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Bill· HRH.R. 5732 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2002
Safe Highways and Roads Act of 2002 - Amends the Clear Air Act to permit the use of emissions estimates from motor vehicles and necessary emissions reductions contained in a submitted State implementation plan if an approved implementation plan is not available. Deems the estimates adequate if the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency does not act within 90 days. Permits a transportation project to proceed during a conformity lapse of the applicable plan or improvement program if it was included in the first three years of the most recent conforming plan and program and its design concept and scope has not significantly changed. Requires the Administrator to revise criteria and procedures for determining plan, program, and project conformity.
Bill· HRH.R. 5753 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2002
Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation and subject to specified cost-sharing requirements, to provide financial assistance and otherwise participate in the planning, design, and construction of the Yuma East Wetlands Project along the Colorado River in the vicinity of Yuma, Arizona. Lists as project purposes: (1) restoration of wetlands and riparian habitat; (2) revegetation of riparian areas; and (3) providing river access and opportunities for recreation and environmental education. Prohibits the use of Federal funds to pay operation and maintenance costs associated with the Project, except those directly attributable to the responsibilities of the Secretary for long-term environmental restoration on the Colorado River.
Bill· SS. 3127 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2002
Private Well Testing Assistance Act - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to establish a program to provide funds to States for the testing of private wells. Requires that a State certify to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency that a potential threat to human health is posed by groundwater in an area of concern. Establishes criteria for the level of funding according to the number of wells to be tested, local test costs, and the types of substances of concern, including any seasonal fluctuations in contamination levels.
Bill· SS. 3135 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2002
Clean Air Planning Act of 2002 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require integrated air quality planning for the electric generating sector. Establishes national pollutant tonnage limitations for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, and carbon dioxide. Provides for review and revision of annual tonnage limitations. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish trading programs for nitrogen oxide and mercury allowances. Requires equitable treatment of facilities that either use more than one energy source to produce electricity or that produce electricity in addition to another service or product. Directs the Administrator to establish reserves of nitrogen oxide and mercury allowances as set asides for new units. Establishes a nitrogen oxide and mercury allowance transfer system, requiring certification and monitoring. Regards transfers as part of the federally enforceable permit of the affected unit, requiring no further revision. Directs the Administrator to establish a carbon dioxide allowance trading program, setting aside a reserve of allowances for use by new units and new renewable energy units. Makes allowances available to projects certified by a newly established independent review board. Requires board guidelines to include certifying geological and incremental carbon sequestration. Permits the trading of allowances under any U.S. or internationally recognized carbon dioxide reduction program. Establishes a carbon dioxide allowance transfer system, requiring certification and monitoring. Revises the new source review program to cover unit changes after 2007 and to permit the lowest achievable emission rate standard to take cost into account. Revises the sulfur dioxide allowance program to establish an allowance reserve for new units and to establish maximum emissions for states in the Western Regional Air Partnership.
Bill· HRH.R. 5683 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2002
Inclusive Home Design Act of 2002 - Requires new covered dwellings (certain residences designed, constructed, commissioned, or contracted with Federal financial assistance) to include at least one entrance that is accessible to, and usable by, people with disabilities. Exempts buildings from that and other entrance requirements on account of the terrain or due to unusual physical limitations. Makes further requirements of covered dwellings pertaining to: (1) accessible interior doors; (2) accessible environmental controls; and (3) accessible habitable space and an accessible bathroom. Requires each applicant for Federal financial assistance to submit to the relevant Federal agency an assurance that all of its programs and activities are in compliance with this Act. Requires each person who arranges for design or construction of a covered dwelling to submit architectural and construction plans to the relevant State or local department or agency for approval. Prohibits any Federal financial assistance from being disbursed to a State or local government unit unless the recipient is taking certain enforcement actions with regard to covered dwellings. Provides for civil actions in an appropriate United States District Court or State court for alleged misconduct under this Act. Permits the Attorney General to commence civil actions or intervene in civil actions under this Act. Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to issue any regulations necessary to carry out this Act. Prohibits any State, political jurisdiction, or other such jurisdiction from requiring or permitting any action that would violate this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 5688 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2002
Global Change Research and Data Management Act of 2002 - Directs the President to establish an interagency committee to ensure cooperation and coordination of Federal research activities pertaining to human-induced and natural processes of global change. Directs the President to establish an interagency United States Global Change Research Program to improve understanding of global change and to provide periodic assessments of the vulnerability of the United States and other regions to global change. Directs the President to develop a National Global Change Research Plan to implement the Program, including recommendations for global change research. Requires the Plan to set research goals and priorities, including global measurements of physical processes contributing to changes in the Earth system as well as economic and demographic trends and how these processes and trends interact. Directs the President to establish an interagency climate and other global change data management working group. Requires the President to direct the Secretary of State to initiate discussions with other nations leading toward international protocols and other agreements to coordinate global climate change research activities. Directs the President to establish an Office of Global Change Research Information.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 511 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2002
Congratulates the people and Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the 11th anniversary of its independence and the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States and for its achievements in economic development. Calls upon the Government of Kazakhstan to further carry out democratic reforms. Expresses gratitude for the support and assistance of the people of Kazakhstan in the antiterrorist campaign. Applauds the decision of Kazakhstan's leadership to renounce the deployment of its inherited nuclear weapons. Calls on the President to expand: (1) assistance for environmental rehabilitation programs in Semipalatinsk and the Aral Sea region; and (2) cultural and educational exchange programs with the Central Asian countries, particularly Kazakhstan. Welcomes the agreement with Kazakhstan (the Houston Initiative) aimed at maintaining and developing relations between small and medium sized businesses in the two countries. Recognizes the need to terminate the application of the Jackson-Vanik amendment and provide permanent normal trade relations status to Kazakhstan. Praises President Nazarbayev's initiative to convene the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia. Urges further strengthening of strategically important relations between Kazakhstan and the United States.
