Protecting Our Great Lakes Act of 2014

Bill: 113-hr-5516
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Latta, Robert E. [R-OH-5]
Introduced: 2014-09-17
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Great Lakes

Licensing and registrations

Marine pollution

Solid waste and recycling

Water quality
Latest action: action_date: 2014-09-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-09-17
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Protecting Our Great Lakes Act of 2014 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to prohibit any discharge of dredged material into waters within Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, and Lake Superior lakeward from a line drawn across the mouth of tributaries to the Lakes. Includes within the area protected from discharges all waters enclosed by constructed breakwaters (barriers built in a body of water to break the force of waves and protect surrounding land). Excludes connecting channels from the protected area.</p> <p>Requires any dredged material resulting from activity in the Great Lakes System to be reused in beneficial ways on land or disposed of in a confined land- or water-based disposal area determined to be economically and environmentally viable by the Army Corps of Engineers in consultation with concerned states.</p> <p>Treats violators of the prohibition as having violated a condition or limitation set forth in a permit to discharge dredged or fill material into waters of the United States.</p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5516 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 17, 2014 Mr. Latta 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 prohibit the discharge of dredged material into the Great Lakes, and for other purposes.

1. Short Title This Act may be cited as the Protecting Our Great Lakes Act of 2014 . 2. Prohibition on Discharge of Dredged Material into the Great Lakes System Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1344 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by striking The Secretary may and inserting Except as provided in subsection (u), the Secretary may ; (2) in subsection (f)— (A) in paragraph (1), by striking in paragraph (2) and inserting in paragraphs (2) and (3) ; and (B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (3) Any discharge of dredged material into the open waters of the Great Lakes is prohibited. ; (3) in subsection (r), by striking The discharge and inserting Except as provided in subsection (u), the discharge ; and (4) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (u) Prohibition on Discharge of Dredged Material into the Open Waters of the Great Lakes (1) In General The Secretary (or a State in the case of a State program approved under this section) may not issue a permit for the discharge of dredged material into the open waters of the Great Lakes. (2) Disposal Areas (A) Any dredged material resulting from activity in the Great Lakes System (as defined in section 118 of this Act) shall be reused in beneficial ways on land or disposed of in a confined land-based or confined water-based disposal area determined to be economically and environmentally viable by the Secretary in consultation with concerned States. (B) Any person who violates subparagraph (A) shall be treated as having violated a condition or limitation set forth in a permit issued under this section. (3) Definition For purposes of this section, the term open waters of the Great Lakes means all of the waters within Lake Erie, Lake Huron (including Lake St. Clair), Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, and Lake Superior lakeward from a line drawn across the mouth of tributaries to the Lakes, including all waters enclosed by constructed breakwaters, but not including the connecting channels. .