Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-791
Sponsor: Sen. Levin, Carl [D-MI]
Introduced: 2007-03-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Animals
Aquatic ecology
Aquatic pests
Armed Forces and National Security
Arts, Culture, Religion
Authorization
Biological diversity
Boats and boating
Business records
Canada
Canals
Coast guard
Coastal zone
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Commerce
Department of Homeland Security
Economics and Public Finance
Ecosystem management
Environmental Protection
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental education
Environmental monitoring
Environmental research
Environmental technology
Executive orders
Executive reorganization
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to education
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
Graduate education
Great Lakes
Habitat conservation
Higher education
Illinois
Import restrictions
Infrastructure
International Affairs
International environmental cooperation
Laboratories
Latin America
Law
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine safety
Merchant ships
Mercury
Mexico
Museums
Negotiations
Non-native species
Oceanographic research
Pest control
Planning
Pollution measurement
Regional planning
Remote sensing
Research centers
Research grants
Revolving funds
Rivers
Science, Technology, Communications
Sewage disposal
Sewerage
Ships
Space activities
Sports and Recreation
Technological innovations
Transportation and Public Works
Warships
Waste disposal in rivers, lakes, etc.
Waste water treatment
Water Resources Development
Water pollution control
Water quality
Water treatment plants
Waterfronts
Waterways

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-07
text: 
Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act of 2007 - National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2007 - 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 with the goal of eliminating invasive species, (3) require vessels to conduct ballast water treatment in accordance with numeric ballast water discharge standards; (4) direct the Secretary to promulgate regulations to minimize the discharge of invasive species from ships that claim no ballast on board, or that claim to be carrying only unpumpable quantities of ballast, and to allow ships entering the Great Lakes to use a treatment technology that is as effective as ballast water exchange; (5) provide for civil and criminal penalties for violations; (6) require federal agencies to restrict the importation of specified aquatic organisms; and (7) declare the importation of aquatic organisms of species not in trade 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 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 the Council to develop a National Invasive Species Management Plan and to establish an Invasive Species Advisory Committee.

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 and to identify emerging contaminants in the Great Lakes; and (4) require the President include a joint Great Lakes research plan in the annual budget submitted to Congress.

Authorizes the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research to provide grants to carry out activities in accordance with the joint research and monitoring plan developed by the Great Lakes National Program Office and the Great Lakes Research Office. 

Requires: (1) the President to establish a system that detects and predicts changes in the ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes environment that impact the U.S. economy or ecology; and (2) 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 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: 2007-03-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2007-03-07
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2800-2801)
action_date: 2007-03-07
text: Introduced in Senate