§4004a South Florida Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia

Summary

The Task Force must study and make a plan to reduce harmful algal blooms and low-oxygen (hypoxia) in South Florida. Within 540 days after June 16, 2022, it must send an interim integrated assessment to the President and Congress, and it must finalize that assessment within 3 years after June 16, 2022. The assessment must look at the causes, effects, and ways to reduce blooms and hypoxia and must review the current research, monitoring, management, prevention, response, and control work and gaps by federal and state agencies, regional research groups, universities, private companies, nonprofits, and Indian tribes. South Florida means lands and waters inside the South Florida Water Management District, regional coastal waters such as Biscayne Bay, the Caloosahatchee Estuary, Florida Bay, Indian River Lagoon, and St. Lucie River Estuary, and the Florida Reef Tract. Using the assessment, the Task Force must send Congress a plan no later than 3 years and 180 days after June 16, 2022. The plan must cover monitoring needs, a timeline and budget for future equipment, rules for building and checking models (including assumptions and data quality), and a proposal for a remote monitoring network and early-warning system to protect local communities. While making the plan, the Task Force must consult Florida, local and tribal governments, and regional stakeholders; avoid duplicating other federal or state work; identify key research needs; consider cost-effective and incentive-based partnerships; use existing studies; publish a summary in the Federal Register at least 180 days before sending the final plan to Congress; and report progress every two years after submission.