Homeland Security Digital Library

Homeland Security Digital Library

SEARCH THE HSDL

Advanced search Help

Searching for terms: EXACT: "Copeland, Claudia" in: author

Set an Alert to get future results

Results 1 - 30 (of 207) sorted by relevance sort by date

Clear all search criteria

Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).

Legislative Approaches to Defining 'Waters of the United States' [December 29, 2010]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
From the Document: "In the 111th Congress, legislation was introduced that sought to clarify the scope of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in the wake of Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006 that interpreted the law's jurisdiction more narrowly than prior case law. The Court's narrow interpretation involved jurisdiction over some geographically isolated wetlands, intermittent streams, and other waters. The two cases are 'Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC)' and 'Rapanos v. United States'. Bills to nullify the Court's rulings have been introduced repeatedly since the 107th Congress, but none had advanced until the 111th Congress. In June 2009, a Senate committee approved S. 787, the Clean Water Restoration Act. Companion legislation in the House, H.R. 5088 (America's Commitment to Clean Water Act), was introduced in April 2010. No further legislative action occurred on either bill."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2010-12-29
Water Infrastructure Needs and Investment: Review and Analysis of Key Issues [December 21, 2010]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Policymakers are giving increased attention to issues associated with financing and investing in the nation's drinking water and wastewater treatment systems, which take in water, treat it, and distribute it to households and other customers, and later collect, treat, and discharge water after use. The renewed attention is due to a combination of factors. These include financial impacts on communities of meeting existing and anticipated regulatory requirements, the need to repair and replace existing infrastructure, concerns about paying for security-related projects, and proposals to stimulate U.S. economic activity by building and rebuilding the nation's infrastructure. [...] This report identifies a number of issues that continue to receive attention in connection with water infrastructure investment. It begins with a review of federal involvement; describes the debate about needs; and then examines key issues, including what is the nature of the problems to be solved, who will pay, and what is the federal role, and questions about mechanisms for delivering federal support. Congressional and Administration activity on these issues since the 107th Congress also is reviewed. (For detailed information on legislative activity in the 111th Congress, see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report R40098, 'Water Quality Issues in the 111th Congress: Oversight and Implementation,' and CRS Report RS22037, 'Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF): Program Overview and Issues.)'"

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Tiemann, Mary; Copeland, Claudia

2010-12-21
Terrorism and Security Issues Facing the Water Infrastructure Sector [December 15, 2010]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Damage to or destruction of the nation's water supply and water quality infrastructure by terrorist attack or natural disaster could disrupt the delivery of vital human services in this country, threatening public health and the environment, or possibly causing loss of life. Interest in such problems has increased greatly since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. Across the country, water infrastructure systems extend over vast areas, and ownership and operation responsibility are both public and private, but are overwhelmingly non-federal. Since the attacks, federal dam operators and local water and wastewater utilities have been under heightened security conditions and are evaluating security plans and measures. There are no federal standards or agreed-upon industry practices within the water infrastructure sector to govern readiness, response to security incidents, and recovery. Efforts to develop protocols and tools are ongoing since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This report presents an overview of this large and diverse sector, describes security-related actions by the government and private sector since 9/11, and discusses additional policy issues and responses, including congressional interest. [...] Recent congressional interest has focused on two legislative issues: (1) security of wastewater utilities, and (2) whether to include water utilities in chemical plant security regulations implemented by DHS [Department of Homeland Security]. In the 109th Congress, a Senate committee approved legislation to encourage wastewater treatment works to conduct vulnerability assessments and develop site security plans. Similar legislation was introduced in the 111th Congress (H.R. 2883). Congress also turned attention to legislation to extend DHS's Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards and, as part of that debate, whether to preserve an existing exemption for water utilities from chemical facility standards or to include them in the scope of DHS security rules. The House passed H.R. 2868 in November 2009, with a provision to require water utilities to use safer chemicals and technology, but the Senate did not act on that bill or a companion Senate measure, S. 3598."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2010-12-15
Water Infrastructure Needs and Investment: Review and Analysis of Key Issues [Updated May 5, 2005]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"A number of interest groups and coalitions have issued reports on infrastructure funding needs and related policy issues, as have EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). They present a range of estimates and scenarios of future investment costs and gaps between current spending and future costs. EPA and CBO, in particular, caution that projections of future costs are highly uncertain, and that funding gaps are not inevitable. […]. Congressional interest in these issues has grown for some time and continues in the 109th Congress, partly in response to urgings of stakeholder groups. In both the 107th and 108th Congresses, House and Senate committees acted on comprehensive legislation to reauthorize and modify infrastructure financing programs in the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, but no bills were enacted. The Bush Administration has addressed water infrastructure in a number of general ways, but has not offered legislative proposals of its own. EPA's principal initiative has been to support strategies intended to ensure that infrastructure investment needs are met in an efficient, timely, and equitable manner. This report identifies a number of issues that have received attention in connection with water infrastructure investment. It begins with a review of federal involvement, describes the debate about needs, and then examines key issues, including what is the nature of the problems to be solved; who will pay, and what is the federal role; and questions about mechanisms for delivering federal support, including state-by-state allotment of federal funds."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Tiemann, Mary; Copeland, Claudia

