[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4667 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4667

To authorize and facilitate hydroelectric power licensing of the Tapoco 
                    Project, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 23, 2004

  Mr. Duncan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize and facilitate hydroelectric power licensing of the Tapoco 
                    Project, 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 ``Tapoco Project Licensing Act of 
2004''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) APGI.--The term ``APGI'' means Alcoa Power Generating 
        Inc., its successors and assigns.
            (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Energy Regulatory Commission.
            (3) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Tapoco 
        Hydroelectric Project, P-2169, Settlement Agreement, Appendix 
        B, Proposed Land Swap Areas, National Park Service and APGI'', 
        numbered TP514, Issue No. 9, and dated June 8, 2004.
            (4) Park.--The term ``Park'' means Great Smoky Mountains 
        National Park.
            (5) Project.--The term ``Project'' means the Tapoco 
        Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2169, including the 
        Chilhowee Dam and Reservoir in the State of Tennessee.
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 3. LAND EXCHANGE.

    (a) Authorization.--
            (1) In general.--Upon the conveyance by APGI of title 
        acceptable to the Secretary of the land identified in paragraph 
        (2), the Secretary shall simultaneously convey to APGI title to 
        the land identified in paragraph (3).
            (2) Description of land to be conveyed by apgi.--The land 
        to be conveyed by APGI to the Secretary is the approximately 
        186 acres of land, subject to any encumbrances existing before 
        February 21, 2003--
                    (A) within the authorized boundary of the Park, 
                located northeast of United States Highway 129 and 
                adjacent to the APGI power line; and
                    (B) as generally depicted on the map as ``Proposed 
                Property Transfer from APGI to National Park Service''.
            (3) Description of land to be conveyed by the secretary.--
        The land to be conveyed by the Secretary to APGI is the 
        approximately 110 acres of land within the Park that is--
                    (A) adjacent to or flooded by the Chilhowee 
                Reservoir;
                    (B) within the boundary of the Project as of 
                February 21, 2003; and
                    (C) as generally depicted on the map as ``Proposed 
                Property Transfer from National Park Service to APGI''.
    (b) Minor Adjustments to Conveyed Land.--The Secretary and APGI may 
mutually agree to make minor boundary or acreage adjustments to the 
land identified in subsection (a).
    (c) Opportunity to Mitigate.--If the Secretary determines that all 
or part of the land to be conveyed to the Secretary under subsection 
(a)(2) is unsuitable for inclusion in the Park, APGI shall have the 
opportunity to make the land suitable for inclusion in the Park.
    (d) Conservation Easement.--The Secretary shall reserve a 
conservation easement over any land transferred to APGI under 
subsection (a)(3) that, subject to any terms and conditions imposed by 
the Commission in any license that the Commission may issue for the 
Project. The conservation easement shall--
            (1) specifically prohibit any development of the land by 
        APGI, other than any development that is necessary for the 
        continued operation and maintenance of the Chilhowee Reservoir;
            (2) authorize public access to the easement area, subject 
        to National Park Service regulations; and
            (3) authorize the National Park Service to enforce Park 
        regulations on the land and in and on the waters of Chilhowee 
        Reservoir lying on the land, to the extent not inconsistent 
        with any license condition considered necessary by the 
        Commission.
    (e) Applicability of Certain Laws.--Section 5(b) of Public Law 90-
401 (16 U.S.C. 460l-22(b)), shall not apply to the land exchange 
authorized under this section.
    (f) Reversion.--
            (1) In general.--The deed from the Secretary to APGI shall 
        contain a provision that requires the land described in 
        subsection (a)(3) to revert to the United States if--
                    (A) the Chilhowee Reservoir ceases to exist; or
                    (B) the Commission issues a final order 
                decommissioning the Project from which no further 
                appeal may be taken.
            (2) Applicable law.--A reversion under this subsection 
        shall not eliminate APGI's responsibility to comply with all 
        applicable provisions of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 791a 
        et seq.), including regulations.
    (g) Boundary Adjustment.--
            (1) In general.--On completion of the land exchange 
        authorized under this section, the Secretary shall--
                    (A) adjust the boundary of the Park to include the 
                land described in subsection (a)(2); and
                    (B) administer any acquired land as part of the 
                Park in accordance with applicable law (including 
                regulations).
            (2) National park service land.--Notwithstanding the 
        exchange of land under this section, the land described in 
        subsection (a)(3) shall remain within the boundary of the Park.
            (3) Public notice.--The Secretary shall publish in the 
        Federal Register notice of any boundary revision under 
        paragraph (1).

SEC. 4. PROJECT LICENSING.

    Notwithstanding the continued inclusion of the land described in 
section 3(a)(3) in the boundary of the Park (including any modification 
made pursuant to section 3(b)) on completion of the land exchange, the 
Commission shall have jurisdiction to license the Project.

SEC. 5. LAND ACQUISITION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture may 
acquire, from willing owners only, by purchase, donation, or exchange, 
any land or interest in land that--
            (1) may be transferred by APGI to any nongovernmental 
        organization; and
            (2) is identified as ``Permanent Easement'' or ``Term 
        Easement'' on the map entitled ``Tapoco Hydroelectric Project, 
        P-2169, Settlement Agreement, Appendix B, Proposed Land 
        Conveyances in Tennessee'', numbered TP616, Issue No. 15, and 
        dated March 11, 2004.
    (b) Land Acquired by the Secretary of the Interior.--The Secretary 
shall--
            (1) adjust the boundary of the Park to include any land or 
        interest in land acquired by the Secretary under subsection 
        (a);
            (2) administer any acquired land or interest in land as 
        part of the Park in accordance with applicable law (including 
        regulations); and
            (3) publish notice of the adjustment in the Federal 
        Register.
    (c) Land Acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture.--
            (1) Boundary adjustment.--The Secretary of Agriculture 
        shall--
                    (A) adjust the boundary of the Cherokee National 
                Forest to include any land acquired under subsection 
                (a);
                    (B) administer any acquired land or interest in 
                land as part of the Cherokee National Forest in 
                accordance with applicable law (including regulations); 
                and
                    (C) publish notice of the adjustment in the Federal 
                Register.
            (2) Management.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall 
        evaluate the feasibility of managing any land acquired by the 
        Secretary of Agriculture under subsection (a) in a manner that 
        retains the primitive, back-country character of the land.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this Act.
                                 <all>