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Bill· SS. 4118 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2006
Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act - Amends the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 to repeal provisions authorizing the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to modify the frequency of submitting toxic chemical release forms. Requires the Administrator to establish the eligibility threshold regarding the use of a form A certification statement under the Toxic Release Inventory Program at not greater than 500 pounds for nonpersistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals. Prohibits the use of such form with respect to any chemical of special concern identified by the Administrator. Prohibits the Administrator from implementing the proposed rule dated October 4, 2005, to revise requirements under such Program.
Bill· HRH.R. 6421 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2006
Stockholm and Rotterdam Toxics Treaty Act of 2006 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to provide for the implementation of three international environmental agreements: (1) the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs Convention); (2) the Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP POPs Protocol); and (3) the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (PIC Convention). Prohibits the manufacture, process, distribution for export, use, or disposal of specified Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue or amend rules related to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in order to comply with the provisions of the POPs Convention or the LRTAP POPs Protocol. Requires a notice and comment procedure regarding the addition of a new chemical to the POPs Convention or the LRTAP POPs Protocol. Allows the Administrator to issue regulations concerning such chemicals, including prohibiting their use to protect human health and the environment in a manner that achieves a reasonable balance of social, environmental, and economic costs and benefits. Requires the Administrator to publish: (1) a decision regarding the treatment of any new source categories that are not already listed under the Clean Air Act as major source categories; (2) notice of the development of action plans under the POPs Convention; and (3) a decision on whether to promulgate regulations for newly listed POPs or the status of a rulemaking if the Administrator has not made a decision about such POPs. Requires the President to consult with and report to Congress before consenting to bind the United States to an amendment of the POPs Convention. Requires the Administrator, in cooperation with the Secretary of State and the heads other federal agencies, to participate in international efforts concerning POPs. Prohibits the Administrator from promulgating a rule authorizing PCB manufacture, processing, or distribution activities or granting an exemption from PCB regulations under TSCA, unless they are consistent with the exemptions under the POPs Convention and the LRTAP POPs Protocol. Prohibits the distribution for export equipment that contains more than a specified percentage of PCBs in liquid stock, except for the purpose of legal, environmentally sound waste management. Establishes conditions for exporting chemicals listed on Annex III of the PIC Convention.
Bill· HRH.R. 6432 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2006
Declares that: (1) the 2.5% interest rate used in the 2006 Revised Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 2 recommending construction of the closure of the gap in the mainline levee system for the Mississippi River and Tributaries project located at the south end of the New Madrid floodway and considered in the authorization for the closure is the appropriate interest rate; and (2) construction of the closure is a non-separable and integral element of the project.
Bill· HRH.R. 6436 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2006
Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act - Amends the Colorado River Storage Project Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and maintain the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Supply Project. Establishes in the Treasury a Reclamation Water Settlements Fund. Authorizes the Secretary to request a transfer from the Fund to implement a congressionally approved settlement agreement that requires the Bureau of Reclamation to plan, design, and construct: (1) water supply infrastructure; or (2) a project to rehabilitate a water delivery system to conserve water or a project to improve environmental conditions associated with or affected by an existing reclamation project. Authorizes the Secretary to design, construct, operate, and maintain the Project in substantial accordance with the draft environmental impact statement prepared by the Bureau for the Project. Authorizes the Secretary to construct, operate, and maintain specified Project facilities to provide for the delivery of San Juan River water to the city of Gallup, New Mexico, the Navajo Nation, and the Jicarilla Apache Nation. Approves the agreement among New Mexico, the Navajo Nation, and the United States setting forth a stipulated and binding agreement signed on April 19, 2005. Directs the Secretary to: (1) enter into that agreement to the extent that it does not conflict with this Act; and (2) prepare a hydrographic survey to identify and quantify any historic or existing diversion or use of water by the Navajo Nation from the San Juan River Basin. Establishes in the Treasury the Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Trust Fund.
Bill· SS. 4101 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2006
Stormwater Enforcement and Permitting Act of 2006 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide an operator a reasonable opportunity to correct a violation of a permit condition for a site with residential construction activity before initiation of an enforcement action, if such violation may be rectified by modifying, revising, or supplementing records or paperwork. Prohibits such an opportunity from being provided: (1) to the operator of any residential construction site that failed to obtain coverage under a national pollutant discharge elimination system permit; or (2) for a record or paperwork violation that resulted in a violation of a water quality standard. Prohibits more than one opportunity to correct violations of the same condition. Prohibits the Administrator from requiring a permit for stormwater runoff from such a site if: (1) the runoff enters a municipal separate storm sewer system that is covered by a permit and the operator is in compliance with runoff requirements; and (2) such site has minimal potential for soil erosion. Requires the Administrator to coordinate enforcement of stormwater discharge permits with states. Prohibits the Administrator from paying any state penalty for a violation of a permit for such a discharge. Requires the Administrator to establish a program that will develop and distribute to site operators a pamphlet that explains permitting requirements for stormwater discharges. Authorizes the Administrator or the state to issue a general permit for no more than five years on a state, regional, or nationwide basis to cover any category of discharges, sludge use, disposal practices, or facilities. Declares that the Administrator or state is not required to review, approve, or provide an opportunity for public comment on any application for a discharge under a general permit.