2005-05-05
Water Quality Issues in the 111th Congress: Oversight and Implementation [July 13, 2010]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Although much progress has been made in achieving the ambitious goals that Congress established more than 35 years ago in the Clean Water Act (CWA) to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters, long-standing problems persist, and new problems have emerged. Water quality problems are diverse, ranging from pollution runoff from farms and ranches, city streets, and other diffuse or 'nonpoint' sources, to toxic substances discharged from factories and sewage treatment plants. There is little agreement among stakeholders about what solutions are needed and whether new legislation is required to address the nation's remaining water pollution problems. For some time, efforts to comprehensively amend the CWA have stalled as interests have debated whether and exactly how to change the law. Congress has instead focused legislative attention on enacting narrow bills to extend or modify selected CWA programs, but not any comprehensive proposals."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2010-07-13
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Coastal Wetland and Wildlife Impacts and Response [October 15, 2010]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, and the resulting oil spill began a cascade of effects on the coastal areas of the Gulf and on the wealth of species that inhabit those areas, effects that continue even though oil stopped flowing in July and the well was sealed in September. Gulf coast wetlands, like those elsewhere, have value for water quality, flood control, shoreline protection, and recreation. They serve as nurseries for many species, including fish and shellfish of commercial significance, waterfowl, and a host of resident and migratory species. They also have cultural importance to the people of the Gulf. The effects of the spill come on top of historic wetland losses due to subsidence, drainage, and saltwater intrusion, along with rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and global climate change. Impacts of oil spills on wetland ecosystems depend on multiple factors, including the type of oil, exposure of the oil to weathering factors before it reaches the shore, the season in which the spill occurs, etc. Mitigation and cleanup of damage to wetlands is far from an exact science and involves many tradeoffs; there is no single, best solution. A number of options exist, ranging from mechanical recovery and use of dispersants to doing nothing. Estimating wildlife impacts is particularly difficult in this case because the spill occurred far offshore, and the initial wildlife mortality came far out in the Gulf, where animals sank without reaching the shore. When oil arrived at the shore, more animals began to be counted. Moreover, because the Gulf wetlands host many species of birds during seasonal migrations, impacts of the spill could be felt in areas well away from the Gulf."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Corn, M. Lynne (Mary Lynne), 1946-; Copeland, Claudia

