PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The EPA must set up the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program to restore the Basin’s ecological health. The agency must give administrative and technical help to a management conference for the Basin, support the conference’s work and its recommendations, fund and coordinate monitoring, research, grants and planning, collect and share public information, and make a research plan. The program must also review and update the Basin’s conservation and management plan at least once every 5 years, starting on December 23, 2022. The EPA can make grants that pay up to 75% of the costs for restoration projects and studies in the approved plan and for public education projects the conference recommends. Basin means the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, a 10,000-square-mile watershed covering 16 parishes in Louisiana and 4 counties in Mississippi. Program means the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program. Congress authorized $20,000,000 for each fiscal year 2001 through 2012, and the same amount as was appropriated for fiscal year 2009 for each fiscal year 2013 through 2017. Those funds remain available until spent. No more than 15% of a year’s funds may go to education grants, and no more than 5% may be used for administrative costs.

Title 33, §1273

Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Establishment of restoration program

The Administrator shall establish within the Environmental Protection Agency the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program.

(b)Purpose

The purpose of the program shall be to restore the ecological health of the Basin by developing and funding restoration projects and related scientific and public education projects.

(c)Duties

In carrying out the program, the Administrator shall—

(1)provide administrative and technical assistance to a management conference convened for the Basin under section 1330 of this title;

(2)assist and support the activities of the management conference, including the implementation of recommendations of the management conference;

(3)support environmental monitoring of the Basin and research to provide necessary technical and scientific information;

(4)develop a comprehensive research plan to address the technical needs of the program;

(5)coordinate the grant, research, and planning programs authorized under this section;

(6)collect and make available to the public publications, and other forms of information the management conference determines to be appropriate, relating to the environmental quality of the Basin; and

(7)ensure that the comprehensive conservation and management plan approved for the Basin under section 1330 of this title is reviewed and revised in accordance with section 1330 of this title not less often than once every 5 years, beginning on December 23, 2022.

(d)Grants

The Administrator may make grants to pay not more than 75 percent of the costs—

(1)for restoration projects and studies identified in the comprehensive conservation and management plan approved for the Basin under section 1330 of this title; and

(2)for public education projects recommended by the management conference.

(e)Definitions

In this section, the following definitions apply:

(1)Basin (2) Program

The term “Basin” means the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, a 10,000 square mile watershed encompassing 16 parishes in the State of Louisiana and 4 counties in the State of Mississippi.

(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 2012 and the amount appropriated for fiscal year 2009 for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2017. 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).

(3)Administrative expenses

Not more than 5 percent of the amounts appropriated to carry out this section may be used for administrative expenses.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Another section 121 of act June 30, 1948, was renumbered section 122 and is classified to section 1274 of this title.

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (c)(7). Pub. L. 117–263, § 8501(c)(1)(A), added par. (7). Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 117–263, § 8501(c)(1)(B), substituted “identified in the comprehensive conservation and management plan approved for the Basin under section 1330 of this title” for “recommended by a management conference convened for the Basin under section 1330 of this title”. Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 117–263, § 8501(c)(2), substituted “10,000 square mile” for “5,000 square mile”. Subsec. (f)(3). Pub. L. 117–263, § 8501(c)(3), added par (3). 2012—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 112–237, § 1(1), inserted “to pay not more than 75 percent of the costs” after “make grants” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 112–237, § 1(2), substituted “2012 and the amount appropriated for fiscal year 2009 for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2017” for “2011”. 2006—Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 109–392 substituted “2011” for “2005”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Management Conference Pub. L. 110–114, title V, § 5084, Nov. 8, 2007, 121 Stat. 1228, provided that: “For purposes of carrying out section 121 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1273), the Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, basin stakeholders conference convened by the Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and United States Geological Survey on February 25, 2002, shall be treated as being a management conference convened under section 320 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 1330).”

§1273 Lake Pontchartrain Basin