Bill· SS. 3103 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2002
Local Control of Cellular Towers Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to repeal the prohibition against a State or local government regulating the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities on the basis of the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities comply with emission regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Requires, in any action in which a person is seeking to place, construct, or modify such a facility, that person to bear the burden of proof, regardless of who commences the action. Prohibits the FCC from adopting a final rule or otherwise implementing any portion of a proposed FCC rule regarding relief from State and local regulation of such facilities. Allows a State or local government to deny an application to place, construct, or modify such facilities on the basis that alternative technologies, systems, or structures are capable of delivering such services in a manner less intrusive to the local community. Requires the burden of proving the appropriateness of proposed facilities to be the applicant's. Allows a State or local government to regulate the location, height, or modification of such facilities in order to address the effects of radio frequency interference on local communities and the public. Prohibits the Act from being interpreted to prohibit a State or local government from requiring environmental or other studies, reports, or documentation concerning the placement, construction, or modification of such facilities.
Bill· SS. 3102 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2002
Local Control of Broadcast Towers Act - Prohibits the Federal Communications Commission from adopting a final rule or otherwise implementing any portion of a proposed rule regarding the preemption of State and local zoning and land use restrictions concerning the siting, placement, and construction of broadcast station transmission facilities. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to allow a State or local government to deny an application to place, construct, or modify such facilities on the basis that alternative technologies, systems, or structures are capable of delivering such services in a manner less intrusive to the local community. Requires the burden of proving the appropriateness of proposed facilities to be the applicant's. Allows a State or local government to regulate the location, height, or modification of such facilities in order to address the effects of radio frequency interference on local communities and the public. Prohibits the Act from being interpreted to prohibit a State or local government from requiring environmental or other studies, reports, or documentation concerning the placement, construction, or modification of such facilities.
Bill· SS. 3095 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2002
Genetically Engineered Foods Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require Food and Drug Administration review and approval of all genetically engineered foods (as defined by this Act) prior to introduction into interstate commerce. (Includes split-use food, as defined by this Act, in such requirement.) Authorizes approval exemptions for a food category deemed not to be a food safety risk. Provides for trade secret protection. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish: (1) a program to test for the presence of genetically engineered ingredients in food from all stages of agricultural production to retail distribution; and (2) a genetically engineered food registry that contains the regulatory status of all such approved foods. Applies provisions respecting adulterated drugs and devices to genetically engineered animals (as defined by this Act). Sets forth application criteria, including provisions for: (1) protection of trade secrets; (2) environmental assessments. Subjects the provisions of this Act to prohibitions respecting: (1) unlawful use of trade secret information; and (2) adulterated food. Sets forth approval transition provisions for genetically engineered animals or food that enter interstate commerce before enactment of this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 5637 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2002
Environmental Justice Act of 2002 - Requires Federal agencies to include achieving environmental justice in their missions through identifying and addressing any disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their activities on minority and low-income communities. Establishes the Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice. Directs each Federal agency to develop an agency-wide environmental justice strategy. Establishes the Federal Environmental Justice Advisory Committee. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to collect and analyze data assessing environmental and human health risks borne by populations identified by race, national origin, or income. Targets for data collection those areas surrounding facilities expected to have a substantial environmental, human health, or environmental effect on surrounding populations.
Bill· HRH.R. 5631 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2002
Local Control of Cellular Towers Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to repeal the prohibition against a State or local government regulating the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities on the basis of the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities comply with emission regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Requires, in any action in which a person is seeking to place, construct, or modify such a facility, that person to bear the burden of proof, regardless of who commences the action. Prohibits the FCC from adopting a final rule or otherwise implementing any portion of a proposed FCC rule regarding relief from State and local regulation of such facilities. Allows a State or local government to deny an application to place, construct, or modify such facilities on the basis that alternative technologies, systems, or structures are capable of delivering such services in a manner less intrusive to the local community. Requires the burden of proving the appropriateness of proposed facilities to be the applicant's. Allows a State or local government to regulate the location, height, or modification of such facilities in order to address the effects of radio frequency interference on local communities and the public. Prohibits the Act from being interpreted to prohibit a State or local government from requiring environmental or other studies, reports, or documentation concerning the placement, construction, or modification of such facilities.