2010-10-15
Terrorism and Security Issues Facing the Water Infrastructure Sector [March 16, 2010]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Damage to or destruction of the nation's water supply and water quality infrastructure by terrorist attack or natural disaster could disrupt the delivery of vital human services in this country, threatening public health and the environment, or possibly causing loss of life. Interest in such problems has increased greatly since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. [...] Recent congressional interest has focused on two legislative issues: (1) security of wastewater utilities, and (2) whether to include water utilities in chemical plant security regulations implemented by DHS. In the 109th Congress, a Senate committee approved legislation to encourage wastewater treatment works to conduct vulnerability assessments and develop site security plans. Similar legislation was introduced in the 110th Congress, and has been introduced in the 111th Congress (H.R. 2883). Congress also has turned attention to legislation to extend DHS's [Department of Homeland Security] Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards (H.R. 2868) and as part of that debate has been considering whether to preserve an existing exemption for water utilities from chemical facility standards or to include them in the scope of DHS security rules. Continuing attention to these issues in the 111th Congress is likely."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2010-03-16
Terrorism and Security Issues Facing the Water Infrastructure Sector [May 26, 2009]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Damage to or destruction of the nation's water supply and water quality infrastructure by terrorist attack or natural disaster could disrupt the delivery of vital human services in this country, threatening public health and the environment, or possibly causing loss of life. Interest in such problems has increased greatly since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. Across the country, water infrastructure systems extend over vast areas, and ownership and operation responsibility are both public and private, but are overwhelmingly non-federal. Since the attacks, federal dam operators and local water and wastewater utilities have been under heightened security conditions and are evaluating security plans and measures. There are no federal standards or agreed-upon industry practices within the water infrastructure sector to govern readiness, response to security incidents, and recovery. Efforts to develop protocols and tools are ongoing since the 2001 terrorist attacks. This report presents an overview of this large and diverse sector, describes security-related actions by the government and private sector since September 11, and discusses additional policy issues and responses, including congressional interest. [...] Recent congressional interest has focused on two legislative issues: (1) security of wastewater utilities, and (2) whether to include water utilities in chemical security regulations implemented by DHS[...] The Obama Administration has requested that the current chemical facilities standards, which are scheduled to sunset September 30, 2009, be extended for one year without modification. [...] Continuing attention to these issues in the 111th Congress is possible, along with interest in how the federal government coordinates its own activities and communicates policies and information to the water infrastructure sector."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2009-06-16
Terrorism and Security Issues Facing the Water Infrastructure Sector [Updated April 25, 2005]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Damage to or destruction of the nation's water supply and water quality infrastructure by terrorist attack could disrupt the delivery of vital human services in this country, threatening public health and the environment, or possibly causing loss of life. Interest in such problems has increased greatly since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and at the Pentagon. Across the country, water infrastructure systems extend over vast areas, and ownership and operation responsibility are both public and private but are overwhelmingly non-federal. Since the attacks, federal dam operators and water and wastewater utilities have been under heightened security conditions and are evaluating security plans and measures. There are no federal standards or agreed-upon industry best practices within the water infrastructure sector to govern readiness, response to security incidents, and recovery. Efforts to develop protocols and tools are ongoing since the 2001 terrorist attacks. This report presents an overview of this large and diverse sector, describes security-related actions by the government and private sector since September 11, and discusses additional policy issues and responses, including congressional interest."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia; Cody, Betsy A.

