Latest Action: 06/25/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6162-6163)

Bill Text
A bill to develop and promote a comprehensive plan for a national strategy to address harmful algal blooms and hypoxia through baseline research, forecasting and monitoring, and mitigation and control while helping communities detect, control, and mitigate coastal and Great Lakes harmful algal blooms and hypoxia events. 6/25/2008--Introduced. Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Amendments Act of 2008 - Amends the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 to: (1) require the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to establish criteria for determining which states should serve on the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia and to implement a nominations process to select representatives for such Task Force; and (2) require the Task Force's scientific assessments of hypoxia and harmful algal blooms (hypoxia) once (currently, every five years).Requires: (1) the President, [...]

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Latest Action: 05/20/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans.

Bill Text
To ameliorate the effects of harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes by reducing phosphorus inputs, and for other purposes. 5/8/2008--Introduced. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and submit to Congress a regional response plan to address and mitigate harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes that includes: (1) an analysis of the scientific data about the causes of such blooms; (2) proposed solutions to address and mitigate such blooms, an analysis of the technological and economic feasibility of such solutions, and an estimate of the cost of implementing them; (3) an analysis of the ability of secondary treatment by wastewater treatment facilities to reduce the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen being discharged into the Great Lakes; (4) an evaluation of the relevant water quality standards promulgated by each of the Great Lakes states; and (5) suggested revisions to such standards if they are not adequate to reduce the incidence [...]

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Latest Action: 03/21/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans.

Bill Text
To establish a collaborative program to protect the Great Lakes, and for other purposes. 3/6/2007--Introduced. Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to: (1) require certain vessels operating in U.S. waters to have invasive species management plans; (2) direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish vessel performance requirements, including provisions for ballast water exchange, treatment, and discharge, and civil and criminal penalties for violations; (3) require federal agencies to restrict the importation of live aquatic organisms of species not in trade without screening and approval; and (4) declare importation of such species to be unlawful and prescribe civil and criminal penalties for violations.Directs the Secretary of the Army to: (1) upgrade and make permanent the Chicago sanitary and ship canal dispersal barrier in Chicago, Illinois; (2) construct Barrier II; and [...]

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Latest Action: 02/23/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans.

Bill Text
To reauthorize the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998, and for other purposes.

2/15/2007--Introduced.

Save Our Shores Act - Amends the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 to extend the authorization of appropriations for research, education, and monitoring activities related to the prevention, reduction, and control of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia.

Requires that all federal financial assistance for harmful algal bloom research be awarded on a competitive, peer reviewed basis.

Latest Action: 02/15/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans.

Bill Text
To amend the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to establish vessel ballast water management requirements, and for other purposes. 2/7/2007--Introduced. Prevention of Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2007 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to revise certain aquatic invasive species prevention requirements to, among other things: (1) apply them to certain U.S. vessels and to certain foreign vessels (or a structure being towed by a vessel) that are en route to, or have departed from, a U.S. port; and (2) establish ballast water exchange and treatment and sediment management standards for vessels of the armed forces. Prohibits an operator of a vessel from uptaking or discharging ballast water or sediment, except in specified circumstances, from a U.S. vessel operating in U.S. or non-U.S. waters. Requires a vessel to conduct all its ballast water management operations in accordance with an aquatic [...]

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