Bill· HRH.R. 5632 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2002
Local Control of Broadcast Towers Act - Prohibits the Federal Communications Commission from adopting a final rule or otherwise implementing any portion of a proposed rule regarding the preemption of State and local zoning and land use restrictions concerning the siting, placement, and construction of broadcast station transmission facilities. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to allow a State or local government to deny an application to place, construct, or modify such facilities on the basis that alternative technologies, systems, or structures are capable of delivering such services in a manner less intrusive to the local community. Requires the burden of proving the appropriateness of proposed facilities to be the applicant's. Allows a State or local government to regulate the location, height, or modification of such facilities in order to address the effects of radio frequency interference on local communities and the public. Prohibits the Act from being interpreted to prohibit a State or local government from requiring environmental or other studies, reports, or documentation concerning the placement, construction, or modification of such facilities.
Bill· HRH.R. 5629 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2002
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish and maintain the Clearwater Advisory Panel (CAP), which shall provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service regarding the Clearwater Basin pilot project (the "Project") within the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests, Idaho. States that the CAP shall: (1) make recommendations regarding activities for high priority implementation; (2) provide early and continuous coordination with Federal officials; and (3) provide for public input into its proceedings. Directs the CAP, in consultation with and receiving technical assistance from the applicable Forest Supervisor, to develop and submit for approval from the Forest Supervisor five-year schedules of high priority activities for the Project. Requires that the activities included in such schedules have funding authorized and appropriated under this Act or other law and that they be consistent with the applicable forest land and resource management plan ("LRMP"). Directs the Forest Service to complete any applicable National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA") procedures for the approval of the activities at the site-specific, project level. Directs the CAP to consult with the Nez Perce Tribe in developing and recommending each schedule. Directs the Forest Supervisor to issue a project or activity decision document regarding approval of the recommended schedule in accordance with NEPA and other applicable procedures. Provides for the schedules and activities authorized under this section to supplement certain other schedules, plans, and projects or other activities authorized and implemented under other law.
Bill· HRH.R. 5605 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2002
Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003 - Makes appropriations for FY 2003 for: (1) the Department of Veterans Affairs; (2) the Department of Housing and Urban Development; (3) the American Battle Monuments Commission; (4) the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board; (5) the Department of the Treasury, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund Program Account; (6) the Consumer Product Safety Commission; (7) the Corporation for National and Community Service; (8) the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; (9) the Department of Defense-Civil; (10) the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health; (11) the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; (12) the Environmental Protection Agency; (13) the Hazardous Substance Superfund, including transfers of funds; (14) the Executive Office of the President; (15) the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; (16) the Federal Emergency Management Agency; (17) the General Services Administration; (18) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; (19) the National Credit Union Administration; (20) the National Science Foundation; (21) the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation; and (22) the Selective Service System.
Bill· HRH.R. 5584 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2002
Declares that specified lands held in fee by the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians shall not be transferred or made available for condemnation until the Secretary of the Interior renders a final decision (and all appeals are exhausted) on the pending fee to trust application, or the application is withdrawn. Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture (the "Secretaries") to issue the necessary grants, easements, permits, plan amendments, and other approvals to allow for the siting and construction of a high-voltage electricity transmission line in part of the Cleveland National Forest in California and adjacent lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. Forbids any portion of the transmission line from entering any identified wilderness area. Assigns primary responsibility for completing the environmental and other reviews necessary for the implementation of this Act to the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Land Management. States that it is anticipated that this Act will make it unnecessary to construct regional transmission lines through heavily populated lands in the Temecula Valley. Subjects the right-of-way to such terms and conditions as the Secretaries set forth to protect historic, cultural, and natural resources under their respective jurisdictions.
Bill· SS. 3045 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2002
Finger Lakes Initiative Act of 2002 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish the Finger Lakes Initiative to protect the environmental integrity and cultural and economic benefits of the region. Establishes the Finger Lakes Management Conference to carry out the Initiative through the development of a comprehensive plan. Includes a technical advisory committee as part of the Conference. Requires the comprehensive plan to address issues of water quality and level, native habitats, and recreational and economic activities. Subjects the plan to approval by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Directs the Conference to establish a Finger Lakes Institute as an interdisciplinary environmental research and education program at an academic institution within the region. Limits the Federal share of costs to 75 percent, permitting the non-Federal share to be made up of in-kind contributions. Requires coordination with the relevant Federal programs of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior.
