[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2146 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.2146
One Hundred Tenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday,
the third day of January, two thousand and eight
An Act
To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
accept, as part of a settlement, diesel emission reduction Supplemental
Environmental Projects, 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. EPA AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT DIESEL EMISSIONS REDUCTION
SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS.
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
(hereinafter, the ``Agency'') may accept (notwithstanding sections 3302
and 1301 of title 31, United States Code) diesel emissions reduction
Supplemental Environmental Projects if the projects, as part of a
settlement of any alleged violations of environmental law--
(1) protect human health or the environment;
(2) are related to the underlying alleged violations;
(3) do not constitute activities that the defendant would
otherwise be legally required to perform; and
(4) do not provide funds for the staff of the Agency or for
contractors to carry out the Agency's internal operations.
SEC. 2. SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT PROVISIONS.
In any settlement agreement regarding alleged violations of
environmental law in which a defendant agrees to perform a diesel
emissions reduction Supplemental Environmental Project, the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall require the
defendant to include in the settlement documents a certification under
penalty of law that the defendant would have agreed to perform a
comparably valued, alternative project other than a diesel emissions
reduction Supplemental Environmental Project if the Administrator were
precluded by law from accepting a diesel emission reduction
Supplemental Environmental Project. A failure by the Administrator to
include this language in such a settlement agreement shall not create a
cause of action against the United States under the Clean Air Act or
any other law or create a basis for overturning a settlement agreement
entered into by the United States.
SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IN CERTAIN STATE AND
LOCAL GRANT PROGRAMS FOR DIESEL EMISSION REDUCTIONS.
(a) In General.--Section 791 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42
U.S.C. 16131) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following:
``(9) Definition of state.--The term `State' includes the
District of Columbia.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) Section 793(d)(2) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 16133(d)(2)) is amended by striking ``Governor'' and inserting
``chief executive''.
(2) Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 793(c)(2) of such Act are
each amended by striking ``50'' and inserting ``51'' and by striking
``2 percent'' and inserting ``1.96 percent'' in each place such terms
appear.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.