Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-2545
Sponsor: Sen. DeWine, Mike [R-OH]
Introduced: 2006-04-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Animals
Aquatic ecology
Aquatic pests
Armed Forces and National Security
Authorization
Biological diversity
Business records
Canals
Coast guard
Coastal zone
Commerce
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Commerce
Department of Homeland Security
Economics and Public Finance
Environmental Protection
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental education
Environmental monitoring
Environmental research
Environmental technology
Executive orders
Executive reorganization
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to research
Federal aid to water pollution control
Federal aid to water resources development
Fines (Penalties)
Fishes
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Great Lakes
Habitat conservation
Illinois
Import restrictions
Infrastructure
International Affairs
International environmental cooperation
Laboratories
Law
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine safety
Mercury
Non-native species
Oceanographic research
Pest control
Planning
Pollution measurement
Regional planning
Remote sensing
Research centers
Research grants
Revolving funds
Science, Technology, Communications
Sewage disposal
Sewerage
Ships
Space activities
Technological innovations
Transportation and Public Works
Warships
Waste disposal in rivers, lakes, etc.
Waste water treatment
Water Resources Development
Water quality
Waterfronts
Waterways
Weapons

Summary:
action_date: 2006-04-05
text: 
Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act of 2006 - National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2006 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to: (1) require certain vessels operating in U.S. waters to have invasive species management plans; (2) direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish vessel performance requirements, numeric ballast water discharge standards, and civil and criminal penalties for violations; (3) require federal agencies to restrict the importation of live aquatic organisms of species not in trade that have a high or moderate probability of undesirable impacts; and (4) declare importation of such species to be unlawful and prescribe civil and criminal penalties for violations.
 
Establishes the Emergency Rapid Response Fund to provide financial assistance to a state or a federal rapid response team to assist in implementing rapid response measures for aquatic invasive species. 
 
Renames the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 as the Nonindigenous Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention and Control Act of 1990.
 
Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit importation of specified carp species into the United States. Directs the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to: (1) upgrade and make permanent the Chicago sanitary and ship canal dispersal barrier in Chicago, Illinois; and (2) construct dispersal barriers as necessary.
 
Prohibits federal agencies from authorizing, funding, or carrying out any action that would promote the introduction or spread of invasive species unless the benefits of the action outweigh the harm.
 
Establishes the National Invasive Species Council (NISC) as an independent entity in the executive branch to lead and coordinate efforts to minimize the negative effects caused by invasive species and to reduce the threat of further invasions of such species. Requires NISC to develop a National Invasive Species Management Plan and to establish an Invasive Species Advisory Committee.
 
Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2006 - Reauthorizes and modifies the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1990.
 
Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to: (1) authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide funding for wastewater assistance to certain municipalities and small publicly-owned treatment works; (2) authorize states to provide additional subsidization to benefit certain municipalities or state agencies that already receive assistance from the water pollution control revolving fund or to implement certain alternative techniques; (3) require the Great Lakes National Program Office to provide grants to reduce the quantity of mercury in the Great Lakes; and (4) require the President include a joint Great Lakes research plan in the annual budget submitted to Congress.
 
Requires: (1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide grants for Great Lakes research and monitoring activities; (2) the President to establish a system that detects and predicts changes in the ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes environment that impact certain U.S. systems; and (3) the National Ocean Research Leadership Council to establish an interagency program office to be known as OceanUS to be responsible for program planning and coordination of such observing system.
 
Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require the Program Office to develop specified science-based indicators of water quality and related environmental factors in the Great Lakes. 
 
Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) provide financial assistance for certain restoration or remediation projects; and (2) restore and remediate waterfronts and related areas.
 
Establishes: (1) the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, as established by Executive Order 13340, as a task force within EPA; (2) a Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Executive Committee to hold public meetings and make recommendations and reports on Great Lakes restoration goals and progress; and (3) the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration to maintain a restoration and protection strategy for use in Great Lakes program implementation and funding decisions, to serve as a forum for addressing regional issues relating to ecosystem restoration and protection of the Great Lakes, and to establish an oversight forum to coordinate and enhance implementation of Great Lakes programs.
 
Provides funding for a variety of Great Lakes programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-04-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2006-04-05
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2908-2909)
action_date: 2006-04-05
text: Introduced in Senate