Bill· SS. 3037 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2002
Wastewater Treatment Works Security and Safety Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require certain water treatment works to assess their vulnerability to terrorist and intentionally disruptive attack and develop an emergency response plan in coordination with local emergency plans. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to review both the assessment and the plan. Provides for the protection of the confidentiality of such information, including criminal penalties for unauthorized disclosure. Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to water treatment works to assist in compliance and pay the costs of basic security enhancements. Provides grants for immediate and urgent security needs. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to direct the Administrator to research and review possible terrorist means of intentional disruption as well as alternative treatment processes should a disruption occur. Authorizes the Administrator to make grants for the improvement of vulnerability self-assessment tools for publicly owned treatment works.
Bill· SS. 3036 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2002
Corps of Engineers River Stewardship Independent Investigation and Review Act - Directs the President to establish the Corps of Engineers River Stewardship Independent Investigation and Review Commission. Directs the Commission to investigate and report to Congress on management of U.S. rivers by the Corps, with emphasis on: (1) compliance, in the design and operation of river management projects, with environmental laws and with the cultural resource laws that protect Native American graves, traditional cultural properties, and Native American sacred sites; (2) the quality and objectivity of scientific, environmental, and economic analyses; (3) the extent of coordination and cooperation with Federal and State agencies in designing and implementing river management projects; (4) the extent to which river management studies balance the goals of public and private interests and whether such studies should be subject to independent review; (5) whether river planning laws and regulations should be amended; and (6) whether the river management functions of the Corps should be transferred to a Federal civilian agency.
Bill· SS. 3049 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2002
Potomac River Protection Act - Establishes pollutant discharge limits for permits under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act that allow discharges into any portion of the Potomac River flowing on or through land under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.
Bill· HRH.R. 5554 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2002
Potomac River Protection Act - Establishes pollutant discharge limits for permits under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act that allow discharges into any portion of the Potomac River flowing on or through land under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.
Bill· SS. 3031 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2002
Maximum Economic Growth for America Through Environmental Streamlining Act (MEGA Stream Act) - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a program under which States carry out Federal responsibilities with respect to one or more highway or transit projects (or classes of projects) under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), provisions of this Act, or such other environmental review or decision-making authority of the Secretary as the Secretary deems appropriate. Sets conditions regarding State assumption of responsibility for projects located within the State for which environmental impact statements are required. Grants the U.S. district courts exclusive jurisdiction over any civil action against a State for failure to carry out any State responsibility under this Act. Requires the Secretary to conduct audits to ensure State compliance. Designates the Department of Transportation as the lead agency for purposes of compliance with NEPA. Sets forth provisions regarding statements of purpose and need for a highway or transit project, determination of alternatives, and public comment. Makes the Secretary responsible for: (1) developing a schedule for the NEPA process; (2) coordinating efforts to identify and resolve issues that could cause any other Federal agency to oppose or deny project approval or cause delay in completion of the process; (3) developing an agency coordination plan; (4) requesting each relevant Federal agency to participate in the process; and (5) preparing or ensuring that any required environmental impact statement is completed in accordance with the NEPA process.
Bill· HRH.R. 5532 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2002
Pollution Accountability Act - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to require the public availability of an accounting of funds used (or required to be used) in response to a release of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.
Bill· HRH.R. 5535 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2002
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex Expansion and Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act - Expands the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex to include specified land and water in the State of Ohio. Permits the Secretary of the Interior to acquire by donation, purchase, or exchange the land and water and interests in land and water within the boundaries of the Complex. Expands the southern boundary of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (the Refuge) to include additional land and water located in the State of Michigan east of Interstate Route 75. Prescribes requirements for administration of the Complex. Directs the Secretary to ensure that hunting, trapping, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation shall be the priority public uses of the Complex. Requires the Secretary to encourage the State of Ohio to use authority under the recreational trails program under Federal law to provide funding for the acquisition and development of trails within the boundaries of the Complex. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, study and report to Congress on fish and wildlife habitat and aquatic and terrestrial communities in and around two specified dredge spoil disposal sites in Toledo Harbor.
Bill· SS. 3021 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2002
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex Expansion and Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act - Establishes a national wildlife refuge complex in Ohio, consisting of the Ottawa, West Sister Island, and Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuges. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to expand the Ottawa Refuge to include specified land and water in Ohio. Permits the Secretary to acquire by donation, purchase, or exchange the land and water and interests in land and water within the boundaries of the Complex. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to study and report to Congress on fish and wildlife habitat and aquatic and terrestrial communities in and around two specified dredge spoil disposal sites in Toledo Harbor. Requires the Secretary to expand the southern boundary of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (the Refuge) to include additional land and water located in the State of Michigan east of Interstate Route 75. Prescribes requirements for administration of the Complex. Directs the Secretary to ensure that hunting, trapping, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation shall be the priority public uses of the Complex. Requires the Secretary to encourage the State of Ohio to use authority under the Federal recreational trails program to provide funding for the acquisition and development of trails within the boundaries of the Complex.
