(2) measures that the Department of Defense is
carrying out to stabilize or recycle discarded mer-
cury or discarded mercury-containing products.
SEC. 11. INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
(a) STUDY AND REPORT.—Not later than December
31, 1999, the Administrator of the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, in cooperation with appropriate representa-
tives of Canada and Mexico, shall study and submit to
Congress a report on the sources and extent of mercury
emissions in North America.
(b) REVIEW.—Before submitting the report to Con-
gress, the Administrator shall submit the report for—
(1) internal and external scientific peer review;
and
(2) review by the Science Advisory Board estab-
lished by section 8 of the Environmental Research,
Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act
of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 4365).
(c) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—The report shall in-
clude—
(1) a characterization and identification of the
sources of emissions of mercury in North America;
(2) a description of the patterns and pathways
taken by mercury pollution through the atmosphere
and surface water; and
(3) recommendations for pollution control meas-
ures, options, and strategies that, if implemented in-
dividually or jointly by the United States, Canada,
and Mexico, will eliminate or greatly reduce
transboundary atmospheric and surface water mer-
cury pollution in North America.
SEC. 12. MERCURY RESEARCH.
Section 103 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7403)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(l) MERCURY RESEARCH.—
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAMS.—The Ad-
ministrator shall establish—
‘‘(A) a program to characterize and quan-
tify the potential mercury-related health effects
on high-risk populations (such as pregnant
women and their fetuses, women of childbearing
age, children, and individuals who subsist pri-
marily on fish); and
‘‘(B) a mercury public awareness and pre-
vention program targeted at populations most
at risk from exposure to mercury.
‘‘(2) STUDY
OF
IMPLEMENTATION
OF
MEAS-
URES TO CONTROL MERCURY EMISSIONS.—
‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT OF ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE.—Not later than 3 years after the date
of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary
of Health and Human Services and the Admin-
istrator shall establish an advisory committee to
evaluate and prepare a report on the progress
made by the Federal Government, State and
local governments, industry, and other regu-
lated entities to implement and comply with the
mercury-related amendments to the Clean Air
Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) made by the Om-
nibus Mercury Emissions Reduction Act of
1998.
‘‘(B) MEMBERSHIP.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The advisory com-
mittee shall consist of at least 15 mem-
bers, of whom at least 1 member shall rep-
resent each of the following:
‘‘(I) The Department of Health
and Human Services.
‘‘(II) The Agency for Toxic Sub-
stances and Disease Registry.
‘‘(III) The Food and Drug Ad-
ministration.
‘‘(IV) The Environmental Protec-
tion Agency.
‘‘(V) The National Academy of
Sciences.
‘‘(VI) Native American popu-
lations.
‘‘(VII) State and local govern-
ments.
‘‘(VIII) Industry.
‘‘(IX) Environmental organiza-
tions.
‘‘(X) Public health organizations.
‘‘(ii) APPOINTMENT.—The Secretary
of Health and Human Services and the
Administrator shall each appoint not fewer
than 7 members of the advisory committee.
‘‘(C) DUTIES.—The advisory committee
shall—
‘‘(i) evaluate the adequacy and com-
pleteness of data collected and dissemi-
nated by the Environmental Protection
Agency and each State that reports on and
measures mercury contamination in the en-
vironment;
‘‘(ii) make recommendations to the
Secretary of Health and Human Services
and the Administrator concerning—
‘‘(I) changes necessary to im-
prove the quality and ensure consist-
ency from State to State of Federal
and State data collection, reporting,
and characterization of baseline envi-
ronmental conditions; and
‘‘(II) methods for improving pub-
lic education, particularly among high-
risk populations (such as pregnant
women and their fetuses, women of
childbearing age, children, and indi-
viduals who subsist primarily on fish),
concerning the pathways and effects
of mercury contamination and con-
sumption; and
‘‘(iii) not later than 4 years after the
date of enactment of this subsection, com-
pile and make available to the public,
through 1 or more published reports and 1
or more forms of electronic media, the
findings, recommendations, and supporting
data, including State-specific data, of the
advisory committee under this subpara-
graph.
‘‘(D) COMPENSATION.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A member of the
advisory committee shall receive no com-
pensation by reason of the service of the
member on the advisory committee.
‘‘(ii) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member
of the advisory committee shall be allowed
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu
of subsistence, at rates authorized for em-
ployees of agencies under subchapter I of
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code,
while away from the home or regular place
of business of the member in the perform-
ance of services for the advisory commit-
tee.
‘‘(E) DURATION
OF
ADVISORY
COMMIT-
TEE.—The advisory committee—
‘‘(i) shall terminate not earlier than
the date on which the Secretary of Health
and Human Services and the Adminis-
trator determine that the findings, rec-
ommendations, and supporting data pre-
pared by the advisory committee have been
made available to the public; and
‘‘(ii) may, at the discretion of the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services and
the Administrator, continue in existence
after that date to further carry out the du-
ties described in subparagraph (C).
‘‘(F) APPLICABILITY
OF
FEDERAL
ADVI-
SORY COMMITTEE ACT.—The Federal Advisory
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply
to the advisory committee established under
this paragraph.
‘‘(G) FUNDING.—The Secretary of Health
and Human Services and the Administrator
shall each provide 50 percent of the funding
necessary to carry out this paragraph.
‘‘(3) REPORT
ON
MERCURY
SEDIMENTATION
TRENDS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this subsection, the Administrator shall
submit to Congress a report that characterizes mer-
cury and mercury-compound sedimentation trends in
Lake Champlain, Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes,
the finger lakes region of upstate New York, Tampa
Bay, and other water bodies of concern (as deter-
mined by the Administrator).
‘‘(4) EVALUATION
OF
FISH
CONSUMPTION
ADVISORIES.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator
shall evaluate the adequacy, consistency, com-
pleteness, and public dissemination of—
‘‘(i) data collected by the Environ-
mental Protection Agency and each State
concerning mercury contamination of fish;
and
‘‘(ii) advisories to warn the public
about the consumption of mercury-con-
taminated fish (referred to in this para-
graph as ‘fish consumption advisories’).
‘‘(B) IMPROVEMENT
OF
QUALITY
AND
CONSISTENCY.—In conjunction with each State
or unilaterally, the Administrator shall imple-
ment any changes necessary to improve the
quality and ensure consistency from State to
State of Federal and State data collection, re-
porting, characterization of mercury contamina-
tion, and thresholds concerning mercury con-
tamination in fish above which fish consump-
tion advisories will be issued.
‘‘(C) REPORTING.—Not later than 2 years
after the date of enactment of this subsection
and every 2 years thereafter, the Administrator
shall prepare and make available to the public,
through 1 or more published reports and 1 or
more forms of electronic media, information
providing detail by State, watershed, water
body, and river reach of mercury levels in fish
and any fish consumption advisories that have
been issued during the preceding 2-year period.
‘‘(D) EFFECT
ON
STATE
AUTHORITY.—
Nothing in this paragraph affects any authority
of a State to advise residents of the mercury
content of commercially sold foods and other
products.’’.
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