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Whereas section 1109(b)(2) of the Water Resources Develop-
ment Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 1962d–20(b)(2)) encour-
ages the Great Lakes States, in consultation with the Ca-
nadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, to develop and
implement a mechanism that provides a common con-
servation standard embodying the principles of water con-
servation and resource improvement for making decisions
concerning the withdrawal and use of water from the
Great Lakes Basin;
Whereas annual combined sewer overflow discharges are esti-
mated at 1,260,000,000 gallons per year and a heavy
concentration of combined sewer overflows are found in
the Great Lakes region;
Whereas $450,000,000 for combined sewer overflow control
programs has been requested by the United States Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency in its previous year’s budg-
et, but to date funds for such purposes have not been ap-
propriated; and
Whereas more than 130 invasive species have been introduced
in the Great Lakes and costs of controlling these invasive
species are estimated to be as high as $5,000,000,000
over a 10-year period: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
SECTION 1. BALLAST WATER TREATMENT REGULATIONS
REQUIRED.
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that
the Secretary of Transportation should issue under the
Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control
Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 4701 et seq.) regulations to pre-
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vent the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance spe-
cies within the Great Lakes.
SEC. 2. EXPORT OF WATER FROM GREAT LAKES.
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that—
(1) the Great Lakes States, in consultation with
the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec,
should develop and implement a mechanism that
provides a common conservation standard embodying
the principles of water conservation and resource im-
provement for making decisions concerning the with-
drawal and use of water from the Great Lakes
Basin; and
(2) the Secretary of State should work with the
Canadian Government to encourage and support the
Provinces in the development and implementation of
a mechanism and standard concerning the with-
drawal and use of water from the Great Lakes
Basin consistent with those mechanisms and stand-
ards developed by the Great Lakes States.
SEC. 3. POLICY REGARDING OFF-SHORE DRILLING IN THE
GREAT LAKES.
The House of Representatives encourages—
(1) the States of Illinois, Michigan, New York,
Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to continue to prohibit
off-shore drilling in the Great Lakes for oil and gas;
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(2) the States of Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio
and the Canadian Province of Ontario to enact a
prohibition of such drilling; and
(3) the Canadian Province of Ontario to require
the cessation of any such drilling and any production
resulting from such drilling.
SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR THE REMEDIATION OF SEDIMENT
CONTAMINATION IN AREAS OF CONCERN.
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agen-
cy should make grants to States, Indian tribes, regional
agencies, and local governments to carry out projects in
areas of concern located wholly or in part in the United
States—
(1) to monitor or evaluate contaminated sedi-
ment;
(2) to remediate contaminated sediment; and
(3) to prevent further or renewed contamination
of sediment.
SEC. 5. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agen-
cy should conduct research on the development and use
of innovative approaches, technologies, and techniques for
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the remediation of sediment contamination in areas of
concern in the Great Lakes.
SEC. 6. SEWER OVERFLOW CONTROL GRANTS.
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that
appropriations for carrying out section 221 of Federal
Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1301) for fiscal
year 2004 should be increased by $450,000,000 from the
amount appropriated to carry out such section for fiscal
year 2003.
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