FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ACT
Bills and resolutions
Agriculture: codify exemptions for farming, forestry, and ranching relative to permit requirements for dredged or fill material (see H.R. 2581), H4174 [28JN]
Dept. of the Interior: conduct study on stormwater runoff from oil and gas operations (see H.R. 1175), H1426 [14MR]
EPA: carry out a pilot program to work with municipalities seeking to develop and implement integrated plans to meet Federal Water Pollution Control Act wastewater and stormwater obligations (see H.R. 2707), H4597 [17JY]
——— clarify and confirm authority to deny or restrict the use of a defined area as a dredged or fill material disposal site (see S. 830), S3028 [25AP]
——— clarify that fill material cannot be comprised of waste in order to protect water supplies (see H.R. 1837), H2436 [6MY]
——— establish national standards for discharges from cruise vessels (see S. 1359), S5907 [24JY]
——— exempt the conduct of silvicultural activities from national pollutant discharge elimination system permitting requirements (see S. 971), S3569 [16MY] (see H.R. 2026), H2717 [16MY]
——— implement guidelines for specification of certain dredged or fill material disposal sites (see S. 1470), S6208 [1AU] (see H.R. 2937), H5343 [1AU]
——— improve beach monitoring by requiring coastal States to adopt water quality standards, conduct quicker water testing, and improved monitoring and public notification programs (see H.R. 2601), H4174 [28JN]
——— limit citizens suits against publicly owned water treatment works, provide for defenses, extend period of a permit, and limit attorneys fees (see H.R. 202), H52 [4JA]
——— make permanent the moratorium on certain regulations and fines governing incidental discharges from commercial vessels under a certain size (see H.R. 3464), H7050 [13NO]
——— preserve States’ authority to make determinations relating to water quality standards (see H.R. 1948), H2574 [13MY]
——— provide guidance and clarification relative to issuance and renewal of coal mining permits for dredged or fill material (see S. 861), S3091 [6MY] (see H.R. 1829), H2436 [6MY]
——— reduce or eliminate the risk of releases of hazardous chemicals from public water systems and wastewater treatment works (see S. 67), S213 [23JA]
——— remove authority to retroactively disapprove permits to discharge dredged or fill material into navigable waters that have been issued by the Corps of Engineers (see H.R. 524), H410 [6FE]
Great Lakes: establish deadline for restricting sewage dumping and fund programs and activities for improving wastewater discharges (see S. 571), S1853 [14MR] (see H.R. 1185), H1426 [14MR]
——— protect and restore (see S. 1232), S5264 [26JN] (see H.R. 2773), H4856 [22JY]
——— provide assistance for nutrient removal technologies to adjacent States (see H.R. 600), H431 [8FE]
Long Island Sound: amend and reauthorize certain provisions relating to restoration and stewardship (see S. 1080), S3844 [23MY] (see H.R. 2174), H2954 [23MY]
Mining and mineral resources: facilitate remediation of abandoned hardrock mines (see S. 1443), S6207 [1AU] (see H.R. 2970), H5344 [1AU]
Outer Continental Shelf: modernize and enhance Federal response to oil spills and improve oversight and regulation of offshore drilling (see H.R. 1820), H2393 [26AP]
Petroleum: establish Federal Oil Spill Research Committee and improve oil spill response plans (see S. 1483), S6208 [1AU]
Power resources: prohibit a national energy tax and revise regulations relative to discharge of pollutants by the coal industry into certain protected waters (see S. 1514), S6518 [17SE]
Public works: clarify maintenance exemption regarding removal of sediment, debris, and vegetation from certain structures (see H.R. 1296), H1719 [20MR]
San Francisco Bay: establish a grant program to support restoration (see S. 224), S469 [4FE] (see H.R. 843), H659 [26FE]
Sewage disposal: ensure that sewage treatment plants monitor for and report discharges of raw sewage (see S. 396), S943 [27FE]
Water: authorize appropriations for State water pollution control revolving funds (see H.R. 1877), H2532 [8MY]
——— prevent finalization by the EPA or Corps of Engineers of proposed guidance on identification of waters protected by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (see S. 1006), S3760 [22MY]
Water pollution: clarify requirement that permit applications for the discharge of pollutants be approved by disinterested board members (see H.R. 836), H659 [26FE]
Press releases
EPA Coal Rule Threatens Energy Independence, Says IBEW: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, S6693 [24SE]
Remarks in House
Corps of Engineers: grant flexibility in defining the terms ‘‘fill material’’ or ‘‘discharge of fill material’’ relative to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, H4250–H4253 [9JY]
——— prohibit funding to regulate farming, forestry, and ranching activities exempted under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, H4358, H4359 [10JY]
——— update regulations and guidelines defining what waters and wetlands are subject to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, H4247–H4250 [9JY]
Dept. of the Interior: conduct study on stormwater runoff from oil and gas operations (H.R. 1175), H7281 [20NO]
——— require offshore drilling operations have mandatory safety and environmental management controls to prevent oil spills, H4106 [27JN]
EPA: exempt the conduct of silvicultural activities from national pollutant discharge elimination system permitting requirements, H3856, H3857 [19JN]
Great Lakes: protect and restore (H.R. 2773), H5275 [1AU]
Infrastructure: limit States’ ability to use authority under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act to delay federally approved projects, E1317 [16SE]
Outer Continental Shelf: modernize and enhance Federal response to oil spills and improve oversight and regulation of offshore drilling (H.R. 1820), E564 [26AP]
Water: authorize appropriations for State water pollution control revolving funds (H.R. 1877), E623 [8MY]
Water Resources Reform and Development Act: impact on environmental laws, H6718 [23OC]
Remarks in Senate
EPA: establish national standards for discharges from cruise vessels (S. 1359), S6105 [31JY]
——— exempt the conduct of silvicultural activities from national pollutant discharge elimination system permitting requirements (S. 971), S3573 [16MY]
——— implement guidelines for specification of certain dredged or fill material disposal sites (S. 1470), S6235 [1AU]
Great Lakes: establish deadline for restricting sewage dumping and fund programs and activities for improving wastewater discharges (S. 571), S1859–S1861 [14MR]
——— protect and restore (S. 1232), S5272 [26JN]
Mining and mineral resources: facilitate remediation of abandoned hardrock mines (S. 1443), S6221 [1AU]
Power resources: prohibit a national energy tax and revise regulations relative to discharge of pollutants by the coal industry into certain protected waters, S6693 [24SE]
——— prohibit a national energy tax and revise regulations relative to discharge of pollutants by the coal industry into certain protected waters (S. 1514), S6544 [17SE], S6547 [18SE], S6612 [19SE]
——— prohibit a national energy tax and revise regulations relative to discharge of pollutants by the coal industry into certain protected waters (S. 1514), unanimous-consent request, S6612 [19SE]
San Francisco Bay: establish a grant program to support restoration (S. 224), S472 [4FE]
Water: prevent finalization by the EPA or Corps of Engineers of proposed guidance on identification of waters protected by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, S3408–S3410, S3412, S3416, S3417 [14MY]
Texts of
S. 224, San Francisco Bay Restoration Act, S472 [4FE]
S. 571, Great Lakes Water Protection Act, S1860 [14MR]
S. 861, EPA guidance and clarification relative to issuance and renewal of coal mining permits for dredged or fill material, S3093–S3096 [6MY]
S. 971, Silviculture Regulatory Consistency Act, S3573 [16MY]