Bill· SS. 4108 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2006
Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act - Amends the Colorado River Storage Project Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and maintain the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Supply Project. Establishes in the Treasury a Reclamation Water Settlements Fund. Authorizes the Secretary to request a transfer from the Fund to implement a congressionally approved settlement agreement that requires the Bureau of Reclamation to plan, design, and construct: (1) water supply infrastructure; or (2) a project to rehabilitate a water delivery system to conserve water or a project to improve environmental conditions associated with or affected by an existing reclamation project. Authorizes the Secretary to design, construct, operate, and maintain the Project in substantial accordance with the draft environmental impact statement prepared by the Bureau for the Project. Authorizes the Secretary to construct, operate, and maintain specified Project facilities to provide for the delivery of San Juan River water to the city of Gallup, New Mexico, the Navajo Nation, and the Jicarilla Apache Nation. Approves the agreement among New Mexico, the Navajo Nation, and the United States setting forth a stipulated and binding agreement signed on April 19, 2005. Directs the Secretary to: (1) enter into that agreement to the extent that it does not conflict with this Act; and (2) prepare a hydrographic survey to identify and quantify any historic or existing diversion or use of water by the Navajo Nation from the San Juan River Basin. Establishes in the Treasury the Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Trust Fund.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 628 (109th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2006
Recognizes: (1) the contributions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its predecessor agencies over a 200-year period in providing research, service, and stewardship of the marine environment; (2) the vision of President Thomas Jefferson in supporting the advancement of science and coastal surveys; and (3) the contributions of employees and officers of the Office of Coast Survey, the National Geodetic Survey, and the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Bill· HRH.R. 6408 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2006
Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend and modify certain expiring tax provisions relating to education, business investment and economic development, research, health care, environmental remediation, and energy conservation. Health Opportunity Patient Empowerment Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide tax and other incentives for funding health savings accounts. Medicare Improvements and Extension Act of 2006 - Amends the Social Security Act to extend and modify various Medicare and Medicaid provisions, including provisions relating to physician fee schedules, health care reporting requirements, hospital and medical provider reimbursements for certain medical procedures, Medicare fraud and abuse prevention, and the transitional medical assistance and abstinence education program. Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 - Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to offer certain areas in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas leasing. Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act Amendments of 2006 - Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to reauthorize the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund and reduce rate of reclamation fees payable by mine operators to the Fund. Allows certain mine operators to prepay health care premium liabilities to the Combined Benefits Fund. Modifies rules relating to the reimportation of exported tobacco products for personal use. Extends through 2008 tariff duties on ethyl alcohol (ethanol). Allows a tax exclusion of gain from the sale of certain mineral or geothermal interests. Extends the school choice scholarship program for low-income children in the District of Columbia. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study on establishing a uniform national database on elder abuse.
Bill· HRH.R. 6396 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2006
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Environmental Justice Act - Defines "environmental justice" to mean the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, and socioeconomic groups with respect to the development and implementation of laws affecting the environment. Requires the heads of federal agencies to make achieving environmental justice part of their missions by identifying and addressing disproportionately high and adverse effects of its programs on minority, low-income populations in the area affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Requires agencies to conduct programs in a manner to prevent discrimination. Establishes the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice. Includes among the functions of the working group providing guidance to federal and state agencies on criteria for identifying effects on such populations. Requires federal agencies to develop agency-wide environmental justice strategies that address disproportionately high and adverse effects or disproportionately low benefits of their programs with respect to minority, low-income populations. Requires such strategies to identify programs that should be revised to: (1) promote enforcement of all health and environmental statutes in areas with such populations; (2) ensure greater public participation; (3) improve research and data collection; and (4) identify differential patterns of use of natural resources among such populations. Establishes the Federal Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Environmental Justice Advisory Committee to provide independent advice and recommendations to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Working Group on areas relating to environmental justice.
Bill· HRH.R. 6399 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2006
Strengthening Public Health Protections in Major Disasters and Emergencies Act - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President, if one or more chemicals or substances associated with potential acute or chronic human health effects are being or have been released in a major disaster area, to carry out a program for the protection, assessment, monitoring, and study of the health and safety of workers or volunteers who responded to Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita or who respond to a major disaster or emergency, residents in a disaster area, or persons who are employed in, or who attend school, child care, or adult day care in, a disaster area. Authorizes the President to carry out such a program through a cooperative agreement with a medical institution or consortium of medical institutions, especially those located near the disaster area and any other area in which there reside groups of individuals that worked or volunteered in response to the disaster. Requires such institution to have appropriate experience in the areas of environmental or occupational health, toxicology, and safety. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enter jointly into a contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to study and report on disaster area health and environmental protection and monitoring. Amends: (1) the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to extend to September 30, 2010, the authority for the predisaster hazard mitigation program; and (2) the Public Health Service Act to authorize the use of preventive health services block grants for community outreach and education programs and other activities designed to address and prevent health and health care disparities.
Bill· HRH.R. 6362 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2006
Amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit any national ambient air quality standard prescribed after January 1, 2006, for particulate matter other than fine particulate matter from applying to any ambient mix of particulate matter the majority of which is rural windblown dust and soils and particulate matter generated by agricultural sources. Defines "agricultural sources" to mean crop production and animal production within the meaning of the U.S. Bureau of Census North American Industry Classification System.
Bill· HRH.R. 6347 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2006
Authorizes the President (acting through the Secretary of Health and Human Substances), upon determining that a substance of concern has been released in an area declared to be a disaster area and has disrupted the transportation system of the United States, to carry out a program for the coordination, protection, assessment, monitoring and study of the health and safety of responding or affected individuals with high exposure levels. Requires that such a program: (1) apply to workers or volunteers, clean up workers, residents of the area, and persons who are employed in or who attend school in the area; (2) ensure that such individuals are informed about and protected against potential health impacts of any such substance in a timely manner, are monitored and studied for any health impacts, and receive health care referrals; and (3) ensure that information from any such monitoring and studies is used to prevent or protect against similar health impacts. Requires the President to take appropriate measures to protect the privacy of any participant in a registry or study. Gives priority in any registry or study to the protection, monitoring, and study of the heath and safety of individuals with the highest level of exposure to a substance of concern. Allows the President to carry out such a program through a cooperative agreement with a medical institution. Requires the Secretary, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to jointly enter into a contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study disaster area health and environmental protection and monitoring.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 498 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2006
Recognizes: (1) the contributions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its predecessor agencies over a 200-year period to human understanding of the oceans and atmosphere and their stewardship of the marine environment; (2) the vision of President Thomas Jefferson in supporting scientific advancement and coastal surveys; and (3) the contributions of employees and officers of the Coast Survey, the National Geodetic Survey, and the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Bill· HRH.R. 6331 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2006
Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to authorize assistance under the environmental quality incentives program for water reservoir construction to be used for water storage in agricultural operations. States that the producer: (1) may not be required to use irrigation for a commodity as a precondition for such reservoir assistance; and (2) shall agree to maintain the lands to be served by a reservoir in agricultural production for at least five years after the reservoir's completion.
