[Senate Report 109-352]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





                                                       Calendar No. 646
109th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session                                                     109-352

======================================================================



 
  EXTEND AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN

                                _______
                                

               September 27, 2006.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

    Mr. Inhofe, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 3630]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 
referred a bill (S. 3630) to amend the Federal Water Pollution 
Control Act to reauthorize a program relating to the Lake 
Pontchartrain Basin, and for other purposes, having considered 
the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and 
recommends that the bill do pass.

                    General Statement and Background

    The Lake Pontchartrain Basin watershed covers a 5,000 
square mile area and includes 16 Louisiana parishes and four 
Mississippi counties. Almost 1.5 million people live in the 
area of Lake Pontchartrain, the 630 square mile lake at the 
center of the basin, making it the most densely populated area 
in Louisiana. The Basin also includes Lakes Borgne and 
Maurepas, and these three lakes comprise one of the largest 
estuaries in the U.S. The Basin supports numerous species of 
fish, birds, mammals, and plants, and its fisheries contribute 
over $35 million to the local economy by providing much of the 
seafood harvested in the Gulf Coast.
    The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program was 
created in 2000 as part of the Estuaries and Clean Waters Act. 
It authorized $20 million a year for fiscal years 2001 to 2005 
to fund research and projects aimed at the restoring the 
environmental health of the Lake.

                     Objectives of the Legislation

    S. 3630 would extend the authorization of appropriations 
for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Lake 
Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program through 2011.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis

    Section 1--Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration 
Reauthorization--This section extends the authorization for the 
Lake Pontchartrain Basin program through 2011.
    Section 2--Makes a technical correction redesignating 
Section 121 of the Clean Water Act as Section 122.

                          Legislative History

    On July 10, 2006, Senator David Vitter introduced S. 3630.

                             Rollcall Votes

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works met to 
consider S. 3630 on September 13, 2006. There were no recorded 
votes taken in connection with ordering S. 3630 reported. A 
motion to order S. 3630 reported to the Senate was agreed to by 
voice vote.

                      Regulatory Impact Statement

    In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee makes evaluation of 
the regulatory impact of the reported bill.
    The bill does not create any additional regulatory burdens, 
nor will it cause any adverse impact on the personal privacy of 
individuals.

                          Mandates Assessment

    In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
(Public Law 104-4), the committee finds that S. 2781 would not 
impose Federal intergovernmental unfunded mandates on State, 
local, or tribal governments.

                          Cost of Legislation

    Section 403 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment 
Control Act requires that a statement of the cost of the 
reported bill, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, be 
included in the report. That statement follows:

S. 3630--A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to 
        reauthorize a program relating to the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, 
        and for other purposes

    Summary: CBO estimates that implementing this legislation 
would cost $84 million over the next five years, assuming 
appropriation of the authorized amounts. S. 3630 would extend 
the authorization of appropriations for the Environmental 
Protection Agency's (EPA's) Lake Pontchartrain Basin 
Restoration Program through 2011. (That authorization 
terminated in 2005.) The legislation would authorize the 
appropriation of $20 million annually through 2011 for this 
program. Such funding would be used to support public education 
projects and efforts to restore the ecological health of the 
lake basin.
    Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or 
revenues. S. 3630 contains no intergovernmental or private-
sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 
(UMRA) and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    Estimated cost to the Federal Government: For this 
estimate, CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted near the 
beginning of fiscal year 2007 and that the authorized amounts 
will be appropriated for each fiscal year, beginning with 
fiscal year 2007. Estimated outlays are based on historical 
spending patterns for ongoing activities. The estimated 
budgetary impact of S. 3630 is shown in the following table. 
The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 300 
(natural resources and the environment).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
                                                              2006     2007     2008     2009     2010     2011
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION

                                     Spending Under Current Law for the Lake

Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program:
    Budget Authority\1\...................................        2        0        0        0        0        0
    Estimated Outlays.....................................        1        1        0        0        0        0
Proposed Changes:
    Authorization Level...................................        0       20       20       20       20       20
    Estimated Outlays.....................................        0        8       17       19       20       20

                                       Spending Under S. 3630 for the Lake


Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program:
    Authorization Level\1\................................        2       20       20       20       20       20
    Estimated Outlays.....................................        1        9       17       19       20      20
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\The 2006 level is the amount appropriated for that year to EPA to implement the Lake Pontchartrain Basin
  Restoration Program.

    Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 3630 
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as 
defined in UMRA. Louisiana and Mississippi, and local 
governments in those states, that participate in the Lake 
Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program would benefit from the 
bill's reauthorization of grants, research, and restoration 
activities for the basin. Any costs to participate in the 
program would be incurred voluntarily.
    Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Susanne S. Mehlman. 
Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Lisa Ramirez-
Branum. Impact on the Private Sector: Amy Petz.
    Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                        Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill 
as reported are shown as follows: Existing law proposed to be 
omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in 
italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 
roman:

FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ACT

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                 TITLE I--RESEARCH AND RELATED PROGRAMS

                    DECLARATION OF GOALS AND POLICY

    Sec. 101. (a) The objective of this Act is to restore and 
maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of 
the Nation's waters. In order to achieve this objective it is 
hereby declared that, consistent with the provisions of this 
Act----
          (1) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 121. LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN.

    (a) Establishment of Restoration Program.--* * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
          (1) In general.--There is authorized to be 
        appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2001 through [2005] 2011. Such 
        sums shall remain available until expended.
          (2) Public education projects.--Not more than 15 
        percent of the amount appropriated pursuant to 
        paragraph (1) in a fiscal year may be expended on 
        grants for public education projects under subsection 
        (d)(2).

SEC. [121]122. WET WEATHER WATERSHED PILOT PROJECTS.

    (a) In General.--* * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                                  
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