2005-04-25
Terrorism and Security Issues Facing the Water Infrastructure Sector [Updated November 17, 2008]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Damage to or destruction of the nation's water supply and water quality infrastructure by terrorist attack or natural disaster could disrupt the delivery of vital human services in this country, threatening public health and the environment, or possibly causing loss of life. Interest in such problems has increased greatly since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. Across the country, water infrastructure systems extend over vast areas, and ownership and operation responsibility are both public and private, but are overwhelmingly non-federal. Since the attacks, federal dam operators and local water and wastewater utilities have been under heightened security conditions and are evaluating security plans and measures. There are no federal standards or agreed-upon industry practices within the water infrastructure sector to govern readiness, response to security incidents, and recovery. Efforts to develop protocols and tools are ongoing since the 2001 terrorist attacks. This report presents an overview of this large and diverse sector, describes security-related actions by the government and private sector since September 11, and discusses additional policy issues and responses, including congressional interest. [...] Recent congressional interest has focused on two legislative issues: (1) security of wastewater utilities, and (2) whether to include water utilities in chemical security regulations implemented by DHS[...] Continuing attention to these issues is possible, along with interest in how the federal government coordinates its own activities and communicates policies and information to the water infrastructure sector."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2008-11-17
Water Infrastructure Projects Designated in EPA Appropriations: Trends and Policy Implications [Updated November 17, 2008]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Congressional action to designate funds within appropriations legislation for specified projects or locations has been increasing in recent years as a way to help communities meet needs to build and upgrade water infrastructure systems, whose estimated future funding needs exceed $485 billion. Such legislative action has often been popularly referred to as earmarking. This report discusses appropriations for water infrastructure programs of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), focusing on such designations in the account that funds these programs. Information on the programmatic history of EPA involvement in assisting wastewater treatment and drinking water projects is provided in two appendixes. Congressional appropriators began the practice of supplementing appropriations for the primary Clean Water Act (CWA) and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) assistance programs with grants for individually designated projects in FY1989. Since then, of the $45.4 billion appropriated to EPA for water infrastructure assistance, more than 15% ($7 billion) has gone to designated project grants. Notably since FY2000, appropriators have awarded such grants to a larger total number of projects, resulting in more communities receiving such assistance, but at the same time receiving smaller amounts of funds, on average. [...]Attention is often drawn to the relatively few projects that have received large grants (more than $100 million), especially over multiple years. [...] While some Members of Congress, interest groups, and Administration officials are critical of these types of congressional actions, it is likely that communities will continue to seek this type of assistance, and there is little indication that the practice will cease."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2008-11-17
Water Infrastructure Needs and Investment: Review and Analysis of Key Issues [Updated November 24, 2008]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"This report identifies a number of issues that have received attention in connection with water infrastructure investment. It begins with a review of federal involvement, describes the debate about needs, and then examines key issues, including what is the nature of the problems to be solved; who will pay, and what is the federal role; and questions about mechanisms for delivering federal support, including state-by-state allotment of federal funds. Congressional and Administration activity on these issues from the 107th to the 110th Congresses also is reviewed." "Policymakers are giving increased attention to issues associated with financing and investing in the nation's drinking water and wastewater treatment systems, which take in water, treat it, and distribute it to households and other customers, and later collect, treat, and discharge water after use. The renewed attention is due to a combination of factors. These include financial impacts on communities of meeting existing and anticipated regulatory requirements, the need to repair and replace existing infrastructure, concerns about paying for security-related projects, and proposals to stimulate U.S. economic activity by building and rebuilding the nation's infrastructure. The federal government has a long history of involvement with wastewater and drinking water systems, with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) having the most significant role, both in terms of regulation and funding. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also plays an important role in rural communities through its water and wastewater loan and grant programs."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Tiemann, Mary; Copeland, Claudia

2008-11-24
Terrorism and Security Issues Facing the Water Infrastructure Sector [Updated January 24, 2006]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Damage to or destruction of the nation's water supply and water quality infrastructure by terrorist attack could disrupt the delivery of vital human services in this country, threatening public health and the environment, or possibly causing loss of life. Interest in such problems has increased greatly since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and at the Pentagon. Across the country, water infrastructure systems extend over vast areas, and ownership and operation responsibility are both public and private but are overwhelmingly non-federal. Since the attacks, federal dam operators and water and wastewater utilities have been under heightened security conditions and are evaluating security plans and measures. There are no federal standards or agreed-upon industry best practices within the water infrastructure sector to govern readiness, response to security incidents, and recovery. Efforts to develop protocols and tools are ongoing since the 2001 terrorist attacks. This report presents an overview of this large and diverse sector, describes security-related actions by the government and private sector since September 11, and discusses additional policy issues and responses, including congressional interest."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia; Cody, Betsy A.

2006-01-24
Terrorism and Security Issues Facing the Water Infrastructure Sector [Updated March 9, 2004]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Damage to or destruction of the nations water supply and water quality infrastructure by terrorist attack could disrupt the delivery of vital human services in this country, threatening public health and the environment, or possibly causing loss of life. Interest in such problems has increased greatly since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and at the Pentagon. Across the country, water infrastructure systems extend over vast areas, and ownership and operation responsibility are both public and private but are overwhelmingly non-federal. Since the attacks, federal dam operators and water and waste water utilities have been under heightened security conditions and are evaluating security plans and measures. There are no federal standards or agreed upon industry best practices within the water infrastructure sector to govern readiness, response to security incidents, and recovery. Efforts to develop protocols and tools are ongoing since the 2001 terrorist attacks. This report presents an overview of this large and diverse sector, describes security-related actions by the government and private sector since September 11, and discusses additional policy issues and responses, including congressional interest."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia; Cody, Betsy A.