Bill· SS. 3025 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2002
Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 to modify the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Restoration and Protection Program. Permits the non-Federal share to include or be totally comprised of in-kind services. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program for technical and financial assistance to local governments and organizations implementing cooperative tributary basin strategies which address habitat issues of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 567 (107th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2002
Recognizes the trucking, railroad, and passenger transit industries, and the workers in industries which operate, design, build, and maintain the rights of way along which trucks, freight trains, buses, and commuter trains travel for their: (1) contribution to the economy by facilitating international and interstate commerce; (2) contribution to the freedom of the traveling public which uses roads, highways, and railways for business and leisure; and (3) conscientious effort to improve safety, increase efficiency, and better the environment in communities throughout the United States.
Bill· HRH.R. 5494 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2002
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey to Pleasant Country Ltd. all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to certain Federal lands in Maricopa County, Arizona, in exchange for lands of equal value designated from the approximately 8,000 acres of private land in the vicinity of Lake Pleasant in Yavapai County, Arizona. Declares that the exchange shall not be considered a major Federal action for the purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
Bill· HRH.R. 5470 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2002
Clean Ocean Preservation Act of 2002 - Establishes an effects level of poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for remediation material at the Historic Area Remediation Site (HARS) off the coast of New Jersey. Requires any Environmental Protection Agency rule concerning such sediments to be at least as protective of human health and the environment as the established level.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 560 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2002
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the Secretary of Transportation should issue regulations to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species within the Great Lakes; (2) the Great Lakes States should develop and implement a mechanism that provides a common conservation standard for making decisions concerning the withdrawal and use of water from the Great Lakes Basin; and (3) the Secretary of State should work with the Canadian Government to encourage and support the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec in the development and implementation of a consistent mechanism and standard. Calls for the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to: (1) make grants to States, Indian tribes, regional agencies, and local governments to carry out projects in areas of concern to monitor or evaluate contaminated sediment, to remediate such sediment, and to prevent further or renewed contamination; and (2) conduct research on innovative approaches, technologies, and techniques to remediate sediment. Calls for the extension of appropriations for sewer overflow control grants through FY 2004 in accordance with the Water Quality Investment Act of 2002. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that appropriations for the national sea grant college program in FY 2003 be funded at the level authorized in the National Sea Grant College Program Reauthorization Act of 1998.
Bill· HRH.R. 5461 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2002
Regional Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness, Coordination, and Recovery Act of 2002 - Directs regional councils to convene: (1) all local governments, Federal, State, and private sector interests within a region to coordinate the development of emergency preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery plans for the entire region; and (2) all stakeholders (Federal, State, local, private, and nonprofit entities) within that region. Requires such a regional emergency response plan to include: (1) an assessment of potential targets for destruction, available equipment and manpower to respond, and equipment needs; (2) establishment of a regional communication system among stakeholders and a secure repository for information needed to coordinate stakeholder responsibilities; and (3) information on response resources, support facilities, infrastructure, transportation facilities, at-risk populations, potential targets, and debris disposal. Requires planning activities to include: (1) analyzing and documenting the possibility of a disaster and the potential consequences or impacts upon life, property, and the environment; and (2) planning for utilization of Geographic Information Systems to assess hazards and evaluate the consequences of potential emergencies or disasters. Requires plans to be approved by the designated regional planning agency's governing body and Governor(s), reviewed annually, and updated as needed based on revised threats assessments, training, and drills. Sets forth requirements for: (1) the security of mapping and infrastructure information contained within such plans; and (2) funding the preparation, review, and updating of regional plans.
Bill· HRH.R. 5455 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2002
Expediting Project Delivery To Improve Transportation and the Environment Act - Designates the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), or the two agencies jointly as the lead agency for the surface transportation process for preparing a detailed environmental impact statement, assessment, or other document under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 with respect to certain highway or transit projects eligible for Federal assistance from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). Lists lead agency responsibilities, including: (1) determining the purpose and need for the proposed action, the alternatives to be considered, and the appropriate methodologies for measuring transportation impacts; and (2) coordinating efforts to identify and resolve expeditiously issues that could cause other Federal agencies to oppose or deny project approval or delay process completion. Authorizes the Governor of a State to request the assistance of the Secretary of Transportation in resolving issues that could result in the denial of necessary permits or approvals or cause project delays. Prohibits the Secretary from approving a transportation project that has a significant impact on a protected resource, with exceptions. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a survey biennially of State agencies participating in environmental assessments involving HTF funds; (2) establish a comprehensive program to stimulate the adoption of innovative methods for expediting and improving the environmental review process; (3) transfer to States certain Federal environmental responsibilities with respect to highway or transit projects; and (4) carry out a program to accelerate the procurement of large transit buses by transportation authorities that are recipients of financial assistance from FTA, with exceptions.
