Bill113th Congress

S. 571

Great Lakes Water Protection Act

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Introduced
Mar 14, 2013
Origin Chamber
Senate
Policy Area
Environmental Protection
Latest Action
Jul 16, 2014

Sponsor

Sen. Kirk, Mark Steven [R-IL]

Republican·IL
Bioguide ID: K000360
First Name: MARK
Middle Name: STEVEN
Last Name: KIRK
By Request: N
3
Cosponsors
1
Committees
4
Actions
0
Amendments
1
Related Bills
11
Subjects
1
Summaries
3
Titles
1
Text Versions

Bill Details

Update Date
Nov 15, 2022
Origin Chamber
Senate
Bill Type
S
Bill Number
571
Congress
113
Introduced Date
Mar 14, 2013
Policy Area
Environmental Protection
Is Law
No
Jul 16, 2014Committee

Committee on Environment and Public Works Senate Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 113-772.

Source: Senate

Mar 14, 2013IntroReferral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1860-1861)

Source: Senate

Mar 14, 2013IntroReferralB00100

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1859-1860)

Source: Library of Congress

Mar 14, 2013IntroReferral10000

Introduced in Senate

Source: Library of Congress

Introduced in Senate· Mar 14, 20130

Great Lakes Water Protection Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to prohibit a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) from performing a discharge (defined as an intentional diversion of waste streams to bypass any portion of a treatment facility which results in a discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage into the Great Lakes) unless: (1) the bypass is unavoidable to prevent loss of life, personal injury, or severe property damage, there is no feasible alternative, and the treatment works provides notice; or (2) the bypass does not cause effluent limitations to be exceeded and is for essential maintenance to ensure efficient operation of the treatment facility.

Requires a POTW to provide prior notice for any anticipated discharge, or notice as soon as practicable for any unanticipated discharge (but no later than two hours after a discharge begins for a POTW with an automated detection system or 12 hours after a discharge begins for a POTW without such system), to: (1) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (or a state if the state has an approved permit program), (2) each local health department (or a state health department if a local department does not exist), (3) the municipality in which a discharge occurred, (4) each municipality with jurisdiction over waters that may be affected, (5) a daily newspaper of general circulation in each county in which such a municipality is located, and (6) the public.

Requires a POTW, within five days after such initial notice, to provide follow-up notice regarding the cause of, reason for, dates and times of, anticipated duration of, volume of, public access areas affected by, and steps taken or planned to reduce, eliminate, and prevent recurrence of, the discharge. Requires the Administrator (or a state with an approved permit program) to annually publish and make available to the public a list of the POTWs from which a follow-up notice was received.

Includes among prohibited bypasses those resulting in discharges from a POTW that consist of effluent routed around treatment units and blended with effluent from treatment units prior to discharge.

Directs the Administrator to establish procedures to ensure that permits issued to POTWs under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System include requirements to comply with this Act.

Establishes a maximum civil penalty of $100,000 per day for violations of this Act occurring on or after January 1, 2033.

Establishes the Great Lakes Cleanup Fund into which penalties for violations of this Act shall be deposited and from which amounts shall be provided for improving wastewater discharges.

Environment and Public Works Committee

Senate· Standing
Aquatic ecologyGovernment information and archivesGovernment trust fundsGreat LakesLakes and riversMarine pollutionPollution liabilitySolid waste and recyclingWater qualityWetlandsWildlife conservation and habitat protection

Introduced in Senate

Mar 14, 2013