2004-03-09
Federal Disaster and Emergency Assistance for Water Infrastructure Facilities and Supplies [September 9, 2005]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Natural and other disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, can impair, contaminate, or destroy public water systems, including treatment facilities and distribution systems. Costs of addressing such damage can be substantial, while the potential public health and safety consequences of lost or impaired water supplies necessitate rapid responses. Natural and other disasters also can have calamitous impacts on other water infrastructure facilities, such as wastewater treatment plants and flood control systems. To help address such emergencies, Congress has authorized programs over the years that can provide emergency assistance to repair and restore drinking water, wastewater, and related water infrastructure systems and facilities. This report offers information on federal programs that can provide emergency drinking water, wastewater, and related assistance. These include the Public Assistance grant program (Federal Emergency Management Agency), Emergency and Imminent Community Water Assistance Grant Program and Emergency Watershed Protection Program (U.S. Department of Agriculture), Drinking Water Emergency Assistance (Environmental Protection Agency), and flood control and coastal emergency response (Department of Defense, Army Corps of Engineers). This report will be updated to reflect developments. (For a review of other federal water assistance programs, see CRS Report RL30478, Federally Supported Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Programs.)"

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Tiemann, Mary; Copeland, Claudia

2005-09-09
Critical Infrastructures: What Makes an Infrastructure Critical? [Updated January 29, 2003]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
Over the last few years, a number of documents concerned with critical infrastructure protection have offered general definitions for critical infrastructures and have provided short lists of which infrastructures should be included. The Bush Administration's proposal for establishing a Department of Homeland Security includes a function whose responsibilities include the coordination of policies and actions to protect the nation's critical infrastructure. Essentially, the federal government will have to try to minimize the impact on the nation's critical infrastructure of any future terrorist attack, taking into account what those impacts might be and the likelihood of their occurring. At the very least, a growing list of infrastructures in need of protection will require the federal government to prioritize its efforts.

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Moteff, John D.; Copeland, Claudia; Fischer, John

2003-01-29
Terrorism and Security Issues Facing the Water Infrastructure Sector [Updated July 28, 2008]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Damage to or destruction of the nation's water supply and water quality infrastructure by terrorist attack or natural disaster could disrupt the delivery of vital human services in this country, threatening public health and the environment, or possibly causing loss of life. Interest in such problems has increased greatly since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. Across the country, water infrastructure systems extend over vast areas, and ownership and operation responsibility are both public and private, but are overwhelmingly non-federal. Since the attacks, federal dam operators and local water and wastewater utilities have been under heightened security conditions and are evaluating security plans and measures. There are no federal standards or agreed upon industry practices within the water infrastructure sector to govern readiness, response to security incidents, and recovery. Efforts to develop protocols and tools are ongoing since the 2001 terrorist attacks. This report presents an overview of this large and diverse sector, describes security-related actions by the government and private sector since September 11, and discusses additional policy issues and responses, including congressional interest."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2008-07-31
Terrorism and Security Issues Facing the Water Infrastructure Sector [Updated May 21, 2003]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
This brief May 2003 CRS report for Congress covers terrorism and security issues facing water infrastructures. It addresses responses to security concerns and policy options available to Congress. Policymakers are considering a number of options, including enhanced physical security, better communication and coordination, and research. A key issue is how additional protections and resources directed at public and private sector priorities will be funded. In response, Congress has approved $410 million in funds for security at water infrastructure facilities (P.L. 107-117, P.L. 108-7, and P.L. 108-11) and passed a bill requiring drinking water utilities to conduct security vulnerability assessments (P.L. 107-188). Congress also created a Department of Homeland Security with responsibilities to coordinate information to secure the nation's critical infrastructure, including the water sector (P.L. 107-297).

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia; Cody, Betsy A.