Bill· SS. 2999 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2002
Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out a specified environmental restoration project at Pine Flat Dam, Fresno County, California.
Bill· HRH.R. 5433 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2002
Motorcycle and Motorcycling Small Business Protection Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to establish emissions standards for gasoline-fueled highway motorcycles for model year 2004 and thereafter. Excludes the sale of highway motorcycles from otherwise applicable certificate of conformity requirements. Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from waiving Federal highway motorcycle emissions standards in favor of a State standard.
Bill· HRH.R. 5431 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2002
Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2003 - Makes FY 2003 appropriations to the Department of the Army and its Corps of Engineers for: (1) civil functions relating to rivers and harbors, flood control; (2) river and harbor, flood control, shore protection; (3) certain flood control projects on the Mississippi River and its tributaries; (4) the navigable waters and wetlands regulatory program; and (5) the formerly utilized sites remedial action program. Makes FY 2003 appropriations to the Department of the Interior for: (1) the Central Utah Project; (2) the Bureau of Reclamation for water and related resources; and (3) the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund. Makes FY 2003 appropriations to the Department of Energy (DOE) for: (1) energy supply programs; (2) non-defense environmental management; (3) uranium facilities maintenance and remediation; (4) general DOE science activities; (5) nuclear waste disposal; (6) DOE administration and its Office of the Inspector General; (7) atomic energy defense weapons activities; (8) defense nuclear nonproliferation activities; (9) naval reactors activities; (10) Office of the Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration; (11) defense environmental restoration and waste management; (12) defense environmental management cleanup reform (13) defense facilities closure projects; (14) defense environmental management privatization; (15) defense nuclear waste disposal; (16) geographical power marketing administrations of DOE (including hydroelectric facilities at the Falcon and Amistad Dams); and (17) the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Makes FY 2003 appropriations to: (1) the Appalachian Regional Commission; (2) the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board; (3) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and its Office of the Inspector General; and (5) the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board.
Bill· HRH.R. 5428 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2002
Water Resources Development Act of 2002 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out specified water resources development and conservation projects in California, Louisiana, Maryland, and Tennessee. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies of specified flood, streambank and shoreline protection, navigation, environmental improvement, and aquatic ecosystem restoration projects, and authorizes the Secretary to carry out those projects determined to be feasible, in Arkansas, Arizona, Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota (reevaluation), and Tennessee. Amends the Water Resources Development Act of: (1) 1996 to extend the Secretary's authority to establish an annual pass for the use of recreation facilities at water resources projects of the Corps of Engineers through December 31, 2004; and (2) 1986 to increase the depth of harbor projects for which non-Federal interests must pay the maximum share of construction and operations costs. Amends various prior water resources development Acts to modify specified previously authorized projects. Authorizes: (1) Federal assistance for remediation, restoration, and reuse of areas within State and local government jurisdictions; (2) governmental partnerships for dredged material disposal; (3) projects for beneficial uses of dredged material; and (4) project cost-sharing. Modifies specified projects in Alaska, California, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Missouri and Kansas, New York, New York and New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Deauthorizes specified projects in Connecticut and Washington. Authorizes the Secretary to convey certain lands in Kansas and Oklahoma. Sets forth provisions modifying, requiring, or setting forth additional requirements for specified project studies. Provides for: (1) maintenance of navigation channels; (2) watershed management; (3) dam safety; (4) flood mitigation; and (5) additional assistance for authorized projects. Authorizes the Secretary to undertake certain additional measures with respect to specified projects in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
Bill· SS. 2984 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2002
Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out a specified project for environmental restoration at Smith Island, Maryland.
Bill· SS. 2988 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2002
Anthrax Cleanup Community Assistance Act of 2002 - Directs the Administrator of General Services to accept title to the Florida building that was the site of the first anthrax attack. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to remediate the property to ensure that it is anthrax-free. Permits any biohazard waste from the property to be disposed of at a suitable Federal installation, whether or not title to the property is transferred to General Services. Requires the sale of the remediated property once it has been certified as fit for habitation.
Bill· SS. 2985 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2002
Anthrax Cleanup Assistance Act of 2002 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide technical assistance for the cleanup of the Florida building that was the site of the first anthrax attack. Expresses the sense of the Senate that appropriate State agencies should contribute to the cleanup.
