[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2041 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2041

 To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to exempt discharges 
 from certain silvicultural activities from permit requirements of the 
            national pollutant discharge elimination system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 8, 2000

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to exempt discharges 
 from certain silvicultural activities from permit requirements of the 
            national pollutant discharge elimination system.

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

SECTION 1. EXEMPTION FOR SILVICULTURAL ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--Section 402(l) of the Federal Water Pollution 
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1342(l)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
            ``(3) Silvicultural activities.--The Administrator shall 
        not require a permit under this section, nor shall the 
        Administrator directly or indirectly require any State to 
        require such a permit, for discharges of stormwater runoff from 
        silvicultural activities conducted in connection with--
                    ``(A) site preparation;
                    ``(B) reforestation (including subsequent cultural 
                treatment);
                    ``(C) thinning;
                    ``(D) prescribed burning;
                    ``(E) pest and fire control;
                    ``(F) harvesting operations;
                    ``(G) surface drainage;
                    ``(H) road construction and maintenance; and
                    ``(I) nursery operations.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 502(14) of the Federal Water 
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1362(14)) is amended by striking the 
second sentence and inserting the following: ``This term does not 
include agricultural stormwater discharges, return flows from irrigated 
agriculture, and discharges of stormwater runoff from silvicultural 
activities described in section 402(l)(3).''.
                                 <all>