[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4104 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4104

 To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize funding 
   to carry out certain water quality and barrier island restoration 
      projects for the Mississippi Sound, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 28, 2000

  Mr. Taylor of Mississippi introduced the following bill; which was 
     referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize funding 
   to carry out certain water quality and barrier island restoration 
      projects for the Mississippi Sound, 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 ``Mississippi Sound Restoration Act of 
2000''.

 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the Mississippi Sound provides a diverse environment 
        that provides the diverse essential habitat that supports 
        numerous species of fish, birds, mammals, and plants;
            (2) the Sound supports an extensive and successful seafood 
        industry that is important to the region's economy and way of 
        life;
            (3) the unique natural resources of the Sound provides the 
        community with extensive recreational opportunities adding to 
        the quality of life and contributing to the local economy;
            (4) the Sound encompasses an area of approximately 2,400 
        square miles;
            (5) the barrier islands system is in need of restoration to 
        serve as wildlife habitat and to provide mainland protection 
        from coastal erosion;
            (6) increasing population growth and rapid development 
        combined with intensive land use have resulted in dramatic 
        threats to the environment and ecology of the Sound;
            (7) a major source of pollution in the Sound is raw or 
        partially treated human waste from--
                    (A) communities with poor sewer systems or without 
                sewer systems; and
                    (B) septic tank systems that are not operating 
                properly;
            (8) such pollution has a negative impact on the seafood 
        industry through occasional closings of oyster banks;
            (9) the tourism industry is adversely affected from beach 
        closings due to storm runoff containing untreated human waste; 
        and
            (10) the programs and activities of the various Federal 
        agencies involved with administration of laws, programs, and 
        assets that affect the water quality of the Sound, including 
        the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of 
        Engineers, and other agencies, lack coordination and sufficient 
        resources to measure and remediate water quality problems in 
        the Sound.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to coordinate the restoration efforts of Federal, 
        State, and local agencies and nonregulatory organizations in 
        the restoration of the Mississippi Sound;
            (2) to establish the Mississippi Sound Restoration Program 
        within the Environmental Protection Agency; and
            (3) to authorize and provide adequate resources for 
        restoration projects in the Sound.

 SEC. 3. MISSISSIPPI SOUND.

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

``SEC. 121. MISSISSIPPI SOUND.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions 
apply:
            ``(1) Sound.--The term `Sound' means the Mississippi Sound 
        located on the Gulf Coast of the State of Mississippi.
            ``(2) Council.--The term `Council' means the Mississippi 
        Sound Executive Council established under subsection (b)(3)(A).
            ``(3) Management plan.--The term `management plan' means 
        the sound management plan developed under subsection (b)(3)(B).
            ``(4) Program.--The term `program' means the Mississippi 
        Sound Restoration Program established under subsection (b)(1).
    ``(b) Mississippi Sound Restoration Program.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall 
        establish within the Environmental Protection Agency the 
        Mississippi Sound Restoration Program.
            ``(2) Purposes.--The purposes of the program shall be--
                    ``(A) to coordinate efforts among and provide 
                resources for Federal, State, and local governmental 
                agencies and nonregulatory organizations to reduce 
                pollution and restore barrier islands in the Sound; and
                    ``(B) to restore the ecological health of the 
                Sound.
            ``(3) Administration.--
                    ``(A) Mississippi sound executive council.--Not 
                later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
                section, the Administrator shall establish the 
                Mississippi Sound Executive Council, to be composed of 
                the following individuals (or their designees):
                            ``(i) The Administrator.
                            ``(ii) The Governor of the State of 
                        Mississippi.
                            ``(iii) One representative from each of 
                        Hancock County, Harrison County, and Jackson 
                        County, Mississippi, designated by the board of 
                        supervisors of the County.
                            ``(iv) The director of the Gulf Coast 
                        Research Lab located in Ocean Springs, 
                        Mississippi, or the designee of the director.
                            ``(v) The Director of the Mississippi 
                        Department of Marine Resources or the designee 
                        of the Director.
                    ``(B) Management plan.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Not later than 180 days 
                        after the date of enactment of this section, 
                        the Administrator, in cooperation with 
                        appropriate Federal, State, and local 
                        authorities, shall assist the Council in 
                        developing a comprehensive, multiuse, 
                        management plan for the restoration and 
                        protection of the Sound.
                            ``(ii) Assistance.--Assistance provided by 
                        the Administrator under subparagraph (A) shall 
                        include grants for and technical assistance 
                        in--
                                    ``(I) developing an annual work 
                                plan endorsed by the Council;
                                    ``(II) supporting Sound-wide 
                                environmental monitoring and research 
                                to provide technical and scientific 
                                information necessary to support 
                                management decisions;
                                    ``(III) developing a comprehensive 
                                research plan to address the technical 
                                needs of the program; and
                                    ``(IV) recommending restoration 
                                projects for implementation by the 
                                State of Mississippi, counties, and 
                                nongovernmental entities.
    ``(c) Restoration Projects.--In accordance with the management 
plan, the Administrator shall provide funding and oversight to carry 
out voluntary restoration projects for the Sound that--
            ``(1) address human waste problems in the Sound by 
        providing a cost-sharing construction and education program 
        that offers incentives to counties and local communities to 
        improve sewage treatment facilities;
            ``(2) provide for the rerouting of discharges from pumping 
        stations through adjacent wetlands, using existing canals and 
        small water control structures, in order to use natural wetland 
        to filter pollutants from urban stormwater;
            ``(3) improve Sound water quality by establishing new 
        sanitation and sewage systems where needed;
            ``(4) reverse the trend of decreasing acreage of barrier 
        islands and coastal wetlands in the Sound by creating new 
        sustainable wetland habitat and restoring barrier islands 
        through the beneficial use of dredged material;
            ``(5) retain the integrity of natural structural elements 
        in the coastal landscape, such as ridges and barrier islands, 
        in order to reduce storm surge impacts to essential habitats 
        and human infrastructure; and
            ``(6) restore and enhance the sustainable yield of fin and 
        shellfish by the re-creation and enhancement of keys and reefs 
        and enhancement of keys and reefs that have been destroyed as a 
        result of human or natural activity.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out subsections (b) 
and (c). Such funds shall remain available until expended.''.
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