I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 839
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to carry
out a pilot program for restoration of urban watersheds and community
environments in the Anacostia River watershed, District of Columbia
and Maryland, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 24, 1999
Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency to carry out a pilot program for restoration of
urban watersheds and community environments in the
Anacostia River watershed, District of Columbia and
Maryland, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Urban Water-
shed Model Restoration Act’’.
SEC. 2. ANACOSTIA RIVER WATERSHED RESTORATION AND
PROTECTION PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency shall develop and carry out
a pilot program to serve as a national model for the res-
toration of urban watersheds and community environ-
ments. The purposes of the program shall be to dem-
onstrate methods to encourage urban communities to use
their environmental resources as a catalyst for sustainable
community redevelopment and to meet the objectives of
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, including
stormwater, combined sewer overflows, and other water
quality objectives. The program shall have a dual function
of restoration and protection of river resources and reduc-
tion of environmental human health risks in the surround-
ing communities.
(b) LOCATION.—The pilot program under this section
shall be carried out in the Anacostia River watershed, Dis-
trict of Columbia and Maryland.
(c) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the program under
this section, the Administrator shall—
(1) integrate on a community or geographic
basis the regulatory and nonregulatory programs of
the Environmental Protection Agency with other
Federal, State, and local government programs and
provide effective coordination among such programs;
(2) support baseline monitoring efforts of State
and local governments to determine key trends in
ambient environmental conditions for the purpose of
filling gaps in critical data about the environmental
condition of the watershed;
(3) develop and maintain environmental indica-
tors in conjunction with interested public entities
and ensure regular public reporting of these indica-
tors;
(4) provide grants in accordance with sub-
section (d) to local community groups and nonprofit
organizations to foster community involvement in
the decisionmaking process, environmental edu-
cational goals, and restoration strategies;
(5) assist in the establishment of measurable
goals for such restoration;
(6) maintain annual program plans which pro-
vide for public input;
(7) provide opportunities for the education of
school children and community groups on local envi-
ronmental resources and on what individuals can do
to reduce environmental and health risks;
(8) develop consensus strategies for the restora-
tion and protection of the watershed in cooperation
with other Federal, State, and local groups to ad-
dress critical issues and needs;
(9) maintain a biennial Federal work planning
process for Federal landholders and programmatic
agencies to identify specific opportunities and needs
for Federal activities in support of the pilot pro-
gram’s goals;
(10) demonstrate new technologies and ap-
proaches 
which 
are 
applicable 
nationally 
to
stormwater management, combined sewer overflow
control, floatables reduction, forest buffer restora-
tion, and other activities being conducted under the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act;
(11) participate in urban habitat improvement
projects in the watershed on a demonstration basis;
(12) assist in the implementation of the re-
gional action plan for toxics reduction and preven-
tion in the watershed;
(13) implement on the ground projects for res-
toration of the watershed to the extent they are
unique or transferable to national audiences; and
(14) maintain and enhance the Biennial Work
Plan for the Anacostia River Watershed published
by the United States Army Corp of Engineers and
the Environmental Protection Agency on April 22,
1997, for the purpose of identifying specific opportu-
nities for Federal landholders to contribute to the
pilot program.
(d) CHALLENGE GRANTS.—
(1) SET-ASIDE.—The Administrator may set
aside no less than $400,000 of amounts appro-
priated to carry out this section for each fiscal year
to make grants under subsection (c)(4).
(2) ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY
SHARE.—The Environmental Protection Agency’s
share of the costs of activities to be carried out with
a grant under this section shall be not less than 75
percent. The remaining share of such costs may be
provided through in-kind contributions and may be
provided from Federal funds appropriated to carry
out any law, other than this Act, if the Federal
agency making such funds available agrees.
(e) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the pilot pro-
gram under this section, the Administrator shall work in
coordination with other Federal agencies, particularly the
Army Corps of Engineers, to identify projects and activi-
ties which are supportive of the goals of the pilot program.
(f) REPORTS.—The Administrator shall transmit to
Congress by January 1 of each fiscal years 2000 through
2004 a report on the activities carried out under, and re-
sults of, the pilot program during the preceding fiscal
year, including a report on the technical, managerial, and
public involvement aspects of the pilot program which are
transferable to other urban areas.
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$750,000 for each of fiscal years 2000 through 2004.
Such sums shall remain available until expended.
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