To delay enforcement and establishment of certain water quality standards within the Great Bay Estuary, and for other purposes.

Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for five years, from: (1) requiring a publicly owned treatment works that contributes nitrogen loadings to the Great Bay Estuary to commence construction on any upgrade of a facility for the purpose of enforcing water quality standards or effluent limitations with regard to nitrogen under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act); or (2) establishing any water quality standard or effluent limitation with regard to nitrogen in the such Estuary under such Act.

Requires the Administrator to study eelgrass levels, and the causes of any loss of eelgrass habitat, in such Estuary.

Defines "Great Bay Estuary" to mean the estuarine zone that extends from the mouth of Portsmouth Harbor, in the vicinity of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to the head-of-tide for the eight rivers (including the tributaries of those rivers) that flow into Great Bay, Little Bay, and the Piscataqua River.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1480 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1480

    To delay enforcement and establishment of certain water quality 
    standards within the Great Bay Estuary, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 12, 2011

  Mr. Guinta introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To delay enforcement and establishment of certain water quality 
    standards within the Great Bay Estuary, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. GREAT BAY ESTUARY.

    (a) Delay of Enforcement and Establishment.--During the 5-year 
period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency may not--
            (1) require a covered treatment works to commence 
        construction on any upgrade of a facility for the purpose of 
        enforcing water quality standards or effluent limitations with 
        regard to nitrogen under section 402 of the Federal Water 
        Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1342); or
            (2) establish any water quality standard or effluent 
        limitation with regard to nitrogen in the Great Bay Estuary 
        under title III of such Act (33 U.S.C. 1311 et seq.).
    (b) Study Required.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall conduct, and 
        make available to the public the results of, a peer-reviewed 
        study regarding eelgrass levels, and the causes of any loss of 
        eelgrass habitat, in the Great Bay Estuary.
            (2) Public participation.--The Administrator shall allow 
        for public participation in the development of the study 
        conducted under this subsection.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered treatment works.--The term ``covered treatment 
        works'' means a publicly owned treatment works, as that term is 
        defined in section 212 of the Federal Water Pollution Control 
        Act (33 U.S.C. 1292), that contributes nitrogen loadings to the 
        Great Bay Estuary.
            (2) Great bay estuary.--The term ``Great Bay Estuary'' 
        means the estuarine zone that extends from the mouth of 
        Portsmouth Harbor, in the vicinity of Portsmouth, New 
        Hampshire, to the head-of-tide for the 8 rivers (including the 
        tributaries of those rivers) that flow into Great Bay, Little 
        Bay, and the Piscataqua River.
            (3) Estuarine zone.--The term ``estuarine zone'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 320(k) of the Federal Water 
        Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1330(k)).
                                 <all>