[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 574 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 574

 To modify the project for navigation, Mississippi River Ship Channel, 
   Gulf of Mexico to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 14, 2013

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To modify the project for navigation, Mississippi River Ship Channel, 
   Gulf of Mexico to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 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 ```Dredging for Restoration and 
Economic Development for Global Exports Act of 2013''' or the ```DREDGE 
Act of 2013'''.

SEC. 2. MISSISSIPPI RIVER SHIP CHANNEL, GULF OF MEXICO TO BATON ROUGE, 
              LOUISIANA.

    (a) Project Modification.--The project for navigation, Mississippi 
River Ship Channel, Gulf of Mexico to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 
authorized by the matter under the heading ``mississippi river ship 
channel, gulf to baton rouge, louisiana'' of section 201(a) of the 
Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (100 Stat. 4090), is modified 
as follows to direct the Secretary of the Army, acting through the 
Chief of Engineers--
            (1) to achieve, operate, and maintain a navigation channel 
        of 50 feet with respect to the portion of the project from 
        Baton Rouge to the Southwest Pass sea buoy;
            (2) to complete the work required under paragraph (1) not 
        later than the last day of the third fiscal year beginning 
        after the date of enactment of this Act (completing at least 
        \1/3\ of that work in each of the first 2 fiscal years 
        beginning after the date of enactment of this Act); and
            (3) to conduct a pilot disposal and sediment project in the 
        Southwest Pass area to determine the cost-effectiveness of 
        pump-out disposal operations for hopper dredges for--
                    (A) environmental enhancement; and
                    (B) dredged material disposal.
    (b) Consultation.--In carrying out subsection (a)(3), the Secretary 
of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, shall consult with 
appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies and stakeholders to 
determine the safe placement and timing of pump-out disposal operations 
that protect, create, restore, and nourish coastal wetlands and aquatic 
habitat.
    (c) Treatment of Costs.--All costs of the work required under 
subsection (a) shall be treated as operation and maintenance costs, 
including the first costs of achieving a navigation channel of 50 feet.
    (d) Federal Share.--Notwithstanding section 101(b)(1) of the Water 
Resources Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2211(b)(1)), the Federal 
share of the cost of the work required under subsection (a) shall be 
100 percent.
    (e) Funding.--Notwithstanding section 210 of the Water Resources 
Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2238) or section 9505 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Secretary of the Army, acting 
through the Chief of Engineers, shall pay 100 percent of the costs of 
the work required under subsection (a) out of amounts made available to 
the Secretary from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for operation and 
maintenance expenses.
    (f) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Army, acting through the 
Chief of Engineers, shall submit to Congress a report on--
            (1) the cost and the environmental, storm damage reduction, 
        and social benefits of the pump-out disposal operation carried 
        out under subsection (a)(3), as compared to standard dredging 
        practices for the area; and
            (2) the total quantity of dredge material produced during 
        operation and maintenance activities in the New Orleans 
        District and the quantity that is beneficially used.
    (g) Limitation on Statutory Construction.--Nothing in this section 
affects the authority of the Secretary of the Army with respect to the 
width of the project referred to in subsection (a).
                                 <all>