Recent Developments

• Date: 01 February 2011

41 ELR 10156 ENVIRONMENTAL LAW REPORTER 2-2011

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

In the Congress

“In the Congress” entries cover activities reported in the Congressional Record from December 1, 2010, through December

31, 2010. Entries are arranged by bill number, with Senate bills listed rst. “In the Congress” covers all environment-related

bills that are introduced, reported out of committee, passed by either house, or signed by the President. “In the Congress”

also covers all environmental treaties ratied by the Senate. is material is updated monthly. For archived materials, visit

http://www.elr.info/NewsAnalysis/archive.cfm.

Public Laws

S. 1421 (carp), which amends 18

U.S.C. §42 to prohibit the importation

and shipment of certain species of carp,

was signed into law on December 14,

2010. Pub. L. No. 111-307, 156 Cong.

Rec. D1207 (daily ed. Dec. 16, 2010).

H.R. 6184 (water permits), which

amends the Water Resources Develop-

ment Act of 2000 to extend and modify

the program allowing t he Secretary of

the Army to accept and expend fu nds

contributed by nonfederal public enti-

ties to expedite the evaluation of per-

mits, was signed into law on December

18, 2010. 156 Cong. Rec. D1225 (daily

ed. Dec. 21, 2010).

Chamber Action

S. 1609 (sheries), which would au-

thorize a single sheries cooperative for

the Bering Sea Aleutia n Islands long-

line catcher processor subsector, was

passed by the House. 156 Cong. Rec.

H8302-04 (daily ed. Dec. 14, 2010).

S. 3481 (stormwater pollution),

which would amend the Federal Water

Pollution Control Act to clarify federal

responsibility for stormwater pollution,

was passed by the Senate, 156 Cong.

Rec. S10933 (daily ed. Dec. 21, 2010),

and the House, 156 Cong. Rec. H8978

(daily ed. Dec. 22, 2010).

S. 3874 (drinking water), which

would amend the Safe Drinkin g Water

Act to reduce lead in drinki ng water,

was passed by the Senate, 156 Cong.

Rec. S10364 (daily ed. Dec. 16, 2010),

and the House, 156 Cong. Rec. H8617-

19, H8768-69 (daily ed. Dec. 17, 2010).

H.R. 81 (Shark Conserva tion Act),

which would amend the High Seas

Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protec-

tion Act and the Magnuson-Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Mana gement

Act to improve the conservation of

sharks, was passed by the Senate, 156

Cong. Rec. S10795 (daily ed. Dec. 20,

2010), and the House, 156 Cong. Rec.

H8790 (daily ed. Dec. 21, 2010).

H.R. 1061 (federal land), which

would transfer certa in land to the Unit-

ed States to be held in trust for the Hoh

Indian Tribe and place land into trust

for the Hoh Indian Tribe, was passed

by the House. 156 Cong. Rec. H8300

(daily ed. Dec. 14, 2010).

H.R. 4973 (national wild life refuges),

which would amend the Fish and Wild-

life Act of 1956 to reauthorize volunteer

programs and community partnerships

for national wildlife ref uges, was passed

by the Senate. 156 Cong. Rec. S10444

(daily ed. Dec. 17, 2010).

H.R. 5470 (energy eciency), which

would exclude an external power supply

for certain securit y or life safety alarms

and surveilla nce system components

from the application of certain energy

eciency standards u nder the Energy

Policy and Conservation Act, was

passed by the Senate. 156 Cong. Rec.

S10933 (daily ed. Dec. 21, 2010).

H.R. 58 09 (diesel emis sions), which

would amend the Energ y Policy Act of

2005 to re authorize a nd modify provi-

sions relat ing to the diesel em issions

reduction program, wa s passed by the

Senate, 156 Cong. R ec. S10364 (dai ly

ed. Dec.16, 2010), and the House,

156 Cong. Rec. H8792 (daily ed. Dec.

21, 2010).

H.R. 5866 (nuclear energ y), which

would amend the Energy Policy Act of

2005 requiring the Secreta ry of Energy

to carry out initiatives to adva nce in-

novation in nuclear energy technolo-

gies, make nuclear energy s ystems more

competitive, and increase eciency and

safety of civilia n nuclear power, was

passed by the House. 156 Cong. Rec.

H7730-33 (daily ed. Nov. 30, 2010).

H.R. 6184 (water permits), which

would amend the Water Resources De-

velopment Act of 2000 to extend and

modify the program allowing the Secre-

tary of the Army to accept and expend

funds contributed by nonfederal public

entities to expedite the evaluation of

permits, was passed by the House, 156

Cong. Rec. H7823-26 (daily ed. Dec. 1,

2010), and the Senate, 156 Cong. Rec.

S8605 (daily ed. Dec. 7, 2010).

H.R. 6510 (federal land), which

would direct the Admini strator of Gen-

eral Services to convey a parcel of real

property in Houston, Texas, to the Mil-

itary Museum of Texas, was passed by

the House. 156 Cong. Rec. H8326-28,

H8330-31 (daily ed. Dec. 14, 2010).

Committee Action

S. 787 (water jurisdict ion) was report-

ed by the Committee on Environment

and Public Works. S. Rep. No. 111-361,

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