SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the recovery of Onon-
daga Lake is of National importance. 
SEC. 3. ONONDAGA LAKE, NEW YORK. 
(a) MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.—Title I of the Fed-
eral Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 127. ONONDAGA LAKE, NEW YORK. 
‘‘(a) MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF ONONDAGA LAKE WA-
TERSHED COUNCIL.—The Administrator shall estab-
lish a council, to be known as the ‘Onondaga Lake 
Watershed Council’, to develop a plan, to be known 
as the ‘Adaptive Management Plan’, consistent with 
the Onondaga Lake Management Plan, for further 
improvement of Onondaga Lake. 
‘‘(2) IMPLEMENTATION OF ADAPTIVE MANAGE-
MENT
PLAN.—The Administrator shall cooperate 
with Federal and State agencies to carry out the 
recommendations of the Adaptive Management Plan, 
and such recommendations shall be carried out— 
‘‘(A) in consultation with the Onondaga 
Lake Watershed Council; and 
‘‘(B) with the participation of the public, 
including the Onondaga Nation, Federal, State, 
and local governmental entities, and any other 
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entities that may be affected by activities car-
ried out under this section. 
‘‘(b) ONONDAGA LAKE WATERSHED COUNCIL.— 
‘‘(1) DUTIES.— 
‘‘(A) DEVELOPMENT
OF
ADAPTIVE
MAN-
AGEMENT PLAN.—The Onondaga Lake Water-
shed Council shall develop and periodically re-
vise the Adaptive Management Plan in con-
sultation with the Onondaga Lake Scientific 
Center established under subsection (d). 
‘‘(B) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM FOR 
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—The Onondaga Lake 
Watershed Council shall establish and carry out 
a comprehensive, inclusive, and ongoing pro-
gram for participation of the public, including 
the Onondaga Nation, Federal, State, and local 
governmental entities, and any other entities 
that may be affected by activities under this 
section, in the development and revision of the 
Adaptive Management Plan under subpara-
graph (A). 
‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Onondaga Lake 
Watershed Council shall consist of the following 
members: 
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‘‘(i) The Administrator. 
‘‘(ii) The Secretary of the Army. 
‘‘(iii) The head of any other interested 
Federal department of agency, as deter-
mined by the Administrator. 
‘‘(iv) A representative of the Governor 
of the State of New York. 
‘‘(v) A representative of the Attorney 
General. 
‘‘(vi) A representative designated by 
the Onondaga Nation Council of Chiefs. 
‘‘(vii) A representative designated by 
the County Executive of Onondaga County, 
New York. 
‘‘(viii) A representative designated by 
the mayor of the City of Syracuse, New 
York. 
‘‘(B) EX OFFICIO MEMBERSHIP.—The On-
ondaga Lake Watershed Council shall consist of 
the following ex officio, nonvoting members: 
‘‘(i) The Senators from the State of 
New York. 
‘‘(ii) Each Member of the House of 
Representatives whose congressional dis-
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trict is located all or partially within the 
Onondaga Lake watershed. 
‘‘(iii) Each member of the New York 
State Legislature whose district is located 
all or partially within the Onondaga Lake 
watershed. 
‘‘(iv) Other members as the Adminis-
trator determines appropriate. 
‘‘(C) DESIGNEES.—Any member of the 
Onondaga Lake Watershed Council specified in 
clauses (i) through (iv) of subparagraph (A) or 
in subparagraph (B) may appoint a designee to 
serve in place of the member on the Council. 
‘‘(3) COMMITTEES.— 
‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Onondaga 
Lake Watershed Council shall adopt bylaws 
providing for the establishment of standing 
committees including the following: 
‘‘(i) A Public Participation Com-
mittee. 
‘‘(ii) A Science and Engineering Com-
mittee, which shall include representatives 
of the member institutions of the Onon-
daga Lake Science Center established 
under subsection (d). 
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‘‘(B) 
APPOINTMENT.—The 
Onondaga 
Lake Watershed Council shall appoint members 
to each committee described in subparagraph 
(A). 
‘‘(c) ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) IDENTIFICATION
OF
GOALS.—In devel-
oping the Adaptive Management Plan under this 
section, the Onondaga Lake Watershed Council shall 
identify measurable goals for— 
‘‘(A) the further restoration, conservation, 
and management of Onondaga Lake; and 
‘‘(B) compliance with all provisions of law 
affecting the further restoration and conserva-
tion of Onondaga Lake, including the water 
quality standards established for Onondaga 
Lake (including total maximum daily loads es-
tablished under section 303(d)(C)) and the 
Amended Consent Judgment and all effluent 
limitations therein (or otherwise promulgated 
under this Act). 
