Puget Sound Recovery Act of 2010

Bill: 111-s-2739
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2009-11-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Aquatic ecology
Canada
Endangered and threatened species
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental technology
Executive agency funding and structure
International organizations and cooperation
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Puget Sound
Washington State
Water quality
Watersheds
Wetlands

Summary:
action_date: 2009-11-05
text: 
Puget Sound Recovery Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) establish a Puget Sound Program Office, to be co-located with the Puget Sound Partnership in Washington; and (2) appoint a Director of the Office.
 
Requires the Administrator, acting through the Director, to: (1) assist and support the implementation of the Puget Sound Action Agenda; (2) provide funding and make grants for implementation of the Agenda and related projects; (3) promote methodologies and technologies that are cost-effective and consistent with the goals and objectives of the Agenda and the EPA permitting processes; (4) coordinate the major functions of the federal government relating to the implementation of the Agenda; (5) coordinate the research and planning projects authorized under this Act with activities of federal and state agencies, tribes, institutions of higher learning, and the Puget Sound Partnership's Science Panel; (6) track progress toward meeting the identified goals and objectives of the Agenda; (7) coordinate projects, programs, and studies for the protection of Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca with Canadian authorities; (8) collect and make available to the public publications and information relating to the environmental quality of Puget Sound; and (9) implement projects, programs, and studies to implement the Agenda. 
 
Establishes a Puget Sound Program Advisory Council to provide advice on the implementation of the Agenda's goals and objectives.
 
Allows the Administrator, acting through the Director, to make grants for projects, programs, and studies to implement the Agenda, including a comprehensive grant to the Partnership to manage such implementation.
 
Requires the President, as part of the annual budget, to submit information regarding expenditures and roles of each federal agency involved in Puget Sound protection and restoration.
 
Requires the Administrator and the Executive Director of the Puget Sound Partnership to a report biennially to Congress on the implementation of the Agenda.

action_date: 2010-09-16
text: 
Puget Sound Recovery Act of 2010 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to delegate to the Regional Administrator for Region 10 of EPA such authority, and provide such additional staff, as are necessary to carry out this Act.
 
Requires the Administrator, acting through the Regional Administrator, to: (1) carry out the duties assigned to the Administrator under the National Estuary program as a member of the management conference; (2) assist in the development and evaluation of the priority list compiled by the Puget Sound Partnership; (3) promote methodologies and technologies that are cost-effective and able to meet the goals and objectives of the Puget Sound comprehensive conservation and management plan approved by EPA (comprehensive plan) and the EPA permitting processes; (4) coordinate the major functions of the federal government relating to the implementation of the comprehensive plan; (5) coordinate the scientific research and planning projects authorized under this Act with activities of federal and state agencies, tribes, institutions of higher learning, and the Puget Sound Partnership's Science Panel; (6) assist the Partnership in tracking progress toward meeting the identified goals and objectives of the comprehensive plan; and (7) coordinate activities, projects, programs, and studies for the protection of Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca with Canadian authorities. 
 
Requires: (1) the identification and determination of the priority of activities, projects, programs, and studies to be made by the Partnership annually, subject to approval by the Administrator; and (2) the Administrator to compile the priority list if the Partnership fails to compile it.
 
Allows the Administrator, acting through the Regional Administrator, to make grants for activities, projects, programs, and studies to implement the comprehensive plan, including a comprehensive grant to the Partnership to track the implementation of the plan, monitor environmental outcomes, update the plan, and develop the annual priority list. Specifies the conditions for grant eligibility.
 
 Requires the President, as part of the annual budget, to submit information regarding expenditures and roles of each federal agency involved in Puget Sound protection and restoration.
 
Requires the Administrator and the Executive Director of the Puget Sound Partnership to a report biennially to Congress on the implementation of the comprehensive plan, any modifications to the plan during the period covered by the report, and the roles and progress of each federal agency that has jurisdiction in the Puget Sound watershed toward meeting the plan's goals and objectives.
 
Authorizes appropriations for FY2011-FY2015.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-09-16
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 568.
action_date: 2010-09-16
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer with an amendment and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 111-292.
action_date: 2010-09-16
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer with an amendment and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 111-292.
action_date: 2010-06-30
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2009-11-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2009-11-05
text: Introduced in Senate