I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4798 
To facilitate remediation of perchlorate contamination in water sources in 
the State of California, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 16, 2006 
Mr. POMBO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined 
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To facilitate remediation of perchlorate contamination in 
water sources in the State of California, 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 ‘‘California Perchlorate 
Contamination Remediation Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are— 
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(1) to provide grants for remediation of per-
chlorate contamination of water sources and supplies 
(including wellheads) in the State; 
(2) to provide grants for research and develop-
ment of perchlorate remediation technologies; and 
(3) to express the sense of Congress that the 
Administrator should establish a national drinking 
water standard for perchlorate. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(2) 
CALIFORNIA
WATER
AUTHORITY.—The 
term ‘‘California water authority’’ means a public 
water district, public water utility, public water plan-
ning agency, municipality, or Indian tribe that is— 
(A) located in a region identified under 
section 4(b)(3)(B); and 
(B) in operation as of the date of enact-
ment of this Act. 
(3) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the Cali-
fornia Perchlorate Cleanup Fund established by sec-
tion 4(a)(1). 
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(4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of California. 
SEC. 
4. 
CALIFORNIA 
PERCHLORATE 
REMEDIATION 
GRANTS. 
(a) PERCHLORATE CLEANUP FUND.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in 
the Treasury of the United States a fund, to be 
known as the ‘‘California Perchlorate Cleanup 
Fund’’, consisting of— 
(A) any amount appropriated to the Fund 
under section 7; and 
(B) any interest earned on investment of 
amounts in the Fund under paragraph (3). 
(2) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), on receipt of a request by the Ad-
ministrator, the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
transfer to the Administrator such amounts as 
the Administrator determines to be necessary to 
provide grants under subsections (b) and (c). 
(B) 
ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES.—An 
amount not to exceed 0.4 percent of the 
amounts in the Fund may be used to pay the 
administrative expenses necessary to carry out 
this subsection. 
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(3) INVESTMENT OF AMOUNTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the 
Treasury shall invest such portion of the Fund 
as is not, in the judgment of the Secretary of 
the Treasury, required to meet current with-
drawals. 
(B) INTEREST-BEARING
OBLIGATIONS.— 
Investments may be made only in interest-bear-
ing obligations of the United States. 
(C) ACQUISITION
OF
OBLIGATIONS.—For 
the purpose of investments under subparagraph 
(A), obligations may be acquired— 
(i) on original issue at the issue price; 
or 
(ii) by purchase of outstanding obliga-
tions at the market price. 
(D) SALE OF OBLIGATIONS.—Any obliga-
tion acquired by the Fund may be sold by the 
Secretary of the Treasury at the market price. 
(E) CREDITS TO FUND.—The interest on, 
and the proceeds from the sale or redemption 
of, any obligations held in the Fund shall be 
credited to and form a part of the Fund. 
(b) CLEANUP GRANTS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (3), 
the Administrator shall provide grants to California 
water authorities, the total amount of which shall 
not exceed $50,000,000, to pay the Federal share of 
the cost of activities relating to cleanup of water 
sources and supplies (including wellheads) in the 
State that are contaminated by perchlorate. 
(2) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of 
the cost of an activity described in paragraph (1) 
shall not exceed 50 percent. 
(3) ELIGIBILITY; PRIORITY.— 
(A) ELIGIBILITY.—A California water au-
thority that the Administrator determines to be 
responsible for perchlorate contamination shall 
not be eligible to receive a grant under this sub-
section. 
(B) PRIORITY.—In providing grants under 
this subsection, the Administrator shall give 
priority to an activity described in paragraph 
(1) that is carried out in 1 or more of the fol-
lowing regions in the State: 
(i) The Santa Clara Valley. 
(ii) A region within the natural water-
shed of the Santa Ana River. 
(iii) The San Gabriel Valley. 
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(iv) Sacramento County. 
(v) Any other region that has a dam-
aged water source as a result of per-
chlorate contamination, as determined by 
the Administrator. 
(c) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall pro-
vide grants, the total amount of which shall not ex-
ceed $8,000,000, to qualified non-Federal entities 
(as determined by the Administrator) for use in car-
rying out research and development of perchlorate 
remediation technologies. 
(2) 
MAXIMUM
AMOUNT
OF
GRANT.—The 
amount of a grant provided under paragraph (1) 
shall not exceed $1,000,000. 
SEC. 5. EFFECT OF ACT. 
Nothing in this Act affects any authority or program 
of a Federal or State agency in existence on the date of 
enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the Administrator 
should establish a national drinking water standard for 
perchlorate as soon as practicable after the date of enact-
ment of this Act. 
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SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act $58,000,000, to remain available until expended. 
Æ 
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