Bill· SS. 4038 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Global Resources, Environment, and Security Commission Act of 2006 - Establishes the Commission on Global Resources, Environment, and Security, a bipartisan and independent commission that will make recommendations for a coordinated, comprehensive, and long-range national policy for new and existing strategies initiated by the United States to promote global environmental security. Requires the Commission to report to the President and Congress on its findings and conclusions. Authorizes the Commission to establish a multidisciplinary science, economic, and technical advisory panel. Requires the panel to ensure that the scientific information considered by the Commission is based on the best available data. Encourages the Commission, Congress, and federal agencies to continue the dialogue about global environmental security after the Commission is terminated (30 days after the submittal of its report to Congress) and to examine institutional needs, including the formation of a new office. Requires the President to submit to Congress and agencies a report containing a statement of proposals to carry out or respond to the Commission's recommendations.
Bill· SS. 4010 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Environmental Protection for Children Act of 2006 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) ensure that environmental and public health standards for environmental pollutants protect children and vulnerable subpopulations from exposure; and (2) create lists of pollutants posing health risks to children as well as safer-for-children substances and products. Requires the EPA Administrator, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support research into the health effects and toxicity of pesticides and pollutants on children. Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to require the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (Agency) and the EPA Administrator to jointly: (1) develop a hazardous substance list; and (2) revise guidelines for the preparation of toxicological profiles of substances. Requires the Agency to prepare and revise such profiles every five years. Directs the Agency develop an environmental health education program focusing on the hazardous substance exposure of fetuses and children. Requires the Agency, in cooperation with states, to establish a registry of children exposed to significant levels of hazardous substances released at facilities on CERCLA's National Priorities List. Children's Environmental Protection and Right to Know Act - Amends the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 to require EPA to establish toxic chemical release form reporting thresholds for toxic chemicals that may present a significant risk to children's health or the environment. Amends the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) to require EPA, acting jointly with the Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), to publish a list of substances toxic to children because of their carcinogenic, neurotoxic, or reproductive toxic effects. Requires EPA to implement strategies for chemical testing and risk assessment. Requires manufacturers and importers of such substances to report to the CPSC on such substances. Authorizes private citizens to bring a civil action in the U.S. district court for specified violations of FHSA or this Act. Establishes a penalty fund. Requires EPA, in collaboration with HHS, to establish a block grant program for state testing and removal of pollutants from schools and day care centers.
Bill· SS. 4008 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System Act of 2006 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial and technical assistance to the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Authority to assist in planning, designing, conducting preconstruction activities for, and constructing the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System. Limits the federal share of the cost of any activity to 75%. Provides that the total cost of the System shall include any costs incurred by the Authority on or after October 1, 2003, for System development. Makes the Authority responsible for annual operation, maintenance, and replacement costs. Directs the Authority to develop an operation, maintenance, and replacement plan that establishes rates and fees necessary to ensure that the System is properly maintained and capable of delivering approximately 16,500 acre-feet of water per year. Prohibits the use of funds under this Act until such plan is developed and until the Secretary and the Authority have complied with applicable requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Directs the Secretary to consult with the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission and the Authority in preparing any required biological assessment under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
Bill· SS. 4006 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Imagery, Mapping, and Geospatial Enhancement Act of 2006 - Amends the Technology Administration Act of 1998 to include among the functions of the Office of Space Commercialization promoting growth and advancement in U.S. space and airborne remote sensing technologies and related value-added services by: (1) examining the role of, and federal agency use of, commercial remote sensing firms, facilitating a reduction in the use of government remote sensing products and services, and increasing the use of commercial remote sensing firms; (2) promoting the objectives of the U.S. Commercial Remote Sensing Space Policy, particularly provisions on relying on U.S. capabilities and developing a long-term relationship between the government and the U.S. commercial remote sensing community; (3) creating an environment in which all such firms have the opportunity to compete and expand; (4) evaluating federal and private sector efforts to assist such firms and making recommendations to promote their establishment and growth; (5) serving as the focal point for complaints and suggestions concerning federal activities that affect such firms; (6) counseling such firms on government relations; (7) proposing needed changes in federal policies; (8) representing such firms before government agencies; (9) involving such firms in developing federal procurement strategies; (10) disseminating information about the use of remote sensing and the capabilities of such firms; (11) making recommendations to assist the development and strengthening of such firms.
Bill· SS. 4023 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
McGee Creek Project Pipeline and Associated Facilities Conveyance Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the McGee Creek Authority all U.S. rights to the pipeline and any associated facilities described in the Agreement Between the United States and McGee Creek Authority for the Purpose of Defining Responsibilities Related to and Implementing the Title Transfer of Certain Facilities at the McGee Creek Project, Oklahoma. Excludes the mineral estate from the conveyance. Provides that any rights and obligations under a specified contract between the Authority and the United States for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the McGee Creek Project shall remain in force. Requires the Secretary to complete any actions required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the National Historic Preservation Act before such conveyance.
Bill· SS. 4039 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2006 - Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) promulgate regulations necessary to reduce the aggregate net levels of global warming pollution emissions; and (2) establish a market-based emissions cap and global warming pollutants trading program. Establishes the Climate Reinvestment Fund. Requires EPA to: (1) establish, and revise every five years, standards for passenger vehicle emissions; and (2) research global climate change standards and processes. Sets forth requirements for retail electricity suppliers and EPA concerning: (1) energy efficiency and peak load reduction; (2) a related trading system; (3) renewable energy types and sources; and (4) a renewable energy credit program and related penalties. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish standards for accrediting certified reductions in carbon dioxide emission through biological sequestration activities. Requires major stationary sources to report annually to EPA about global warming pollutant emissions. Directs the National Academy of Sciences to report biennially to EPA and Congress about U.S. progress in avoiding dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Replaces specified volumes of renewable fuel required in gasoline for 2006-2012 with benchmarks for 2010, 2020, and 2030 and a requirement that EPA determine the volume for each year not specified annually. Requires the Secretary of Energy to ensure that major oil companies that sell gasoline in the United States through wholly-owned or branded stations provide pumps that dispense E-85 fuel at specified percentages. Creates a related trading program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to double the new qualified fuel cell motor vehicle credit, the new advanced lean burn technology motor vehicle credit, and the conservation credit. Creates a new plug-in hybrid motor vehicle credit and an advanced technology motor vehicles manufacturing credit. Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to: (1) require securities issuers to inform investors of financial and economic risks relating to global warming; and (2) declare that U.S. commitments to reduce emissions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are considered to be a material effect and that global warming constitutes a known trend. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to establish a National Climate Change Vulnerability and Resilience Program and an Office of Climate Change Vulnerability and Resilience Research.