2003-05-21
Clean Water Act Issues in the 107th Congress [Updated May 21, 2002]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
Key water quality issues that may face the 107th Congress include: actions to implement existing provisions of the Clean Water Act (CWA), whether additional steps are necessary to achieve overall goals of the Act, and the appropriate federal role in guiding and paying for clean water activities. No major activity occurred during the first session of the 107th Congress, but in the second session, House and Senate committees have approved legislation to reauthorize water infrastructure funding programs (H.R. 3930, S. 1961). Rather than pursuing comprehensive reauthorization of the CWA, the 106th Congress focused on individual programs within the Act, and a number of narrow bills related to clean water were enacted. One is intended to strengthen protection of coastal waters; one reauthorized several existing CWA programs; and one authorized grants for wet weather sewerage projects. Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress Monitoring data have identified wet weather discharges to rivers and lakes (including urban stormwater and sewer overflows) as a serious threat to water quality. Clean water programs are now focusing on solving these wet weather pollution problems. At issue is whether and how to specify wet weather programs in the Act and how to pay for related pollution control projects.

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2002-05-21
Federally Supported Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Programs [Updated March 25, 2003]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
Although the federal government has played a significant role in developing water quality regulations and standards for municipal and industrial (M&I) water use, it historically has provided a relatively small percentage of the funding for construction of water supply and treatment facilities for M&I uses. Yet, several programs exist to assist communities with development of water supply and treatment projects, and it appears that Congress is more frequently being asked to authorize direct financial and technical assistance for developing or treating water supplies for M&I use. This report provides background information on the types of water supply and wastewater treatment projects traditionally funded by the federal government and the several existing programs to assist communities with water supply and wastewater recycling and treatment.

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Tiemann, Mary; Copeland, Claudia; Cody, Betsy A.

2003-03-25
Terrorism and Security Issues Facing the Water Infrastructure Sector [Updated January 5, 2005]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Damage to or destruction of the nation's water supply and water quality infrastructure by terrorist attack could disrupt the delivery of vital human services in this country, threatening public health and the environment, or possibly causing loss of life. Interest in such problems has increased greatly since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and at the Pentagon. Across the country, water infrastructure systems extend over vast areas, and ownership and operation responsibility are both public and private but are overwhelmingly non-federal. Since the attacks, federal dam operators and water and wastewater utilities have been under heightened security conditions and are evaluating security plans and measures. There are no federal standards or agreed-upon industry best practices within the water infrastructure sector to govern readiness, response to security incidents, and recovery. Efforts to develop protocols and tools are ongoing since the 2001 terrorist attacks. This report presents an overview of this large and diverse sector, describes security-related actions by the government and private sector since September 11, and discusses additional policy issues and responses, including congressional interest."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia; Cody, Betsy A.

2005-01-05
Water Infrastructure Projects Designated in EPA Appropriations: Trends and Policy Implications [October 28, 2010]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Congressional action to designate funds within appropriations legislation for specified projects or locations has been increasing in recent years as a way to help communities meet needs to build and upgrade water infrastructure systems, whose estimated future funding needs exceed $630 billion. Such legislative action has often been popularly referred to as earmarking. This report discusses appropriations for water infrastructure programs of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), focusing on such designations in the account that funds these programs. Information on the programmatic history of EPA involvement in assisting wastewater treatment and drinking water projects is provided in two appendixes. Congressional appropriators began the practice of supplementing appropriations for the primary Clean Water Act (CWA) and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) assistance programs with grants for individually designated projects in FY1989. These designated project grants are often referred to as earmarks or as STAG grants. Since 1989, of the $56.8 billion appropriated to EPA for water infrastructure assistance, more than 13% ($7.4 billion) has gone to designated project grants. Notably since FY2000, appropriators have awarded such grants to a larger total number of projects, resulting in more communities receiving such assistance, but at the same time receiving smaller amounts of funds, on average."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2010-10-28
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Coastal Wetland and Wildlife Impacts and Response [July 7, 2010]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, and the resulting oil spill began a cascade of effects on the coastal areas of the Gulf and on the wealth of species that inhabit those areas. These wetlands, like those elsewhere, have value for water quality, flood control, shoreline protection, and recreation. They serve as nurseries for many species, including fish and shellfish of commercial significance, waterfowl, and a host of resident and migratory species. They also have cultural importance to the people of the Gulf. The effects of the spill come on top of historic wetland losses due to subsidence, drainage, and saltwater intrusion, along with rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and global climate change. [...] Oil has reached more than 10% of Gulf shoreline, but until oil from the well stops flowing, very little cleanup of wetlands is occurring, because of both the ongoing risk of greater harm from cleanup and the potential for re-oiling. As cleanup proceeds, a number of questions arise. To cite only two, what factors will determine cleanup strategies, and how are needs to improve scientific understanding of the spill's impacts being considered?"

