Great Lakes Water Protection Act

Bill: 115-hr-6967
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Lipinski, Daniel [D-IL-3]
Introduced: 2018-09-28
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Government trust funds

Great Lakes

Solid waste and recycling

Water quality
Latest action: action_date: 2018-09-28
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-09-28
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Great Lakes Water Protection Act</b></p> <p>This bill addresses sewage in the Great Lakes System by: (1) restricting publicly owned treatment works from discharging sewage into the system, (2) requiring the public to be notified as soon as possible after sewage is discharged, and (3) establishing the Great Lakes Cleanup Fund. </p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6967 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 28, 2018 Mr. Lipinski 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 sewage dumping into the Great Lakes, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Great Lakes Water Protection Act . 2. Restriction on wastewater releases into the Great Lakes System (a) In general (1) Restriction Section 402 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1342 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (s) Restriction on wastewater releases into the Great Lakes System (1) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Bypass The term bypass means, with respect to a treatment facility that discharges into the Great Lakes System, an intentional diversion of waste streams from any portion of the treatment facility. (B) Great lakes system The term Great Lakes System has the meaning given the term in section 118(a)(3). (C) Treatment facility The term treatment facility includes all wastewater treatment units used by a publicly owned treatment works to meet secondary treatment standards or higher, as required to attain water quality standards, under any operating conditions. (D) Treatment works The term treatment works has the meaning given the term in section 212. (2) Restriction A publicly owned treatment works that discharges into the Great Lakes System is prohibited from performing a bypass unless— (A) (i) the bypass is unavoidable to prevent loss of life, personal injury, or severe property damage; (ii) there is not a feasible alternative to the bypass, such as the use of auxiliary treatment facilities, retention of untreated wastes, or maintenance during normal periods of equipment downtime; and (iii) the treatment works provides notice of the bypass in accordance with this subsection; or (B) the bypass does not cause effluent limitations to be exceeded, and the bypass is for essential maintenance to ensure efficient operation of the treatment facility. (3) Limitation The requirement of paragraph (2)(A)(ii) is not satisfied if— (A) adequate back-up equipment should have been installed in the exercise of reasonable engineering judgment to prevent the bypass; and (B) the bypass occurred during normal periods of equipment downtime or preventive maintenance. (4) Notice requirements (A) In general The Administrator, in collaboration with States having publicly owned treatment works subject to paragraph (2), shall establish notice requirements, which shall provide for the method, contents, and public availability of the notice, for bypasses (other than bypasses described in paragraph (2)(B)) and combined sewer overflows. (B) Initial notice requirements In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Administrator, in collaboration with States described in such subparagraph, shall require an initial notice— (i) to be made as soon as possible after a bypass (other than a bypass described in paragraph (2)(B)) or a combined sewer overflow occurs; and (ii) to include, at a minimum— (I) the exact dates and times of the bypass or combined sewer overflow; (II) the volume of the bypass or combined sewer overflow; and (III) a description of any public access areas affected. (C) Follow-up notice requirements In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Administrator, in collaboration with States described in such subparagraph, shall— (i) establish follow-up notice requirements that provide for a full description (including water quality data) of each event for which an initial notice was required, the cause, and plans to prevent reoccurrence; and (ii) include requirements for making publicly available, including on the website of the Administrator, a list of each treatment works from which the Administrator or the State received a follow-up notice, along with the information required under clause (i) for each event for which a follow-up notice was required. (D) Consistency The Administrator shall ensure that notice requirements established under this paragraph are consistent for all States described in subparagraph (A). (5) Implementation Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Administrator shall establish procedures to implement this subsection. . (2) Conforming amendment Section 425 of title IV of division G of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 ( Public Law 114–113 ; 129 Stat. 2580) is repealed. (b) Great Lakes Cleanup Fund (1) Establishment Title V of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) is amended— (A) by redesignating section 519 ( 33 U.S.C. 1251 note) as section 520; and (B) by inserting after section 518 ( 33 U.S.C. 1377 ) the following: 519. Establishment of Great Lakes Cleanup Fund (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Fund The term Fund means the Great Lakes Cleanup Fund established by subsection (b). (2) Great Lakes System; Great Lakes States The terms Great Lakes System and Great Lakes States have the meanings given the terms in section 118(a)(3). (b) Establishment of fund There is established in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the Great Lakes Cleanup Fund . (c) Administration of fund The Administrator shall administer the Fund. (d) Use of funds The Administrator shall make the amounts in the Fund available to the Great Lakes States for use in carrying out programs and activities for improving wastewater discharges into the Great Lakes System, including habitat protection and wetland restoration programs and activities. (e) Cost share In making amounts from the Fund available to Great Lakes States under subsection (d) for programs and activities, the Administrator may require such States to pay up to 50 percent of the costs of the programs and activities. (f) Priority In selecting programs and activities to be funded using amounts made available under this section, a Great Lakes State shall give priority consideration to programs and activities that reduce or eliminate bypasses (as defined in section 402(s)(1)) or combined sewer overflows. (g) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024. . (2) Conforming amendments to state revolving fund program Section 607 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act ( 33 U.S.C. 1387 ) is amended— (A) by striking There is and inserting (a) In General .—There is ; and (B) by adding at the end the following: (b) Treatment of Great Lakes Cleanup Fund For purposes of this title, amounts made available from the Great Lakes Cleanup Fund under section 519 shall be treated as funds authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title and as funds made available under this title, except that the funds shall be made available to the Great Lakes States in accordance with section 519. .