Bill· SS. 4009 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Environmental Justice Enforcement Act of 2006 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to declare that discrimination based on disparate impact under federally assisted programs (including exclusion from participation and denial of benefits) is established only if a person aggrieved by discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin demonstrates that: (1) a covered entity has a policy or practice causing a disparate impact on that basis and fails to demonstrate that the challenged policy or practice is related to and necessary to achieve the nondiscriminatory goals of the program or activity alleged to have been operated in a discriminatory manner; or (2) a less discriminatory alternative policy or practice exists, but the covered entity refuses to adopt it. Authorizes an aggrieved person to: (1) bring a civil action in federal or state court to enforce such person's rights; and (2) recover equitable relief, attorney's fees, and costs. Makes the effective date of this Act retroactive to April 24, 2001.
Bill· HRH.R. 6308 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System Act of 2006 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial and technical assistance to the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Authority to assist in planning, designing, conducting preconstruction activities for, and constructing the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System. Limits the federal share of the cost of any activity to 75%. Provides that the total cost of the System shall include any costs incurred by the Authority on or after October 1, 2003, for System development. Makes the Authority responsible for annual operation, maintenance, and replacement costs. Directs the Authority to develop an operation, maintenance, and replacement plan that establishes rates and fees necessary to ensure that the System is properly maintained and capable of delivering approximately 16,500 acre-feet of water per year. Prohibits the use of funds under this Act until such plan is developed and until the Secretary and the Authority have complied with applicable requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Directs the Secretary to consult with the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission and the Authority in preparing any required biological assessment under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
Bill· HRH.R. 6261 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Mercury Reclamation Act of 2006 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with the Secretary of Transportation, to: (1) review storage, transportation, tracking and packaging requirements as they pertain to mercury-bearing solid waste; and (2) promulgate regulations governing the tracking, storage, packaging, record keeping, and reporting on the shipments of mercury-bearing waste. Requires such regulations to ensure the ability to track the generation, treatment, and disposal of mercury wastes and require accountability for waste generators and treatment, storage, and disposal facilities to identify and document wastes and comply with treatment and disposal requirements. Requires the Administrator to promulgate packaging standards to prevent the release of mercury and mercury vapor during the transportation and storage of mercury-bearing wastes. Exempts from the standards wastes generated by households, until such wastes are received by a treatment, storage, or disposal facility. Provides for enforcement through compliance orders. Requires, with certain exemptions, that each person who generates any solid waste which consists of a device that contains mercury integral to its function: (1) take steps to insure that such waste is treated to reclaim the mercury; or (2) transfer such waste to another person who has accepted responsibility for such reclamation. Requires the Administrator to develop a voluntary compliance program to maximize the collection of mercury-containing exempted items. Requires the Administrator to re-evaluate the 100 kg/month exemption from hazardous waste standards for small quantity generators. Requires the treatment standards applicable to all hazardous waste containing mercury in concentrations of 260 mg/kg or more to require the recovery of mercury from such waste prior to land disposal using a technology approved by the Administrator. Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) limit the organic content of such waste that may be subjected to mercury recovery technologies; (2) limit the use of such technologies for radioactive wastes; (3) issue variances and exceptions to the required use of such technologies, based on feasibility of mercury recovery; and (4) revise such treatment standards to incorporate the capabilities of the most advanced available mercury recovery technologies. Authorizes appropriations for mercury programs.
Bill· HRH.R. 6275 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Health Equity and Justice Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide for: (1) establishment of the Robert T. Matsui Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Healthcare; (2) programs to improve language access to health care for individuals with limited English proficiency; and (3) programs to improve health care for patient populations that have low functional health literacy. Provides for the establishment of: (1) a national working group on workforce diversity; (2) a technical clearinghouse on health workforce diversity; (3) a health and healthcare disparities education program; and (4) an Advisory Committee on Health Professions Training for Diversity. Requires federal health-related programs to: (1) require the collection of data on the race, ethnicity, and primary language of each applicant for and recipient of health-related assistance; and (2) analyze such data to detect racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care. Renames the Office of Minority Health as the Office of Minority Health Disparity Elimination. Requires the Indian Health Service (IHS) to be administered by an Assistant Secretary of Indian Health (in place of the Director of IHS), who shall report directly to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Requires four specified federal agencies to each establish an Office of Minority Health and Racial, Ethnic, and Primary Language Health Disparities Elimination. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) an Office of Minority Health within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and (2) an Office of Minority Affairs within the Office of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Establishes the Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice and the Federal Environmental Justice Advisory Committee. Provides for grants to establish health empowerment zone programs in communities that disproportionately experience disparities in health status and health care.
Bill· SS. 3991 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2006
Emergency Farm Relief Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide financial assistance for: (1) crop disaster assistance for qualifying quantity or quality losses for the 2005 or 2006 crop due to weather or related conditions (including disease, insects, and delayed harvest; (2) livestock assistance for 2005 and 2006 disaster-caused losses; (3) livestock indemnity payments for 2005 and 2006 disaster-caused losses (including wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and anthrax); (4) ewe lamb replacement and retention; (5) sugar beet disaster assistance for crop year 2005; (6) sugarcane growers in Hawaii through a payment to an agricultural transportation cooperative in Hawaii; (7) flooded crop and grazing land in the Devils Lake basin, the McHugh, Lake Laretta, and Rose Lake closed drainage areas, North Dakota; and (8) bovine tuberculosis indemnification. Directs the Secretary to make grants to state agriculture departments or comparable agencies in qualified states for direct economic loss payments to eligible small businesses. Directs the Secretary to use specified funds to carry out emergency measures under: (1) the emergency watershed protection program; (2) the emergency conservation program, including wildfire recovery efforts; and (3) the environmental quality incentives program, including wildfire recovery efforts. Directs the Secretary to use specified funds to hire additional state and county Farm Service Agency personnel to expedite the delivery of agricultural disaster and economic assistance.