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia; Corn, M. Lynne (Mary Lynne), 1946-

2010-07-07
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Coastal Wetland and Wildlife Impacts and Response [August 5, 2010]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Impacts of oil spills on wetland ecosystems depend on multiple factors, including the type of oil, exposure of the oil to weathering factors before it reaches the shore, the season in which the spill occurs, etc. Estimating wildlife impacts is particularly difficult in this case because the spill occurred far offshore, and the initial wildlife mortality came far out in the Gulf, where animals sank without reaching the shore. With the arrival of oil closer to the shore, more animals could be counted. Moreover, because the Gulf wetlands host many species of birds during seasonal migrations, impacts of the spill could be felt in areas well away from the Gulf. Mitigation and cleanup of damage to wetlands is far from an exact science and involves many tradeoffs: there is no single, best solution. This report describes a range of options from mechanical recovery and use of dispersants to doing nothing. Among other issues is a seemingly simple question: who decides what to do? But the answer is complex. The organizational structure for deciding how to respond to oil spills is specified in the National Contingency Plan (NCP), which was created administratively and has been broadened by the Clean Water Act, the Superfund law, and the Oil Pollution Act. Under the NCP structure, the Coast Guard is the lead federal agency for overseeing response and cleanup. Oil has reached more than 10% of Gulf shoreline, but until oil from the well stopped flowing, very little cleanup of wetlands was occurring, because of both the ongoing risk of greater harm from cleanup and the potential for re-oiling. As cleanup proceeds, a number of questions arise. To cite only two, what factors will determine cleanup strategies, and how are needs to improve scientific understanding of the spill's impacts being considered?"

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia; Corn, M. Lynne (Mary Lynne), 1946-

2010-08-05
Environmental Laws: Summaries of Major Statutes Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency [August 11, 2011]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"With congressional approval, the Nixon Administration established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970 under an executive branch reorganization plan, which consolidated numerous federal pollution control responsibilities that had been divided among several federal agencies. EPA's responsibilities grew over time as Congress enacted an increasing number of environmental statutes and major amendments to these statutes. EPA's primary responsibilities have evolved to include the regulation of air quality, water quality, and chemicals in commerce; the development of regulatory criteria for the management and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes; and the cleanup of environmental contamination. The implementation and enforcement of many of these federal authorities is delegated to the states. EPA also provides financial assistance to states and local governments to aid them in administering pollution control programs and in complying with certain federal environmental requirements. Several federal statutes provide the legal authority for EPA's programs and activities. The major provisions of each of the following statutes are summarized in this report, as laid out in existing law as of this writing. The Clean Air Act (CAA) authorizes EPA to set mobile source limits, ambient air quality standards, hazardous air pollutant emission standards, standards for new pollution sources, and significant deterioration requirements; to identify areas that do not attain federal ambient air quality standards set under the act; to administer a cap-and-trade program to reduce acid rain; and to phase out substances that deplete the Earth's stratospheric ozone layer. […] This report is not comprehensive in terms of summarizing all laws administered by EPA, but covers the major, basic statutory authorities underlying the agency's programs and activities, and those which EPA has delegated to the states."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Bearden, David M.; Copeland, Claudia; Luther, Linda G.

2011-08-11
Water Quality Issues in the 112th Congress: Oversight and Implementation [July 11, 2011]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"Much progress has been made in achieving the ambitious goals that Congress established more than 35 years ago in the Clean Water Act (CWA) to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters. However, long-standing problems persist, and new problems have emerged. Water quality problems are diverse, ranging from pollution runoff from farms and ranches, city streets, and other diffuse or 'nonpoint' sources, to toxic substances discharged from factories and sewage treatment plants. There is little agreement among stakeholders about what solutions are needed and whether new legislation is required to address the nation's remaining water pollution problems. For some time, efforts to comprehensively amend the CWA have stalled as interests have debated whether and exactly how to change the law. Congress has instead focused legislative attention on enacting narrow bills to extend or modify selected CWA programs, but not any comprehensive proposals. […] These issues are likely to be of interest in the 112th Congress, as well. In addition, a number of other CWA issues have drawn interest recently and been the subject of congressional oversight and legislation, with some legislators seeking to support implementation efforts, and others critical of recent regulatory initiatives. Among the topics of possible interest are environmental and economic impacts of Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts, federal promulgation of water quality standards in Florida, regulation of surface coal mining activities in Appalachia, and other CWA regulatory actions."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2011-07-11
Water Infrastructure Financing: History of EPA Appropriations [August 30, 2011]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"The principal federal program to aid municipal wastewater treatment plant construction is authorized in the Clean Water Act (CWA). Established as a grant program in 1972, it now capitalizes state loan programs. Authorizations since 1972 have totaled $65 billion, while appropriations have totaled more than $85 billion. It has represented 25-30% of total funds appropriated to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in recent years. In appropriations legislation, funding for EPA wastewater assistance is contained in the measure providing funds for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, which includes EPA. Within the portion of that bill which funds EPA, wastewater treatment assistance is specified in an account now called State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG). Three trends in the funding of this account are most prominent: inclusion of non-infrastructure environmental grants to states, beginning in FY1993; increasing number and amount of special purpose grants since FY1989; and the addition of grant assistance for drinking water treatment projects in FY1997. […] Since FY2000, appropriators have awarded earmarks to a larger total number of projects, resulting in more communities receiving such grants, but at the same time receiving smaller amounts of funds, on average. Most of the funded projects are not authorized in the Clean Water Act or the Safe Drinking Water Act. State water quality officials, state infrastructure financing officials, and EPA have objected to this practice, since it reduces the amount of funding for state SRF [state revolving fund] programs. Since FY1997, the STAG account also has been used to fund a drinking water SRF grant program established by Congress in 1996. Appropriations for the drinking water SRF program through FY2011 have totaled $14.5 billion."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2011-08-30
Ocean Dumping Act: A Summary of the Law [August 30, 2011]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act has two basic aims: to regulate intentional ocean disposal of materials, and to authorize related research. Permit and enforcement provisions of the law are often referred to as the Ocean Dumping Act. The basic provisions of the act have remained virtually unchanged since 1972, when it was enacted to establish a comprehensive waste management system to regulate disposal or dumping of all materials into marine waters that are within U.S. jurisdiction, although a number of new authorities have been added. This report presents a summary of the law."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2011-08-30
Pesticide Use and Water Quality: Are the Laws Complementary or in Conflict? [July 13, 2012]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
"This report provides background on the conflict over interpretation and implementation of FIFRA [Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act] and the Clean Water Act. A brief discussion of the two laws is followed by a review of the major litigation of interest. EPA's [Environmental Protection Agency] efforts to clarify its policy in this area and the November 2006 rule and the 2009 federal court ruling are discussed, as well as possible options for EPA and Congress to further address the FIFRA-CWA [Clean Water Act] issues. In June 2010 EPA proposed a draft general CWA permit in response to the court ruling. The permit has not been finalized, and as discussed below, the 112th Congress is considering legislation (H.R. 872) to nullify the court's ruling."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2012-07-13
Animal Waste and Hazardous Substances: Current Laws and Legislative Issues [July 20, 2012]

Show summary Open resource [pdf] (open full abstract)
From the Summary: "The animal sector of agriculture has undergone major changes in the last several decades, a fact that has drawn the attention of policymakers and the public. In particular, organizational changes within the industry to enhance economic efficiency have resulted in larger confined production facilities that often are geographically concentrated. Increased facility size and regional concentration of livestock and poultry operations have, in turn, given rise to concerns over the management of animal wastes from these facilities and potential impacts on environmental quality, public health and welfare. […] This report describes the provisions of Superfund and EPCRA [Emergency Planning and Community Right-to- Know Act], and enforcement actions under these laws that have received attention. Congressional scrutiny in the form of legislative proposals and oversight hearings is discussed. Bills intended to exempt animal manure from the requirements of Superfund and EPCRA have been introduced several times since the 109th Congress, and similar bills have also been introduced in the 112th Congress (H.R. 2997 and S. 1729). Issues raised by the legislation are analyzed."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Copeland, Claudia

2012-07-20

1 2 3 4 5 6