Great Lakes Nutrient Removal Assistance Act

Bill: 113-hr-600
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Higgins, Brian [D-NY-26]
Introduced: 2013-02-08
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Aquatic ecology

Environmental technology

Great Lakes

Lakes and rivers

Water quality

Water resources funding
Latest action: action_date: 2013-02-09
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-02-08
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Great Lakes Nutrient Removal Assistance Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a program to provide grants to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and municipalities in such states to upgrade eligible municipal wastewater treatment plants with nutrient removal technologies. Requires the Administrator to give priority to plants at which nutrient removal technology upgrades would: (1) produce the greatest nutrient load reductions at points of discharge, (2) result in the greatest environmental benefits to the Great Lakes System, and (3) help meet the objectives related to nutrients outlined in Annex four of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.</p> <p>Defines as &quot;eligible&quot; a plant that: (1) has a permitted design capacity to treat an annual average of at least 500,000 gallons of wastewater per day, and (2) is located within the Great Lakes System in any of such states.</p> <p>Prohibits the federal share from exceeding 55% of the total cost of upgrading such plants.</p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 600 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 8, 2013 Mr. Higgins (for himself, Mr. Levin , Mr. Conyers , Ms. Slaughter , Mr. Dingell , Ms. Moore , and Mr. Ryan of Ohio ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide assistance for nutrient removal technologies to States in the Great Lakes System.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Great Lakes Nutrient Removal Assistance Act . 2. Findings and purposes (a) Findings Congress finds that— (1) ineffective wastewater treatment is one of the most common sources of water pollution; (2) nutrient pollution, particularly phosphorus loading, continues to be one of the most significant water quality issues facing the Great Lakes System; (3) limiting phosphorus loads is key to controlling excessive algal growth, and a coordinated Great Lakes System-wide strategy to change how nutrients are discharged is urgent; and (4) nutrient removal technology is one of the most reliable, cost effective, and direct methods for reducing the flow of phosphorus and other harmful nutrients from point sources in the Great Lakes System. (b) Purposes The purposes of this Act are— (1) to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide financial assistance to Great Lakes States and municipalities for use in upgrading publically owned wastewater treatment plants in the Great Lakes System with nutrient removal technologies; and (2) to further the goal of restoring the water of the Great Lakes System to conditions that are protective of human health and aquatic life. 3. Sewage control technology grant program The Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: VII MISCELLANEOUS 701. Sewage control technology grant program (a) Grant program (1) Establishment Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall establish a program within the Environmental Protection Agency to provide grants to Great Lakes States, and municipalities thereof, to upgrade eligible facilities with nutrient removal technologies. (2) Priority In providing a grant under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall— (A) consult with the Program Office; and (B) give priority to eligible facilities at which nutrient removal technology upgrades would— (i) produce the greatest nutrient load reductions at points of discharge; (ii) result in the greatest environmental benefits to the Great Lakes System; and (iii) help meet the objectives related to nutrients outlined in Annex 4 of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. (3) Application (A) In general On receipt of an application from a State or municipality for a grant under this section, if the Administrator approves the request, the Administrator shall transfer to the State or municipality the amount of assistance determined necessary by the Administrator, in consultation with the Program Office, to carry out the facility upgrades that are the subject of the application. (B) Form An application submitted by a State or municipality under subparagraph (A) shall be in such form and shall include such information as the Administrator may prescribe. (4) Use of funds A State or municipality that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant to upgrade eligible facilities with nutrient removal technologies that are designed to reduce total nutrients in discharged wastewater. (5) Cost sharing (A) Federal share The Federal share of the cost of upgrading any eligible facility as described in paragraph (1) using funds provided under this section shall not exceed 55 percent. (B) Non-Federal share The non-Federal share of the costs of upgrading any eligible facility as described in paragraph (1) using funds provided under this section may be provided in the form of funds made available to a State or municipality under— (i) any provision of this Act other than this section (including funds made available from a State water pollution control revolving fund established under title VI); or (ii) any other Federal or State law. (b) Definitions In this section: (1) 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement The term 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement means the Great Lakes Water Quality Protocol of 2012, signed at Washington on September 7, 2012 (further amending the Agreement between the United States of America and Canada on Great Lakes Water Quality, 1978, signed at Ottawa on November 22, 1978). (2) Eligible facility The term eligible facility means a municipal wastewater treatment plant that— (A) as of the date of enactment of this section, has a permitted design capacity to treat an annual average of at least 500,000 gallons of wastewater per day; and (B) is located within the Great Lakes System in any of the Great Lakes States. (3) Great Lakes States; Great Lakes System The terms Great Lakes States and Great Lakes System have the meanings given those terms in section 118. (4) Program Office The term Program Office means the Great Lakes National Program Office established by section 118(b). (c) Authorization of appropriations (1) In general There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2017. Such sums shall remain available until expended. (2) Administrative costs The Administrator may use not to exceed 4 percent of any amount made available under paragraph (1) to pay administrative costs incurred in carrying out this section. .