Bill· SS. 3967 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2006
Trade Agreement Assessment Act - Directs the International Trade Commission (ITC) to report periodically to Congress on each free trade agreement in force with respect to the United States, including: (1) its effect on the U.S. economy and on specific U.S. industry sectors; (2) a summary of how each country that is party to such agreement has changed its labor and environmental laws; and (3) whether the agreement is making progress in achieving the objectives of the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002.
Bill· SS. 3969 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2006
Lead Poisoning Reduction Act of 2006 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to establish a Select Group on Lead Exposure. Requires the Group to: (1) conduct a study of state, tribal, and local programs to protect children from exposure to lead at child-occupied facilities constructed before January 1, 1978; (2) develop baseline standards such programs must meet to receive a grant under this Act; and (3) develop a model program to protect children from exposure to lead at such facilities that can be adopted by state, local, and tribal governments. Requires the model program to meet or exceed standards that require facilities to be notified as soon as practicable after a child is diagnosed with lead poisoning and to be tested for the presence of lead upon receiving such notification. Directs the Administrator to: (1) establish a program to provide grants to assist such facilitites in carrying out activities to protect children from lead exposure; (2) promulgate regulations requiring such facilities to test applicable exposure pathways for lead, prohibiting states and Indian tribes from issuing a license to such facilities until the testing is complete and the exposure to lead is eliminated, and requiring all child-occupied facilities to eliminate the risk of exposure to lead through applicable exposure pathways; and (3) apply regulations governing lead-based paint activities to contractors and workers engaged in the renovation, remodeling, or painting of such facilitates and to establish a program to provide information and training about those activities to them.
Bill· HRH.R. 6251 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2006
Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to provide health care benefits for workers who: (1) have been employed by a Department of Energy (DOE) contractor to perform duties under a contract for environmental remediation, waste management, decontamination and decommissioning, maintenance, security, and administrative activities at the Fernald Closure Project (Harrison, Ohio), the Mound Closure Project (Miamisburg, Ohio), or the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (Golden, Colorado); and (2) would have qualified for health care benefits available for retirees had the individual's employment not been terminated as a result of the accelerated closure of the site.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 1058 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2006
Congratulates Dr. Edgar Wayburn on his 100th birthday and commends his lifelong dedication to preserving the environment.
Bill· SS. 3961 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) to issue regulations that subject low-stress hazardous liquid pipelines to the same standards as other hazardous liquid pipelines, with specified exceptions. Authorizes the Secretary to retain or remove such exceptions after such regulations become effective. Revises certain one-call notification system minimum requirements to prohibit a person from: (1) excavating without first using the one-call notification system to establish the location of underground pipelines; (2) disregarding pipeline location information or markings; and (3) failing to take reasonable steps to prevent pipeline damage during excavation and to report damage caused by such excavation. Authorizes the Secretary to make: (1) a grant to a state to improve its damage prevention program provided it has an annual pipeline safety program certification or a pipeline safety agreement, and a qualified damage prevention program; and (2) technology development grants to an organization to prevent pipeline damage caused by excavation activities. Authorizes the Secretary: (1) after notice and opportunity for a hearing, to order corrective action for pipelines that pose a risk to public safety or the environment; and (2) to waive such notice and hearing requirements in emergency situations. Sets forth requirements regarding: (1) risk analysis and integrity management program enforcement; (2) transparency of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline enforcement actions; (3) minimum standards for integrity management programs for gas distribution pipelines; (4) implementation of certain National Transportation Safety Board pipeline safety recommendations; (5) coordination of pipeline repairs and hazardous liquid pipeline construction projects; (6) reduction of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline accidents due to human risks factors; (7) waiver of pipeline safety standards; (8) the 811 national excavation damage prevention phone number; (9) certification of pipeline integrity management program performance reports; (10) a Pipeline Security and Incident Recovery Protocols Plan; and (11) pipeline safety and security assistance.
Bill· SS. 3958 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Public Service Academy Act of 2006 - Establishes, in the Department of Homeland Security, a United States Public Service Academy providing a fully subsidized liberal arts education to students selected from a pool of candidates nominated by Congress and the President. Reserves 100 first-year seats for international students, whose tuition and expenses are to be covered by their home countries. Requires incoming students to sign an Honor Code and be at least 17 years old, unmarried, and without dependents. Requires students to: (1) participate in daily public service programming and, during their final year, plan and implement a one-year public service project; (2) take foreign language and international relations courses in preparation for spending their junior year studying abroad and interning at a U.S. mission; (3) spend eight weeks each summer engaged in specified training and internship activities; and (4) by the completion of their fourth semester, choose a public service concentration in the economy, education, emergency management, the environment, foreign policy, health care, law enforcement, or the public infrastructure. Directs the Academy to assign graduates to public service employment in their field of concentrated study, where they must serve for at least five years. Includes private nonprofit organizations and private entities deemed to meet critical national needs among acceptable public service employers. Requires foreign students to serve in their home countries. Authorizes the Academy to subsidize a student's graduate education in return for an extended public service commitment. Requires the Academy to raise 20% of its annual budget from private sources.
Bill· SS. 3962 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Nuclear Fuel Management and Disposal Act - Withdraws specified lands in Nye County, Nevada, permanently from any form of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, including: (1) the mineral leasing laws; (2) the geothermal leasing laws; (3) materials sales laws; and (4) the mining laws. Transfers jurisdiction over such lands to the Secretary of Energy (Secretary). Reserves use of such lands for certain activities associated with the disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. Requires the Secretary to manage the lands so withdrawn, and submit to Congress and the state of Nevada a management plan for their use. Amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to direct the Secretary to apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a license to construct and operate facilities to receive and store spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at the Yucca Mountain site. Authorizes the Secretary to begin construction of connected infrastructure facilities after completion of a final environmental impact statement evaluating the activities involved. Requires the Secretary to acquire rights-of-way for construction and operation of railroad facilities to transport spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from existing rail systems to the site of surface facilities within the geologic repository operations area for the receipt, handling, packaging, and storage of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste prior to emplacement. Revises requirements for new plant contracts.