‘‘(2) RECOMMENDATION OF STRATEGIES.—To 
achieve the goals identified under paragraph (1), the 
Onondaga Lake Watershed Council shall incorporate 
and specify the recommendations of the Onondaga 
Lake Management Plan in the Adaptive Manage-
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ment Plan and recommend strategies for manage-
ment of— 
‘‘(A) the biological and chemical makeup 
and structural attributes of Onondaga Lake; 
and 
‘‘(B) the use of Onondaga Lake for edu-
cational, recreational, and other purposes. 
‘‘(3) COORDINATION
WITH
OTHER
ACTIVI-
TIES.—The strategies recommended under para-
graph (2) shall provide for coordination with all 
other activities to further restore or conserve, or oth-
erwise affecting the restoration or conservation of, 
Onondaga Lake, including ongoing public participa-
tion activities, scientific and engineering activities, 
and other activities carried out under Federal, State, 
or local law. 
‘‘(4) ONGOING EVALUATION OF STRATEGIES.— 
To evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies rec-
ommended under paragraph (2) in achieving the 
goals identified under paragraph (1), the Onondaga 
Lake Watershed Council shall— 
‘‘(A) identify a specific, integrated sci-
entific and engineering program, which may in-
clude monitoring, process studies, and mod-
eling, by which the Council may make such 
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evaluation, and provide for the periodic revision 
of such program to achieve such goals; 
‘‘(B) establish and implement the inte-
grated scientific and engineering program iden-
tified under subparagraph (A); and 
‘‘(C) provide for the periodic evaluation of 
the information provided by such program. 
‘‘(5) APPROVAL.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The recommendations 
of the Adaptive Management Plan shall not be 
implemented under subsection (a)(2) before the 
date on which the plan is approved by the Ad-
ministrator, in consultation with the Governor 
of the State of New York. 
‘‘(B) TIMELINE.—The Administrator, after 
providing an opportunity for public review and 
comment, shall approve the Adaptive Manage-
ment Plan not later than 120 days after the 
date on which such plan is developed if the 
Adaptive Management Plan meets the require-
ments of this section. 
‘‘(6) EFFECT
ON
ONONDAGA
LAKE
MANAGE-
MENT PLAN.—This section shall not be construed to 
interfere with any activity carried out under the On-
ondaga Lake Management Plan, or any other activ-
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ity affecting the further restoration, conservation or 
management of Onondaga Lake. 
‘‘(d) ONONDAGA LAKE SCIENTIFIC CENTER.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Onondaga Lake 
Watershed Council shall establish and direct a cen-
ter to be known as the ‘Onondaga Lake Scientific 
Center’. 
‘‘(2) DUTIES.—The Onondaga Lake Scientific 
Center shall advise the Onondaga Lake Watershed 
Council on— 
‘‘(A) development of benchmarks to accom-
plish the goals identified under subsection 
(c)(1); 
‘‘(B) implementation of the strategies rec-
ommended under subsection (c)(2); 
‘‘(C) implementation of the integrated sci-
entific and engineering program under sub-
section (c)(4); 
‘‘(D) establishment of the program for 
public participation described in subsection 
(b)(1)(B); and 
‘‘(E) other matters concerning the develop-
ment and implementation of the Adaptive Man-
agement Plan under this section. 
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‘‘(3) MEMBERSHIP.—The Onondaga Lake Sci-
entific Center shall consist of the following members: 
‘‘(A) The Administrator. 
‘‘(B) Non-Federal entities appointed by the 
Onondaga Lake Watershed Council, including— 
‘‘(i) Syracuse University; 
‘‘(ii) the State University of New 
York College of Environmental Science and 
Forestry; 
‘‘(iii) the Onondaga Environmental 
Institute; and 
‘‘(iv) other members as the Onondaga 
Lake Watershed Council determines appro-
priate. 
‘‘(4) REPORTING.—The Onondaga Lake Sci-
entific Center shall submit to the Onondaga Lake 
Watershed Council an annual report— 
‘‘(A) assessing the effectiveness of the 
strategies recommended under subsection (c)(2) 
in accomplishing the goals identified under sub-
section (c)(1); 
‘‘(B) recommending changes to manage-
ment and activities of the integrated scientific 
and engineering program to accomplish the 
goals identified under subsection (c)(1); and 
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‘‘(C) recommending means for implementa-
tion of such changes. 
