Clean Water FY94 Authorization bill

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Water Program Funding

Title II: Toxic Pollution Prevention and Control

Title III: Watershed Planning and Nonpoint Pollution

Control

Title IV: Municipal Pollution Control

Title V: Permit Program and Enforcement

Title VI: Program Management

Water Pollution Prevention and Control Act of 1993 - Title I: Water Program Funding - (Sec. 101) Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to expand the list of projects for which State water pollution control revolving fund monies are available.

Authorizes States to: (1) reduce amounts required for matching contributions to capitalization grants for water pollution control revolving funds by an amount equal to the amount of technical assistance provided to publicly owned treatment works or subsurface sewage disposal systems that serve 10,000 or fewer individuals; and (2) forgive an amount of loan principal for disadvantaged communities with respect to loans for water pollution control activities.

Revises the allotment formula for revolving funds and extends the authorization of appropriations for such funds through FY 2000. Increases amounts authorized to be appropriated for FY 1996 through 2000 subject to certain on-budget deficit estimates.

(Secs. 102 and 103) Extends the authorization of appropriations for specified pollution control programs through FY 2000.

Title II: Toxic Pollution Prevention and Control - (Sec. 201) Revises provisions concerning effluent guidelines to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate effluent guidelines applicable to point sources which discharge pollutants into navigable waters.

Revises provisions concerning pretreatment standards to require the Administrator to promulgate pretreatment standards for the introduction of toxic and nonconventional pollutants into treatment works.

(Sec. 202) Directs the Administrator to publish a water quality criteria plan every five years. Requires the initial plan to contain at least eight sediment quality criteria. Directs the Administrator to: (1) require pesticide registrants to provide information sufficient to publish criteria unless the pesticide will not enter surface water; and (2) ensure that information necessary to publish criteria for chemical substances that are the subject of a premanufacture notice pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act is submitted unless certain conditions are met.

Requires States to report triennially to the Administrator on the designated uses of waters. Deems: (1) all waters for which a use has not been designated to be designated as fishable and swimmable, unless a State establishes an alternative use; and (2) any chemical-specific numeric criterion published for a toxic pollutant to be the applicable standard for all waters unless a State objects to the criterion.

Requires States to adopt pollutant specific standards for any pollutant for which criteria are published if the discharge of such pollutant could interfere with designated water uses.

Directs States to implement antidegradation policies.

Requires States to implement programs to protect outstanding national resource waters. Directs permitting authorities to conduct antidegradation reviews for a water prior to issuing a permit to a point source authorizing any new or expanded discharge of a pollutant.

Requires the Administrator to establish a national policy concerning the use of mixing zones. Directs States to incorporate an equivalent policy into water quality standards.

(Sec. 203) Revises provisions concerning toxic effluents to prohibit the discharge of any pollutant that: (1) is toxic and highly bioaccumulative; and (2) occurs in surface water primarily as a result of discharges.

(Sec. 204) Authorizes the Administrator to impose pretreatment requirements on industrial users that introduce pollutants into publicly owned treatment works.

Prohibits the introduction of hazardous wastes into publicly owned treatment works.

(Sec. 205) Requires persons applying for the issuance or reissuance of discharge permits or for local limits for significant industrial users to submit pollution prevention plans as a condition of permit or limit issuance.

Title III: Watershed Planning and Nonpoint Pollution Control - (Sec. 301) Requires States to conduct and report to the Administrator on programs to monitor the quality of navigable waters and aquatic sediment.

Establishes a Water Quality Monitoring Council to coordinate Federal and State water quality monitoring programs.

(Sec. 302) Authorizes State Governors to designate waters and associated land areas as watershed management units. Makes certain watershed planning activities eligible for assistance.

Authorizes State Governors to submit watershed management plans to the Administrator for approval. Makes approved plan activities eligible for Federal assistance. Provides for extensions of discharge permits in watershed planning units, subject to certain conditions.

(Sec. 304) Requires States to submit revised nonpoint source pollution management plans. Authorizes plans to provide for site-specific water quality plans if the plan is for a source within an approved watershed management plan area. Directs the Administrator to publish guidance that specifies elements of nonpoint pollution management programs. Withholds grant funds from States without approved programs, beginning in FY 1998. Extends the authorization of appropriations for such programs through FY 2000.

Authorizes sources located in watershed areas of impaired waters to implement site-specific water quality plans in lieu of management measures outlined in the national guidance.

Amends specified agricultural Acts to make such watershed areas eligible for participation in water quality incentive payment, environmental easement, and conservation programs.

Provides for the implementation of nonpoint source water pollution control measures on Federal lands and for the prevention of water pollution resulting from highway construction.

Directs the Administrator to publish guidelines for the design of animal waste management facilities and publicly owned subsurface sewage organizations.

Title IV: Municipal Pollution Control - (Sec. 401) Requires permits issued for discharges from combined storm and sanitary sewers to conform with combined sewer overflow control policy under Federal regulations published by the Administrator in January 1993.

Authorizes the issuance of permits for compliance with a long-term control plan for a term of up to 15 years.

(Sec. 402) Waives permit requirements for discharges composed entirely of stormwater in certain small communities.

(Sec. 403) Replaces provisions concerning Alaska village demonstration projects to require EPA to be the primary coordinator for all Federal policies related to municipal, commercial, residential, and industrial water conservation. Authorizes the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Army Corps of Engineers, to provide technical assistance and take specified actions to encourage water conservation. Directs the Administrator to establish a national clearinghouse on water conservation. Authorizes appropriations.

Title V: Permit Program and Enforcement - (Sec. 501) Requires fees for discharge permits to be used for point source elements of the water quality program and sewage sludge disposal and pretreatment programs. Establishes a Federal Water Pollution Control Permit Fund.

(Sec. 502) Requires a permit applicant, in the case of a new discharge resulting from facility construction, to apply for a permit prior to the commencement of construction.

Modifies permit application requirements, including numerical effluent limitations and consideration of biological discharge criteria. Waives permit limitations for point sources to encourage the testing of certain innovative production processes or pollution control technology.

(Sec. 503) Revises enforcement and penalty provisions.

Title VI: Program Management - (Sec. 601) Revises provisions concerning research and development to require the Administrator to establish a water pollution prevention and control demonstration and grant program.

(Sec. 605) Increases the amount required to be reserved for assistance to Indian tribes for the construction of treatment works and nonpoint source pollution control. Permits State revolving funds to be used for assistance to Indian tribes.

(Sec. 606) Requires the Administrator to establish a national water quality education program as well as specified volunteer and awards programs related to water pollution control.

(Sec. 607) Extends the authorization of appropriations for the national estuary program through FY 2000.