Bill· HRH.R. 6221 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Public Service Academy Act of 2006 - Establishes, in the Department of Homeland Security, a United States Public Service Academy providing a fully subsidized liberal arts education to students selected from a pool of candidates nominated by Congress and the President. Reserves 100 first-year seats for international students, whose tuition and expenses are to be covered by their home countries. Requires incoming students to sign an Honor Code and be at least 17 years old, unmarried, and without dependents. Requires students to: (1) participate in daily public service programming and, during their final year, plan and implement a one-year public service project; (2) take foreign language and international relations courses in preparation for spending their junior year studying abroad and interning at a U.S. mission; (3) spend eight weeks each summer engaged in specified training and internship activities; and (4) by the completion of their fourth semester, choose a public service concentration in the economy, education, emergency management, the environment, foreign policy, health care, law enforcement, or the public infrastructure. Directs the Academy to assign graduates to public service employment in their field of concentrated study, where they must serve for at least five years. Includes private nonprofit organizations and private entities deemed to meet critical national needs, among acceptable public service employers. Requires foreign students to sign an agreement with the student's home country that meets the same conditions applicable to U.S. students. Authorizes the Academy to subsidize a student's graduate education in return for an extended public service commitment. Requires the Academy to raise 20% of its annual budget from private sources.
Bill· HRH.R. 6223 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
American Fuels Act of 2006 - Establishes in the Executive Office of the President the Office of Energy Security to oversee all federal energy security programs, including coordination of federal agency efforts to assist the United States in achieving full energy independence. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide: (1) a tax credit for production of qualified flexible fuel motor vehicles, including allowance of the credit against the alternative minimum tax; and (2) an alternative fuel retail sales credit. Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations to ensure that diesel sold or introduced into U.S. commerce, on an annual average basis, contains the applicable volume of alternative diesel fuel. Requires such regulations to provide for the generation of an appropriate amount of credits by any person that refines, blends, or imports diesel containing a quantity of alternative diesel fuel greater than certain prescribed quantities. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the alcohol fuel mixture excise tax credit to cellulosic biomass ethanol. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to include within the term alternative fueled vehicle a medium or heavy duty hybrid vehicle. Sets a deadline by which: (1) any federal property with at least one fuel refueling station must include at least one alternative fuel refueling station; and (2) any alternative fuel refueling station on federally-owned property must permit full public access for the purpose of refueling using alternative fuel. Amends federal transportation law to require that any bus purchased with funds from the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund be a clean fuel bus. Requires the Secretary of Defense to implement a program to evaluate the commercial and technical viability of advanced technologies for the production of alternative transportation fuels having applications for the Department of Defense.
Bill· HRH.R. 6222 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Lead Poisoning Reduction Act of 2006 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to establish a Select Group on Lead Exposure. Requires the Group to: (1) conduct a study of state, tribal, and local programs to protect children from exposure to lead at child-occupied facilities constructed before January 1, 1978; (2) develop baseline standards such programs must meet to receive a grant under this Act; and (3) develop a model program to protect children from exposure to lead at such facilities that can be adopted by state, local, and tribal governments. Requires the model program to meet or exceed standards that require facilities to be notified as soon as practicable after a child is diagnosed with lead poisoning and to be tested for the presence of lead upon receiving such notification. Directs the Administrator to: (1) establish a program to provide grants to assist such facilitites in carrying out activities to protect children from lead exposure; (2) promulgate regulations requiring such facilities to test applicable exposure pathways for lead, prohibiting states and Indian tribes from issuing a license to such facilities until the testing is complete and the exposure to lead is eliminated, and requiring all child-occupied facilities to eliminate the risk of exposure to lead through applicable exposure pathways; and (3) apply regulations governing lead-based paint activities to contractors and workers engaged in the renovation, remodeling, or painting of such facilitates and to establish a program to provide information and training about those activities to them.
Bill· HRH.R. 6219 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act - Amends the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 to repeal provisions authorizing the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to modify the frequency of submitting toxic chemical release forms. Requires the Administrator to establish the eligibility threshold regarding the use of a form A certification statement under the toxic release inventory program at not greater than 500 pounds for nonpersistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals. Prohibits the use of such form with respect to any chemical of special concern identified by the Administrator. Prohibits the Administrator from implementing the proposed rule dated October 4, 2005, to revise requirements under such program.
Bill· HRH.R. 6193 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2006
Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America Act or the EAT Healthy America Act - Amends provisions with respect to: (1) specialty crops; (2) the tree assistance program; (3) the conservation reserve program; (4) the wetlands reserve program; (5) the farmland protection program; (6) the grassland reserve program; (7) the wildlife habitat incentive program; (8) the environmental qualities incentives program; (9) air quality improvement; (10) integrated pest management initiative; (11) native plant habitat restoration; (12) agricultural trade; (13) invasive pests and diseases; (14) nutrition; (15) agricultural research; and (16) renewable energy, including crop biomass waste.
Bill· HRH.R. 6161 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2006
Senior Safety and Dignity Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) and title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to include in the nursing home patient's bill of rights the right to receive care from a creditable caregiver. Requires a skilled nursing facility (SNF), before hiring a worker, to conduct a background check on the applicant. Prohibits the hiring of abusive workers or workers convicted of a relevant crime. Establishes civil penalties for violations of this Act, including knowing retention of SNF workers who fail background checks. Applies such requirements and prohibitions to a long-term care facility or provider. Directs the Secretary to establish a national criminal background check program, after evaluation of the pilot program under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, in order to prevent abuse of nursing facility and SNF residents and individuals receiving home health care services and other long-term care services under the Medicare or Medicaid programs. Requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conduct such criminal background checks. Requires the national criminal background check program to be made available to a long-term care facility or provider. Adds to the nursing home patient's bill of rights the right to a safe environment during an emergency or natural disaster. Requires a SNF under Medicare and Medicaid to: (1) have a clear and preestablished disaster plan; and (2) inform residents and next-of-kin about it and the location of possible evacuation in case of an emergency disaster. Applies the same requirement to other long-term care facilities.
