Collapse to view only § 4002. National harmful algal bloom and hypoxia program
- § 4001. Assessments
- § 4001a. Consultation required
- § 4002. National harmful algal bloom and hypoxia program
- § 4003. Comprehensive research plan and action strategy
- § 4004. Northern Gulf of Mexico hypoxia
- § 4004a. South Florida harmful algal blooms and hypoxia
- § 4005. Great Lakes hypoxia and harmful algal blooms
- § 4006. Protection of States’ rights
- § 4007. Effect on other Federal authority
- § 4008. Definitions
- § 4009. Authorization of appropriations
- § 4010. Hypoxia or harmful algal bloom of national significance
Not later than 12 months after December 10, 2004, the President, in consultation with the chief executive officers of the States, shall develop and submit to the Congress a report that describes and evaluates the effectiveness of measures described in paragraph (2) that may be utilized to protect environmental and public health from impacts of harmful algal blooms. In developing the report, the President shall consult with the Task Force, the coastal States, Indian tribes, local governments, appropriate industries (including fisheries, agriculture, and fertilizer), academic institutions, and nongovernmental organizations with expertise in coastal zone science and management, and also consider the scientific assessments developed under this Act.
At least 90 days before submitting the report to the Congress, the President shall cause a summary of the proposed plan to be published in the Federal Register for a public comment period of not less than 60 days.
The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Task Force and to the extent of funds available, shall provide for Federal cooperation with and assistance to the coastal States, Indian tribes, and local governments regarding the measures described in paragraph (2), as requested.
The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Task Force and appropriate State, Indian tribe, and local governments, to the extent of funds available, shall provide for local and regional scientific assessments of hypoxia and harmful algal blooms, as requested by States, Indian tribes, and local governments, or for affected areas as identified by the Secretary. If the Secretary receives multiple requests, the Secretary shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that assessments under this subsection cover geographically and ecologically diverse locations with significant ecological and economic impacts from hypoxia or harmful algal blooms. The Secretary shall establish a procedure for reviewing requests for local and regional assessments. The Secretary shall ensure, through consultation with Sea Grant Programs, that the findings of the assessments are communicated to the appropriate State, Indian tribe, and local governments, and to the general public.
Not less than once every 5 years the Task Force shall complete and submit to Congress a scientific assessment of harmful algal blooms in United States coastal waters and freshwater systems. Each assessment shall examine both marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms, including those in the Great Lakes and upper reaches of estuaries, those in freshwater lakes and rivers, and those that originate in freshwater lakes or rivers and migrate to coastal waters.
In developing the assessments, reports, and plans under the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998, the Task Force shall consult with the coastal States, Indian tribes, local governments, appropriate industries (including fisheries, agriculture, and fertilizer), academic institutions, and nongovernmental organizations with expertise in coastal zone science and management.
The Task Force shall periodically review and revise the Program, as necessary.
Except as provided in subsection (h), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall have primary responsibility for administering the Program.
The Under Secretary shall work cooperatively and avoid duplication of effort with other offices, centers, and programs within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, other agencies on the Task Force, and States, tribes, and nongovernmental organizations concerned with marine and freshwater issues to coordinate harmful algal bloom and hypoxia (and related) activities and research.
The Administrator shall ensure that activities carried out under this chapter focus on new approaches to addressing freshwater harmful algal blooms and are not duplicative of existing research and development programs authorized by this chapter or any other law.
The collection of monitoring and observation data under this chapter shall comply with all data standards and protocols developed pursuant to the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.). Such data shall be made available through the system established under that Act.
The Under Secretary shall publish the Action Strategy in the Federal Register.
The Under Secretary, in coordination and consultation with the individuals and entities under subsection (d), shall periodically review and revise the Action Strategy prepared under this section, as necessary.
Beginning not later than 12 months after June 30, 2014, and biennially thereafter, the Administrator, through the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, shall submit a progress report to the appropriate congressional committees and the President that describes the progress made by activities directed by the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force and carried out or funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and other State and Federal partners toward attainment of the goals of the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008.
Not later than 540 days after June 16, 2022, the Task Force, in accordance with the authority under section 4001 of this title, shall complete and submit to Congress and the President an interim integrated assessment.
Not later than 3 years after June 16, 2022, the Task Force shall finalize, and submit to Congress and the President, the interim integrated assessment required by paragraph (1).
Not later than 2 years after June 30, 2014, the Task Force shall develop and submit to the Congress a plan, based on the integrated assessment under subsection (a), for reducing, mitigating, and controlling hypoxia and harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes.
Nothing in this chapter supersedes or limits the authority of any agency to carry out its responsibilities and missions under other laws.
Nothing in this chapter may be construed as establishing new regulatory authority for any agency.
The term “Action Strategy” means the comprehensive research plan and action strategy established under section 4003 of this title.
The term “Administrator” means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The term “harmful algal bloom” means marine and freshwater phytoplankton that proliferate to high concentrations, resulting in nuisance conditions or harmful impacts on marine and aquatic ecosystems, coastal communities, and human health through the production of toxic compounds or other biological, chemical, and physical impacts of the algae outbreak.
The term “hypoxia” means a condition where low dissolved oxygen in aquatic systems causes stress or death to resident organisms.
The term “Program” means the national harmful algal bloom and hypoxia program established under section 4002 of this title.
The term “State” means each of the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, any other territory or possession of the United States, and any Indian tribe.
The term “Task Force” means the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia under section 4001(a) of this title.
The term “Under Secretary” means the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.
The term “United States coastal waters” includes the Great Lakes.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Under Secretary to carry out sections 4002 and 4003 of this title $20,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, and $20,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.
The Under Secretary shall ensure that a substantial portion of funds appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) that are used for research purposes are allocated to extramural research activities. For each fiscal year, the Under Secretary shall publish a list of all grant recipients and the amounts for all of the funds allocated for research purposes, specifying those allocated for extramural research activities.
Upon a determination under paragraph (2) that there is an event of national significance, the appropriate Federal official is authorized to make sums available to the affected State or local government for the purposes of assessing and mitigating the detrimental environmental, economic, subsistence use, and public health effects of the event of national significance.
The Federal share of the cost of any activity carried out under this paragraph for the purposes described in subparagraph (A) may not exceed 50 percent of the cost of that activity.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an appropriate Federal official may accept donations of funds, services, facilities, materials, or equipment that the appropriate Federal official considers necessary for the purposes described in subparagraph (A). Any funds donated to an appropriate Federal official under this paragraph may be expended without further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation.
At the discretion of an appropriate Federal official, or at the request of the Governor of an affected State, an appropriate Federal official shall determine whether a hypoxia or harmful algal bloom event is an event of national significance.
In making a determination under subparagraph (A), the appropriate Federal official shall consider the toxicity of the harmful algal bloom, the severity of the hypoxia, its potential to spread, the economic impact, the relative size in relation to the past 5 occurrences of harmful algal blooms or hypoxia events that occur on a recurrent or annual basis, and the geographic scope, including the potential to affect several municipalities, to affect more than 1 State, or to cross an international boundary.
The term “event of national significance” means a hypoxia or harmful algal bloom event that has had or will likely have a significant detrimental environmental, economic, subsistence use, or public health impact on an affected State.
The term “hypoxia or harmful algal bloom event” means the occurrence of hypoxia or a harmful algal bloom as a result of a natural, anthropogenic, or undetermined cause.