Bill· SS. 2980 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2002
Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Prevention Act of 2002 - Amends Public Health Service Act provisions concerning the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities to add disabilities and health to categories of data with regard to which the Secretary of Heath and Human Services is directed to collect, analyze, and make available. Requires the Secretary to conduct research on and promote the prevention of birth defects and disabilities and to support a National Spina Bifida Program to prevent and reduce suffering from the nation's most common permanently disabling birth defect. Removes certain provisions regarding data collection, including one requiring the Secretary to collect and analyze data by gender and ethnic and racial group. Modifies reporting requirements. Declares that certain data and information collected under the Act shall be subject to a specified provision of the General Education Provisions Act pertaining to privacy. Requires that the members of the advisory committee appointed by the Director of the National Center for Environmental Health that have expertise in birth defects, developmental disabilities, and disabilities and health shall be transferred to the National Center on Birth Defects on the date of the enactment of this Act.
Bill· SS. 2972 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2002
Fisheries Research Improvement Act - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to require the National Academy of Sciences to review and recommend measures for improving National Marine Fisheries Service procedures for ensuring data quality in the data collection phase of the stock assessment program. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to establish a national cooperative research and management program to be administered by the National Marine Fisheries Service, based upon recommendations by the Regional Fishery Management Councils. Requires the Secretary to create guidelines so that participants in this program are not penalized for loss of catch history or unexpended days-at-sea as part of a limited entry system. Authorizes specified funds for cooperative comparative trawl research between the National Marine Fisheries Service and fishing industry participants for the Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery. Authorizes a Council or the Secretary to extend beyond ten years the time period for the rebuilding of an overfished fishery to accommodate a new rebuilding target if the target is changed during the rebuilding period. Repeals the current exception to the ten year rebuilding deadline in cases where the biology of the stock of fish, other environmental conditions, or management measures under an international agreement in which the United States participates dictate a longer rebuilding period.
Bill· HRH.R. 5409 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2002
Cleveland National Forest Responsible Electricity Transmission Act of 2002 - Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture (the "Secretaries") to issue the necessary grants, easements, permits, plan amendments, and other approvals to allow for the siting and construction of a high-voltage electricity transmission line in part of the Cleveland National Forest in California and adjacent lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. Forbids any portion of the transmission line from entering any identified wilderness area. Assigns primary responsibility for completing the environmental and other reviews necessary for the implementation of this Act to the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Land Management. States that it is anticipated that this Act will make it unnecessary to construct regional transmission lines through heavily populated lands in the Temecula Valley. Subjects the right-of-way to such terms and conditions as the Secretaries set forth to protect historic, cultural, and natural resources under their respective jurisdictions.
Bill· SS. 2963 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2002
Corps of Engineers Reform Act of 2002 - Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 with respect to inland waterway projects undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers to: (1) revise the percentage of project costs to be paid out of general Treasury funds and the Inland Waterways Trust Fund; (2) make the Federal share of most project operation and maintenance costs 100 percent; and (3) specify sources of the Federal share of costs for projects based on the operation and maintenance costs per ton mile. Requires the Secretary of the Army to ensure that each draft feasibility and general reevaluation report and environmental impact statement concerning a navigation project in excess of $30 million for which a review panel of independent experts has been requested is subject to such independent review. Requires the Secretary to appoint a Director of Independent Review who shall appoint independent review panels as appropriate. Prohibits project review costs from exceeding $250,000. Sets forth requirements for project fish and wildlife mitigation concurrently with project construction and as part of project plans and proposals. Prohibits the Secretary from recommending or selecting a project alternative unless its mitigation plan has a high probability of mitigating adverse impacts on aquatic and other resources, hydrologic functions, and fish and wildlife. Requires the Secretary to establish a mitigation tracking system for each project constructed, operated, or maintained by the Secretary and for each permit issued under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Expresses the intent of Congress that economic development and environmental protection and restoration to be coequal goals of water resources planning and development.
Bill· HRH.R. 5395 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2002
Aquatic Invasive Species Research Act - Requires the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop and conduct a marine and fresh-water research program to support efforts to detect, prevent, and eradicate invasive species in the Aquatic Ecosystem. Requires the program to: (1) develop standardized protocols for conducting ecological and pathway surveys of nonnative aquatic species; (2) create baseline ecological information of the aquatic ecosystem and pathways; (3) designate the number and location of survey sites required; (4) conduct laboratory and field-based marine and fresh-water research experiments on a range of taxonomic groups to identify the relationship between the introduction and establishment of nonnative aquatic species; and (5) analyze the data collected. Directs the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force to convene a workshop with appropriate researchers. Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to: (1) require that ecological and ballast water discharge surveys examine other potential modes of introducing nonnative aquatic species by ship into the Aquatic Ecosystem, including hull fouling; (2) rename the National Ballast Information Clearinghouse as the National Pathway and Ecological Surveys Database; (3) expand the purview of the database to include ballast water management, delivery practices of ships entering United States ports and their compliance with existing regulations; and (3) make the database widely available to the public. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establish marine and fresh-water research, development, and demonstration programs with respect to environmental soundness screening and dispersal barrier research. Reauthorizes the ship pathway technology demonstration program. Requires the Coast Guard and the EPA to develop a research program to support implementation of standards to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species by ships into the Aquatic Ecosystem. Requires the National Science Foundation to establish a grant program for institutions of higher education to carry our research programs in systematics and taxonomy.
