I
103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4478
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (the Clean Water Act)
to authorize appropriations in each of fiscal years 1994 through 1998
for the construction of wastewater treatment facilities to serve U.S.
Colonias, to provide water pollution control in the vicinity of the inter-
national boundary between the United States and Mexico.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 24, 1994
Mr. COPPERSMITH (by request) (for himself, Mr. COLEMAN, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr.
PASTOR, and Mr. BRYANT) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Public Works and Transportation
A BILL
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (the
Clean Water Act) to authorize appropriations in each
of fiscal years 1994 through 1998 for the construction
of wastewater treatment facilities to serve U.S. Colonias,
to provide water pollution control in the vicinity of the
international boundary between the United States and
Mexico.
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 ‘‘U.S. Colonias Water Pollution Control Act’’.
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SEC. 2. Title II of the Federal Water Pollution Con-
trol Act (33 U.S.C.A. sections 1251, et seq.) is amended
by adding at the end thereof the following new section:
‘‘SEC. 220. ASSISTANCE TO U.S. COLONIAS.
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to
protect the economy, public health, environment, surface
water, ground water and water quality in the U.S.
Colonias areas which are endangered and are being pol-
luted by raw or partially treated sewage, in furtherance
of the goals of this Act.
‘‘(b) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO U.S. COLONIAS.—
The Administrator is authorized to provide financial as-
sistance to any U.S. State along the United States-Mexico
border, or to any entity designated by the President for
construction of treatment works to serve U.S. Colonias.
‘‘(c) APPROVAL
OF PLANS.—Any U.S. Colonias
wastewater treatment facility for which financial assist-
ance is provided under this Act shall be constructed in
accordance with plans approved by the State under appro-
priate standards required by the Administrator. Such
plans shall include construction cost estimates and identify
responsible parties and the appropriate allocation of costs
associated with operating and maintaining the treatment
works.
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‘‘(d) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of con-
struction costs for grants to serve Colonias shall be 50
percent to be matched by an equal amount of State funds
from State sources.
‘‘(e) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the
term ‘U.S. Colonias’ means any identifiable community
that—
‘‘(1) is in the State of Arizona, California, New
Mexico, or Texas;
‘‘(2) is in the area of the United States within
100 kilometers (62 miles) of the border between the
United States and Mexico. U.S. Colonias may in-
clude a community within a standard metropolitan
statistical area that has a population exceeding
1,000,000, but shall not include the entire such
standard metropolitan statistical area; and
‘‘(3) is determined to be a Colonia on the basis
of objective criteria including lack of potable water
supply or lack of adequate sewage systems.
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the purpose
of this section $60,000,000 for fiscal year 1994 and
$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1995 through 1998.’’.
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