US Congress Senate Bill 3561 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: Introduced on June 30 2010 - 25% progression, died in chamber
Action: 2010-06-30 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act of 2010 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide competitive grants to eligible higher education institutions and research institutions to establish and maintain between three and five centers of excellence for green infrastructure. Defines "green infrastructure" as a stormwater management technique that preserves, restores, enhances, or mimics natural hydrology. Establishes the duties of each center, including: (1) researching green infrastructure; (2) developing manuals and establishing industry standards on best management practices relating to state, tribal, local, and commercial green infrastructure; (3) providing information about its research and manuals to the national electronic clearinghouse center; (4) providing technical assistance and training on green infrastructure; and (5) evaluating regulatory and policy issues relating to green infrastructure. Requires one of the centers to be designated as the national electronic clearinghouse center, which shall, in addition to its other duties, operate a website and a public database on green infrastructure. Requires the Administrator to provide competitive grants to eligible entities that manage stormwater, water resources, or waste water resources to: (1) plan and design and install green infrastructure projects; (2) develop standards and revisions to local zoning, building, or other local codes necessary to accommodate such projects; (3) develop fee structures to provide financial support for green infrastructure; (4) develop training and educational materials regarding green infrastructure; (5) develop and implement a green infrastructure portfolio standard program; (6) protect or restore interconnected networks of natural areas that protect water quality; (7) monitor and evaluate the environmental, economic, or social benefits of green infrastructure; and (8) implement a best practices standard for a green infrastructure program. Requires the Administrator to give priority to applications from: (1) a community that has combined storm and sanitary sewers in its collection system or is low-income or disadvantaged; or (2) an eligible entity that will use at least 10% of the grant for a low-income or disadvantaged community. Requires the Administrator to: (1) establish within EPA's Office of Water a green infrastructure program to coordinate and promote the use of green infrastructure and to integrate green infrastructure into permitting programs; (2) direct each EPA regional office to develop a program to promote and integrate the use of green infrastructure within the region; (3) establish a green infrastructure compliance assistance center; and (4) establish measurable goals, to be known as the green infrastructure portfolio standard, to increase the percentage of annual water managed by eligible entities that uses green infrastructure.

Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act of 2010

Sen. Benjamin Cardin [D-MD]

Sen. Tom Udall [D-NM]

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI]

Date	Chamber	Action
2010-06-30		Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

HB4202 (Related) 2009-12-24 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/3561/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/111/bills/s3561/BILLS-111s3561is.pdf