Bill· HJRESH.J.Res. 97 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2006
Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007 - Makes continuing appropriations for FY2007. Appropriates amounts for continuing operations, projects or activities which were conducted in FY2006 and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority would be made available in the: (1) Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2007; (2) Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2007 (in the House of Representatives) or the Energy and Water Appropriations Act, 2007 (in the Senate); (3) Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2007 (in the House) or the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2007 (in the Senate); (4) Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007; (5) Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2007; (6) Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2007; (7) Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2007; (8) Military Construction, Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2007 (in the House) or the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2007 (in the Senate); (9) Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2007 (in the House) or the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2007 (in the Senate); and (10) Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2007 (in the House) or the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2007 (in the Senate), and the District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 2007 (in the Senate). Provides funding under this resolution until the earliest of: (1) enactment of an appropriation for any project or activity provided for in this joint resolution; (2) enactment of the applicable appropriations Act by both Houses without any provision for such project or activity; or (3) November 17, 2006. Authorizes continuation of other specified activities (including activities for entitlements and other mandatory payments) through such date.
Bill· SS. 3926 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2006
Empower America: Securing America's Energy Future Act of 2006 - Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Promotion Act of 2006 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to make eligible for Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantees any large-scale coal-to-liquid facilities that use domestic coal resources to produce at least 10,000 barrels a day of liquid transportation fuel. Directs the Secretary of Energy (Secretary) to establish a coal-to-liquid facilities loan program. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer funds to the Secretary for a clean coal power initiative. Gas Petroleum Refiner Improvement and Community Empowerment Act, or the Gas PRICE Act - Obligates the Secretary of Commerce and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take specified steps to streamline the petroleum refinery permitting process. Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2006 - Sets forth actions under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) with respect to oil and natural gas production from leased tracts within the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), especially the sharing of OCS receipts with neighboring states. Rigs to Reefs Act of 2006 - Revises OCSLA to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue regulations for authorizing use of a decommissioned offshore oil and gas platform or other facility for an artificial reef, scientific research, or any other authorized use. Federal Energy Natural Resources Enhancement Fund Act of 2006 - Institutes a Federal Energy Natural Resources Enhancement Fund. Energy and Mineral Schools Reinvestment Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to provide funds to historic and existing state-chartered recognized petroleum or mining schools and related institutions. National GEO Fund Act of 2006 - Creates a National Geo Fund for grants to support geothermal and geopressure oil and gas energy production, as well as a new program for fuel production from strategic unconventional resources and oil and gas resources using CO2 enhanced recovery. Arctic Coastal Plain Domestic Energy Security Act of 2006 - Keeps specified areas in the Coastal Plain of Alaska, including the Sadlerochit Spring Area, separate from oil and natural gas leasing activity for purposes of environmental, wildlife, and cultural management. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish a competitive and environmentally sound oil and gas leasing program on the Coastal Plain. Specifies lease terms and related requirements. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000 to fund biomass and other renewable energy resource research and development. Directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct an electric drive transportation technology research, development, demonstration, and commercial application program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow an income tax credit for qualified teleworking expenses; and (2) exclude employer-provided computer equipment from gross income as a fringe benefit. Corporate Average Fuel Economy Reform Act of 2006 - Amends federal transportation law to require the Secretary of Transportation to revise average fuel economy standards for passenger automobiles. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to provide funding for the Advanced Building Efficiency Testbed and energy efficient public building programs, and the energy efficiency public information initiative. Gasoline Consumer Anti-Price-Gouging Protection Act - Prohibits suppliers from selling gasoline or petroleum distillates at unjustifiably increased prices in areas where the President or the Federal Trade Commission has proclaimed an emergency owing to an abnormal market disruption. Prescribes civil and criminal penalties. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the excise tax credit for coal-to-liquids, the alternative motor vehicle credit, biodiesel income and excise tax credits, the investment tax credit with respect to solar energy property and qualified fuel cell property, the credit for production of natural gas, and the credit for residential energy efficient property. Extends specified tax incentives to encourage cellulosic ethanol production and the renewable electricity production credit. Amends the Clean Air Act to revise the authority of the EPA Administrator to make boutique fuel reductions.
Law· HRH.R. 6121 (109th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2006
Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (popularly known as the Clean Water Act) to extend through FY2011 the authorization of appropriations for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 1027 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2006
Expresses sorrow upon the death of Stephen Robert Irwin, better known as Steve Irwin (nicknamed the Crocodile Hunter). Commends the life work of Steve Irwin and recognizes his contributions to protecting the environment, promoting wildlife conservation, and educating and inspiring millions around the world. Extends heartfelt sympathy to Steve Irwin's family, particularly his wife Terri and children Bindi Sue and Robert.
Bill· HRH.R. 6112 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2006
Denali National Park and Alaska Railroad Land Exchange Act of 2006 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to exchange land within Denali National Park with the Alaska Railroad for the purpose of turning railroad trains around near Denali Park Station. Requires the Alaska Railroad to pay the costs of any such land exchange, including the costs of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the costs of land surveys, and other reasonable costs to accomplish the exchange.
Bill· SS. 3898 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2006
National Reportable Conditions Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Commission on National Reportable Conditions to review state and local regulations to determine the existence of conditions that represent a serious threat to the health of individuals in the United States, compile a list of national reportable conditions to be recommended for certifications, and advise the Secretary. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, based upon the Commission's recommendations, to: (1) annually certify a list of national reportable conditions (i.e., diseases, conditions, and events that when identified by health practitioners, veterinarians, animal and food production specialists, state and local health professionals, environmental and public utility workers, and laboratory workers must be reported to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)); (2) establish an electronic National Reportable Conditions System, a data repository of records processed by the System, a process to enable commercial entities to transmit reports to a single government entity, and a process for the identification of obstacles or challenges to the achievement of the purposes of this Act (including a research program to identify or create solutions); and (3) award grants to state and local entities to enable them to conduct surveillance and timely reporting activities regarding the submission of reports. Requires the Secretary to establish a process that permits the simultaneous submission of reports to a state or local jurisdiction to achieve compliance with a state or local law.
