this paragraph and
for each of the 9 fiscal years thereafter.’’.
SEC. 8. FIRE RISK REDUCTION ACTIVITIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In conducting fire risk reduction
activities in the Lake Tahoe basin, the Secretary shall, as
appropriate, coordinate with State and local agencies and
organizations, including local fire departments and volun-
teer groups.
(b) GROUND DISTURBANCE.—The Secretary shall, to
the maximum extent practicable, minimize any ground dis-
turbances caused by fire risk reduction activities.
SEC. 9. AVAILABILITY AND SOURCE OF FUNDS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Funds authorized under this Act
and the amendment made by this Act—
(1) shall be in addition to any other amounts
available to the Secretary for expenditure in the
Lake Tahoe basin; and
(2) shall not reduce allocations for other Re-
gions of the Forest Service.
(b) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—Except as provided
in subsection (c), funds for activities under section 6 and
section 7 of this Act shall be available for obligation on
a 1-to-1 basis with funding of restoration activities in the
Lake Tahoe basin by the States of California and Nevada.
(c) RELOCATION COSTS.—The Secretary shall pro-
vide 2⁄3 of necessary funding to local utility districts for
the costs of relocating facilities in connection with environ-
mental restoration projects under section 6 and erosion
control projects under section 2 of Public Law 96–586.
SEC. 10. AMENDMENT OF PUBLIC LAW 96–586.
Section 3(a) of Public Law 96–586 (94 Stat. 3383)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(5) WILLING
SELLERS.—Land within the
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit subject to ac-
quisition under this section that is owned by a pri-
vate person shall be acquired only from a willing
seller.’’.
SEC. 11. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.
Nothing in this Act exempts the Secretary from the
duty to comply with any applicable Federal law.
SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums
as are necessary to carry out this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives October 23,
2000.
Attest:
Clerk.
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3388
AN ACT
To promote environmental restoration around the
Lake Tahoe basin.