‘‘(e) GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, in con-
sultation with the Onondaga Lake Watershed Coun-
cil, may make grants to the State of New York, the 
City of Syracuse, New York, Onondaga County, New 
York, and the Onondaga Environmental Institute— 
‘‘(A) to implement the strategies rec-
ommended under section (c)(2); 
‘‘(B) for research, surveys, administrative 
services, studies and elements of the integrated 
scientific program; and 
‘‘(C) to gather data necessary to carry out 
the objectives of this section. 
‘‘(2) CONDITIONS.—As a condition of receiving 
a grant under this subsection, the Onondaga Envi-
ronmental Institute shall provide administrative 
services for the development and implementation of 
the Onondaga Lake Science Center and the Adaptive 
Management Plan. 
‘‘(3) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(A) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
non-Federal 
share of the cost of an activity carried out with 
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a grant under this subsection may not exceed 
35 percent of the cost of such activity. 
‘‘(B) IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION.—The non- 
Federal share required under this paragraph 
shall be provided from non-Federal sources, and 
may be satisfied through the provision of in- 
kind services. 
‘‘(4) NO
RELIEF
FROM
LIABILITY.—Grants 
made under this subsection shall not relieve from li-
ability any person that would otherwise be liable 
under Federal or State law for damages, response 
costs, natural resource damages, restitution, equi-
table relief, or any other relief. 
‘‘(f) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.— 
‘‘(1) NO
EFFECT
ON
FEDERAL
OR
STATE 
LAW.—This section shall not be construed to alter, 
modify, or otherwise affect any other provision of 
Federal or State law or any responsibility assigned 
thereunder, including— 
‘‘(A) this Act; or 
‘‘(B) a provision of law (including a provi-
sion of the Comprehensive Environmental Re-
sponse, Compensation, and Liability Act of 
1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) or the New York 
State Environmental Conservation Law) that 
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requires, and assigns responsibility for, the per-
formance of cleanup activities (including re-
sponse and removal activities) or other activities 
affecting the restoration or conservation of On-
ondaga Lake. 
‘‘(2) NO EFFECT ON EXISTING LIABILITIES.— 
This section shall not be construed to create or en-
large any liability that any party may have for nat-
ural resource damages under any provision of law. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) AMENDED
CONSENT
JUDGMENT.—The 
term ‘Amended Consent Judgment’ means the 
Amended Consent Judgment entered January 20, 
1998, in the case of Atlantic States Legal 
Foundation‘ v. ’The Onondaga County Department 
of Drainage and Sanitation, Civil Action No. 88– 
CV–0066, in the United States District Court for 
the Northern District of New York, as amended. 
‘‘(2) 
ONONDAGA
ENVIRONMENTAL
INSTI-
TUTE.—The term ‘Onondaga Environmental Insti-
tute’ means the not-for-profit corporation established 
pursuant to section 401(d)(1) of the Great Lakes 
Critical Programs Act of 1990 (104 Stat. 3010) and 
section 411(d)(1) of the Water Resources Develop-
ment Act of 1990 (104 Stat. 4648). 
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‘‘(3) ONONDAGA LAKE.—The term ‘Onondaga 
Lake’ means Onondaga Lake, New York and its wa-
tershed and tributaries. 
‘‘(4) ONONDAGA LAKE MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 
The term ‘Onondaga Lake Management Plan’ 
means the plan— 
‘‘(A) 
developed 
pursuant 
to 
section 
401(a)(1) of the Great Lakes Critical Programs 
Act of 1990 (104 Stat. 3010) and 411(a)(1) of 
the Water Resources Development Act of 1990 
(104 Stat. 4648); 
‘‘(B) modified by the Amended Consent 
Judgment; and 
‘‘(C) revised under section 573(c)(1) of the 
Water Resources Development Act of 1999 
(113 Stat. 372), as in effect on the day before 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this 
section $10,000,000 each fiscal year, to remain 
available until expended. 
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES.—The Ad-
ministrator may use amounts made available under 
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paragraph (1) for administrative expenses associated 
with carrying out this section.’’. 
(b) WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT
OF 
1999.—Section 573 of the Water Resources Development 
Act of 1999 (113 Stat. 372) is repealed. Such section 573, 
as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment 
of this Act, shall continue to apply to amounts appro-
priated before such date and made available to carry out 
such section. 
Æ 
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