Bill· HRH.R. 5396 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2002
National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2002 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to require the Invasive Species Council (Council) to coordinate with the Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force (Task Force) to combat aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force to recommend to appropriate Federal agencies additions to the list of aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force, the Council, and the Secretary of State to coordinate activities to ensure that international efforts to prevent and manage aquatic invasive species are coordinated with U.S. policies. Establishes minimum invasive species prevention requirements for all vessels entering U.S. ports. Requires the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to promulgate regulations for ballast water management standards and certification procedures. Directs the Task Force to publish a priority pathway management program. Prohibits the importation of live aquatic organisms not in trade without specified screening and approval. Requires the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to construct and maintain a national dispersal barrier program to contain and control aquatic nuisances. Declares that a State with a rapid response contingency strategy shall be eligible to receive emergency funding to implement rapid response measures for aquatic invasive species under specified circumstances. Requires the Task Force, with concurrence of the Council, to encourage the development of regional rapid response contingency strategies and develop a State model for such. Requires the Council, in coordination with the Task Force and the heads of the appropriate Federal agencies, to establish a Federal rapid response team for the ten regions of the Standard Federal Regional Boundary System. Requires the Task Force to establish a national subcommittee on nutria. Provides for expansion of the Brown Tree Snake Control Program and Aquatic Nuisance Species Program information, education and outreach activities.
Bill· HRH.R. 5400 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2002
Amends the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act to authorize the President to agree to amendments to the Border Environment Cooperation Agreement (the November 1993 Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Mexican States Concerning the Establishment of a Border Environment Cooperation Commission and a North American Development Bank) that: (1) enable the North American Development Bank to make grants and non-market rate loans out of its paid-in capital resources with the approval of its Board of Directors for qualified water conservation projects; and (2) amend the definition of "border region" as it relates to such projects to include specified areas in the United States and Mexico that are within a certain distance of the international boundary between the two countries. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) water conservation projects are eligible for funding from the Bank under the Cooperation Agreement; and (2) the Board of Directors of the Bank should support qualified water conservation projects which can assist Texas irrigators and agricultural producers in the lower Rio Grande River Valley.
Bill· HRH.R. 5405 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2002
Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out in the Appalachian region, New England, and the mid-Atlantic States from New York to Virginia ecosystem restoration and protection projects that the Secretary determines will improve the quality of the environment, are in the public interest, and are cost-effective. Sets forth cost sharing requirements and cost limitations.
Bill· SS. 2944 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2002
Amends the Internal Revenue Code by: (1) reinstating the Hazardous Substance Superfund financing rate until October 1, 2012; (2) reinstating the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund financing rate until October 1, 2012 and by prohibiting imposition of such rate if the unobligated balance in such Fund exceeds $5 (previously, $1) billion; (3) extending the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund financing rate until October 1, 2012; and (4) reinstating the Corporate Environmental Income Tax until January 1, 2012.
Bill· SS. 2948 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2002
Amends the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act to authorize the President to instruct the U.S. representative to the North American Development Bank to vote for or otherwise agree to amendments to the Border Environment Cooperation Agreement (the November 1993 Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Mexican States Concerning the Establishment of a Border Environment Cooperation Commission and a North American Development Bank) that would: (1) authorize the Bank, with the approval of its Board of Directors, to make grants and non-market rate loans out of its paid-in capital for qualified water conservation projects, provided the grants are structured only as co-financing to pay a portion of the recipient's debt service on debt financing for such projects; and (2) amend the definition of "border region" as it relates to such projects to include specified areas in the United States and Mexico that are within a certain distance of the international boundary between the two countries.
Bill· SS. 2935 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2002
Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to make grants to political subdivisions of States ("localities") for the operation of mosquito control programs to prevent and control mosquito-borne diseases. Requires each locality receiving a grant for a control program to make available matching funds in an amount not less than 1/3 of the cost of the program, unless the Secretary waives the requirement due to extraordinary economic conditions in the locality. Permits the Secretary, acting through the Director, to make grants to localities for conducting assessments and plans for control programs, and to make grants to States for the purpose of coordinating control programs. Allows the Secretary to provide training and technical assistance to localities with respect to the planning, development, and operation of control programs and assessments and plans, either directly or through award of grants or contracts to public and private entities. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to conduct or support research into methods to control the population of insects that transmit dangerous diseases to humans. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Food and Drug Administration should comprehensively review its protocols and regulations for screening of blood and platelet donors and their donated specimens and report on the ability of the protocols to protect the blood supply from West Nile virus. Directs the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to: (1) revise protocols and regulations to protect the blood supply and blood supply products from the West Nile virus to the maximum extent possible; and (2) expedite review of appropriate blood screening tests for the West Nile virus.