Bill· HRH.R. 6086 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2006
National Reportable Conditions Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Commission on National Reportable Conditions to review state and local regulations to determine the existence of conditions that represent a serious threat to the health of individuals in the United States, compile a list of national reportable conditions to be recommended for certifications, and advise the Secretary. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, based upon the Commission's recommendations, to: (1) annually certify a list of national reportable conditions (i.e., diseases, conditions, and events that when identified by health practitioners, veterinarians, animal and food production specialists, state and local health professionals, environmental and public utility workers, and laboratory workers must be reported to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)); (2) establish an electronic National Reportable Conditions System, a data repository of records processed by the System, a process to enable commercial entities to transmit reports to a single government entity, and a process for the identification of obstacles or challenges to the achievement of the purposes of this Act (including a research program to identify or create solutions); and (3) award grants to state and local entities to enable them to conduct surveillance and timely reporting activities regarding the submission of reports. Requires the Secretary to establish a process that permits the simultaneous submission of reports to a state or local jurisdiction to achieve compliance with a state or local law.
Bill· HRH.R. 6064 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2006
Healthy Farms, Foods, and Fuels Act of 2006 - Extends: (1) the conservation reserve program; (2) the wetlands reserve program; (3) the conservation security program; (4) the grassland reserve program; (5) the environmental quality incentives program; (6) the wildlife habitat incentive program; (7) the agricultural management assistance program; and (8) the organic agriculture research and extension initiative. Establishes: (1) the cooperative conservation partnership initiative; (2) the suburban and community forestry and open space program; (3) an integrated pest management initiative; and (4) a conservation initiative for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Revises: (1) the farmland protection program; (2) funding for the healthy forests reserve program; and (3) the national organic certification and transition cost share program. Makes permanent funding available for: (1) the education grant program for Hispanic-serving institutions; and (2) the fresh fruit and vegetable program. Revises and extends the biorefinery development program. Extends: (1) the energy audit and renewable energy development program; (2) the renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements program; (3) the Department of Agriculture bioenergy program; (4) biomass research and development; and (5) carbon cycle research. Extends: (1) the community food project grant program; (2) the farm-to-cafeteria program; (3) WIC farmers' market nutrition program; (4) the senior farmers' market nutrition program; and (5) farmers' market promotion program.
Bill· HRH.R. 6068 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2006
North Bay Water Reuse Program Act of 2006 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to offer to enter into cooperative agreements with eligible entities in the North San Pablo Bay watershed located in Marin, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma Counties, California, for the planning, design, and construction of water reclamation and reuse projects. Directs the Secretary and such an entity to use the design work and environmental evaluations initiated by non-federal entities and the Corps of Engineers in that watershed to the maximum extent practicable. Requires such an agreement to specify the responsibilities of the Secretary and the entity regarding: (1) cost-share requirements; (2) needs assessment and project planning and design; (3) environmental compliance activity; (4) facilities construction; and (5) construction contract administration. Requires that any such project consist of two phases, during which the Secretary and an entity shall complete the planning, design, and construction of: (1) the main treatment and main conveyance system; and (2) the sub-regional distribution systems. Authorizes the Secretary to provide financial and technical assistance to an entity in planning, designing, conducting related pre-construction activities for, and constructing a project. Makes the entity responsible for the annual operation, maintenance, and replacement costs of the project. Requires the entity to develop an operation, maintenance, and replacement plan for the project.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 995 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2006
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. government should: (1) support and participate in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and assist African countries in implementing EITI or in adopting resource revenue transparency policies; (2) work with the international community to develop a monitoring process for nonmining natural resources, such as timber; (3) require natural resource extraction companies to disclose natural resource revenue payments on a country-by-country basis; (4) consider a government's substantive efforts or failure to ensure revenue transparency for critical natural resource sectors when determining eligibility for U.S. trade preference programs; (5) support disclosure of resource revenues and ex-ante disclosure of foreign investment contracts underpinning extractive sector projects, making such disclosures a condition of support for financing by the United States Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Export-Import Bank of the United States; and (6) work with international financial institutions to require resource revenue and contract transparency as a condition for lending or assistance to resource-rich developing countries.
Bill· SS. 3871 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2006
Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a hazardous waste electronic manifest system that may be used by a hazardous waste generator or transporter, an owner or operator of a hazardous waste treatment, storage, recycling, or disposal facility, or any other entity that is required to use a manifest to comply with any federal or state requirement to track the shipment, transportation, and receipt of hazardous waste or other material that is shipped from the generation site to an off-site facility for treatment, storage, disposal, or recycling. Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) impose service fees on users to pay for developing, operating, maintaining, and upgrading the system; and (2) deposit the fees into the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund (established by this Act). Requires the Administrator to: (1) establish the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Governing Board; and (2) carry out this Act in each state unless the state program is fully authorized to do so.
Bill· SS. 3868 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2006
Clean Air Attainment Enforcement Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to declare that if a state in which a covered (nonattainment) area is located does not submit a required implementation plan (for achieving and maintaining national ambient air quality standards), the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): (1) shall not have discretion to select whether highway and emission offset sanctions will be imposed on the covered area; and (2) shall impose such sanctions, with a specified exception regarding the emission offset requirements. Requires implementation plan revisions relating to the attainment plans for serious, severe, and extreme areas to require each major stationary source located in a covered area that emits VOCs (volatile organic compounds) or NOx (oxides of nitrogen) to pay the Administrator a fee as a penalty for the failure to attain the standard for ozone by the attainment date. Requires the Administrator: (1) upon approval of a state implementation plan, to annually determine whether a covered area is making sufficient progress to achieve attainment; (2) to impose on each major stationary source located in the covered area a penalty for failure to meet a national primary ambient air quality standard for ozone; and (3) to suspend the imposition of such penalties if a covered area is making sufficient progress for the current calendar year. Requires such fees and actions by the Administrator with respect to implementation plan revision requirements for major stationary sources that emit PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers).