HR 4029 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide assistance for programs and activities to protect the water quality of Puget Sound, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

November 5, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. DICKS (for himself, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. INSLEE, and Mr. REICHERT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and InfrastructureCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide assistance for programs and activities to protect the water quality of Puget Sound, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Puget Sound Recovery Act of 2009’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. PUGET SOUND.

Title I of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘SEC. 123. PUGET SOUND.

‘(a) Definitions- In this section, the following definitions apply:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN- The term ‘comprehensive plan’ means the Puget Sound Action Agenda (the comprehensive conservation and management plan for Puget Sound under section 320), including any amendments thereto.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) COUNCIL- The term ‘Council’ means the Puget Sound Program Advisory Council established under subsection (d).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) DIRECTOR- The term ‘Director’ means the Director of the Office.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) OFFICE- The term ‘Office’ means the Puget Sound Program Office established by subsection (b).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(5) PUGET SOUND PARTNERSHIP- The term ‘Puget Sound Partnership’ means the agency of the State of Washington (together with its associated councils, boards, and panels) that was formed under authority of State law for the purpose of protecting and restoring Puget Sound and is designated as the management conference for Puget Sound under section 320.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(b) Program Office-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT- The Administrator shall establish in the Environmental Protection Agency a Puget Sound Program Office. The Office shall be co-located with the Puget Sound Partnership in the State of Washington.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR- The Administrator shall appoint a Director of the Office, who, by reason of management experience and technical expertise relating to Puget Sound, shall be highly qualified to support the development and implementation of projects, programs, and studies necessary to implement the comprehensive plan.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY; STAFFING- The Administrator shall delegate to the Director such authority and provide such additional staff as may be necessary to carry out this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(c) Duties-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- In carrying out this section, the Administrator, acting through the Director, shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) assist and support the implementation of the comprehensive plan;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) provide funding and make grants for implementation of the comprehensive plan and projects, programs, and studies consistent with the priorities of the comprehensive plan;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) promote innovative methodologies and technologies that are cost-effective and consistent with the identified goals and objectives of the comprehensive plan and Environmental Protection Agency permitting processes;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) coordinate the major functions of the Federal Government related to the implementation of the comprehensive plan, including projects, programs, and studies for--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) water quality improvements;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) wetland, riverine, and estuary restoration and protection; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) nearshore and endangered species recovery;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) coordinate the research and planning projects authorized under this section with Federal agencies, State agencies, tribes, universities, and the Puget Sound Partnership’s Science Panel, including conducting or commissioning studies considered necessary by the Science Panel for strengthened implementation of the comprehensive plan;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(F) track progress towards meeting the identified goals and objectives of the comprehensive plan by--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) implementing and supporting a project, program, and study monitoring system consistent with the performance management system used by the Puget Sound Partnership; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) coordinating, managing, and reporting environmental data related to Puget Sound in a manner consistent with methodologies utilized by the Puget Sound Partnership, including, to the extent practicable, making such data and reports on such data available to the public, including on the Internet, in a timely fashion;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(G) 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; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(H) collect and make available to the public, including on the Internet, publications and other forms of information relating to the environmental quality of Puget Sound.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) IMPLEMENTATION METHODS- The Administrator, acting through the Director, may enter into interagency agreements, make intergovernmental personnel appointments, provide funding, make grants, and utilize other available methods in carrying out the duties under this subsection.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(d) Puget Sound Program Advisory Council-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- The Administrator shall establish a Puget Sound Program Advisory Council to provide advice to the Administrator on the implementation of the identified goals and objectives of the comprehensive plan.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) COMPOSITION- The Council shall consist of the following 2 boards:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) A Federal agency board consisting of representatives of appropriate Federal agencies that may affect or implement projects or programs identified in the comprehensive plan and the Executive Director of the Puget Sound Partnership. The chairperson of the Federal agency board shall be the Director.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) An intergovernmental board consisting of the members of the Leadership Council and the Ecosystem Coordination Board of the Puget Sound Partnership.