[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1363 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1363

 To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency 
   to transfer funds to the Secretary of State and award grants, to 
provide assistance to promote public health, the environment, and water 
    quality in the United States-Mexico border area, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               August 5 (legislative day, June 30), 1993

 Mr. DeConcini introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency 
   to transfer funds to the Secretary of State and award grants, to 
provide assistance to promote public health, the environment, and water 
    quality in the United States-Mexico border area, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Good Neighbor Environmental 
Assistance Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to protect the economy, public health, 
environment, and water quality of the United States-Mexico border area 
that is endangered and is being polluted by raw or partially treated 
sewage, effluent, and other pollutants.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Border state.--The term ``border State'' means each of 
        the following States:
                    (A) Arizona.
                    (B) California.
                    (C) New Mexico.
                    (D) Texas.
            (3) Commission.--The term ``United States Commissioner'' 
        means the United States Commissioner of the International 
        Boundary and Water Commission.
            (4) Construction.--The term ``construction'' has the 
        meaning provided the term under section 212(1) of the Federal 
        Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1292(1)).
            (5) Treatment works.--The term ``treatment works'' has the 
        meaning provided the term under section 212(2) of the Federal 
        Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1292(2)).

SEC. 4. CONSTRUCTION ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--On the approval by the Administrator of the 
necessary plans and specifications, the Administrator is authorized--
            (1) to transfer funds to--
                    (A) the Secretary of State, who shall transfer the 
                funds to the United States Commissioner for use by the 
                head of the American Section of the Commission; or
                    (B) the head of any other Federal agency; and
            (2) to make a grant to--
                    (A) an appropriate entity designated by the 
                President; or
                    (B) a border State designated by the President,
to carry out the construction of an eligible project described in 
subsection (b).
    (b) Eligible Project.--An eligible project described in this 
subsection is a project for the construction of--
            (1) a wastewater treatment works to protect public health, 
        the environment, and water quality from pollution resulting 
        from inadequacies or breakdowns in wastewater treatment works 
        and water system from Mexican wastewater affecting United 
        States waters or water/sewage systems; or
            (2) a treatment works to provide treatment of municipal 
        sewage and industrial waste.
    (c) Requirement for a Grant for a Construction Project in Mexico.--
The Administrator may make a grant for an eligible project described in 
subsection (b) in Mexico only if, after providing public notice and 
opportunity for comment, the Administrator determines that the then 
existing treatment works located in Mexico, in conjunction with any 
other then existing treatment works or treatment works scheduled to be 
constructed, are not sufficient (or will not be sufficient) to protect 
residents of border States from water pollution originating in Mexico.
    (d) Operation and Maintenance.--To carry out the purpose referred 
to in section 2, the United States Commissioner, the head of a Federal 
agency that receives a transfer of funds pursuant to subsection (a), or 
the recipient of a grant referred to in subsection (a) is authorized to 
maintain an eligible project constructed pursuant to this section.
    (e) Approval of Plans.--
            (1) Plans and specifications.--Each eligible project that 
        is funded by a transfer or a grant made pursuant to subsection 
        (a)(1) shall be constructed in accordance with plans and 
        specifications developed by the head of the American Section of 
        the Commission in consultation with the head of another Federal 
        agency of the appropriate official of an entity or border State 
        designated by the President under subsection (a), in 
        consultation with the appropriate official of the affected 
        border State. Such plans shall include construction cost 
        estimates.
            (2) Approval by the administrator.--As a condition of 
        carrying out the construction of an eligible project referred 
        in paragraph (1), the head of the Federal agency or appropriate 
        official of an entity or border State shall submit the plans 
        and specifications referred to in paragraph (1) to the 
        Administrator for approval.
            (3) Standards for construction.--The Administrator may 
        approve a plan referred to in paragraph (2) if the 
        Administrator determines that the eligible project that is the 
        subject of the plan meets the standards that would apply to the 
        treatment works or other project if the treatment works or 
        other project were constructed under appropriate standards 
        under the law of the United States and Mexico and under 
        applicable treaties and international agreements.
    (f) Federal Share.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        Federal share of construction of an eligible project that is 
        the subject of a transfer or grant under subsection (a) shall 
        be 100 percent of the cost of the eligible project.
            (2) Costs paid by the government of mexico.--If the 
        Secretary of State or another appropriate official of the 
        Federal Government enters into an agreement with the Government 
        of Mexico that provides for cost-sharing for an eligible 
        project that is the subject of assistance provided pursuant to 
        this section, the Federal share of the cost of the project 
        shall be the amount specified in the agreement.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Environmental 
Protection Agency to carry out this Act such sums as may be necessary 
for fiscal year 1994, and for each fiscal year thereafter.

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