Title: Stop Harmful Discharges Act
Policy area: Water Resources Development

Summary:
Stop Harmful Discharges Act
This bill makes public health and safety (e.g., preventing discharges with cyanobacteria or related toxins) the primary consideration of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when the Corps manages the Caloosahatchee River and Lake Okeechobee drainage areas in central and southern Florida.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6700 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6700

   To modify the project for Central and Southern Florida to include 
    public health and safety considerations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 4, 2018

   Mr. Mast introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To modify the project for Central and Southern Florida to include 
    public health and safety considerations, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stop Harmful Discharges Act''.

SEC. 2. MANAGEMENT OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN FLORIDA SYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--The project for Central and Southern Florida 
authorized by Section 203 of Public Law 80-858 (62 Stat. 1175), as 
amended, is modified to include public health and safety as the primary 
consideration for all authorized project purposes. Such authorized 
project purposes shall include--
            (1) flood control;
            (2) navigation;
            (3) water supply for agricultural irrigation, 
        municipalities, industry, and Everglades National Park;
            (4) regional groundwater control, and salinity control;
            (5) enhancement of fish and wildlife; and
            (6) recreation.
    (b) Public Health and Safety.--For the purposes of this Act, the 
term ``public health and safety'' is defined as follows:
            (1) Managing Lake Okeechobee and the Central and Southern 
        Florida system--
                    (A) to minimize the potential of toxic 
                cyanobacteria blooms; and
                    (B) prevent discharges containing cyanobacteria or 
                related toxins into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee 
                watersheds and other areas where such cyanobacteria or 
                related toxins will cause or exacerbate public health 
                risks.
            (2) Ensuring the integrity and stability of the Herbert 
        Hoover Dike.
            (3) Maintaining all provisions of applicable State and 
        Federal water quality laws, policies and regulations.
            (4) Ensuring necessary water volume and quality reaches the 
        Everglades National Park, Florida Bay and Caloosahatchee 
        Watershed to restore the natural habitat.
    (c) Modification of Operations.--The Secretary of the Army shall 
modify operations of all current project elements to ensure that public 
health and safety shall be the prime consideration for the operating 
regimes of these various elements.
    (d) Master Operational Manual.--The Secretary of the Army shall 
update or develop a Master Operational Manual, in cooperation with the 
State of Florida, to ensure that all of the various existing 
operational project elements of the Central and Southern Florida 
project shall be managed as a system to protect public health and 
safety. As new elements are completed and added to the project, the 
Master Operational Manual shall be updated to include the new features.
    (e) Study.--The Secretary of the Army, in conjunction with the 
National Academies of Sciences, shall undertake a study of the legacy 
of pollution and nutrient loading as well as the impacts of soil 
amendments that contribute to nutrient uptake that have occurred to 
Lake Okeechobee from current and past operational regimes. The study 
shall include--
            (1) the components of the nutrient load and soil 
        amendments, and how this nutrient loading is and will continue 
        to impact Everglades restoration efforts; and
            (2) proposed solutions to ameliorate the impacts of this 
        pollution to downstream watersheds.
    (f) Scope.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter or 
amend--
            (1) the Water Rights Compact between the State of Florida 
        and the Seminole Tribe and the Miccosukee Tribe;
            (2) the Miccosukee Tribe's access to water; or
            (3) the schedule for completion of the Central Everglades 
        Planning Project or Central Everglades Restoration Plan 
        projects authorized on or before December 31, 2018.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of 
this Act.
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