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) MEETINGS- The Council shall meet at least twice per year--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) to assess the progress of the Office in meeting the identified goals and objectives of the comprehensive plan;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) to identify improvements for meeting the identified goals and objectives of the comprehensive plan; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) to assess Federal agency budget needs to implement the comprehensive plan.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS- A member of the Council shall serve without compensation.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(5) TRAVEL EXPENSES- Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator shall reimburse a member of the Council for travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for an employee of a Federal agency under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from home or the regular place of business of the member in performance of services for the Council.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(e) Report- Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this section, and biennially thereafter, the Administrator and the Executive Director of the Puget Sound Partnership, acting jointly, shall submit to Congress a report that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) summarizes the progress made in implementing the comprehensive plan and progress towards achieving the identified goals and objectives described in the comprehensive plan;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) summarizes any modifications to the comprehensive plan made in the period immediately preceding such report;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) incorporates specific recommendations concerning the implementation of the comprehensive plan; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) summarizes the roles and progress of each Federal agency that has jurisdiction in the Puget Sound watershed towards meeting the identified goals and objectives of the comprehensive plan.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(f) Implementation of Comprehensive Plan-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- The Administrator, acting through the Director and in consultation with the Puget Sound Partnership, shall carry out projects, programs, and studies to implement the comprehensive plan.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) PRIORITY PROJECTS, PROGRAMS, AND STUDIES- The Administrator shall give special emphasis to projects, programs, and studies that are identified as priorities by the Puget Sound Partnership in the comprehensive plan.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) GRANTS-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) IN GENERAL- The Administrator, acting through the Director, is authorized to make grants for projects, programs, and studies to implement the comprehensive plan.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) ALLOCATIONS- In making grants under this paragraph, the Administrator shall use--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) 50 percent of the funds appropriated for making grants under this paragraph for a fiscal year to make a comprehensive grant to the Puget Sound Partnership to manage implementation of the comprehensive plan and for allocation by the Puget Sound Partnership to projects, programs, and studies prioritized in the comprehensive plan; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) 50 percent of funds appropriated for making grants under this paragraph for a fiscal year to make grants to State and regional water pollution control agencies and entities, federally recognized Indian tribes, State coastal zone management agencies, local governments, and other public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, or organizations to implement specific projects, programs, and studies identified in the comprehensive plan.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) FEDERAL SHARE-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) IN GENERAL- The Federal share of the cost of a project, program, or study carried out under this subsection shall be--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) not more than 50 percent of the cost of a project, program or study; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) up to 100 percent of the cost of a project, program, or study if the project, program, or study is located in or specifically affects a distressed community.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) CONTRIBUTIONS FROM NON-FEDERAL SOURCES- The non-Federal share of costs required under subparagraph (A) shall be provided from non-Federal sources.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(5) DISTRESSED COMMUNITY DEFINED- In this subsection, the term ‘distressed community’ means a community that meets the affordability criteria established by the State in which the community is located, if such criteria is established after public review and comment.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(g) Annual Budget Plan- The President, as part of the annual budget of the United States Government, shall submit information regarding each Federal agency involved in Puget Sound protection and restoration, including--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) an interagency crosscut budget that displays for each Federal agency--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) the amounts obligated in the preceding fiscal year for protection and restoration projects, programs, and studies relating to Puget Sound;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) the estimated budget for the current fiscal year for protection and restoration projects, programs, and studies relating to Puget Sound; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) the proposed budget for protection and restoration projects, programs, and studies relating to Puget Sound; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) a description and assessment of the Federal role in the implementation of the comprehensive plan and the specific role of each Federal agency involved in Puget Sound protection and restoration, including specific projects, programs, and studies conducted or planned to achieve the identified goals and objectives of the comprehensive plan.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(h) Authorization of Appropriations- There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section $125,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2016. Such sums shall remain available until expended.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink