§ 1273. Lake Pontchartrain Basin
(a)
Establishment of restoration program
The Administrator shall establish within the Environmental Protection Agency the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program.
(b)
Purpose
The purpose of the program shall be to restore the ecological health of the Basin by developing and funding restoration projects and related scientific and public education projects.
(c)
Duties
In carrying out the program, the Administrator shall—
(1)
provide administrative and technical assistance to a management conference convened for the Basin under section
1330 of this title;
(2)
assist and support the activities of the management conference, including the implementation of recommendations of the management conference;
(3)
support environmental monitoring of the Basin and research to provide necessary technical and scientific information;
(4)
develop a comprehensive research plan to address the technical needs of the program;
(5)
coordinate the grant, research, and planning programs authorized under this section; and
(6)
collect and make available to the public publications, and other forms of information the management conference determines to be appropriate, relating to the environmental quality of the Basin.
(d)
Grants
The Administrator may make grants—
(1)
for restoration projects and studies recommended by a management conference convened for the Basin under section
1330 of this title; and
(2)
for public education projects recommended by the management conference.
(e)
Definitions
In this section, the following definitions apply:
(1)
Basin
The term “Basin” means the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, a 5,000 square mile watershed encompassing 16 parishes in the State of Louisiana and 4 counties in the State of Mississippi.
(2)
Program
The term “program” means the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program established under subsection (a) of this section.
(f)
Authorization of appropriations
(1)
In general
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2011. Such sums shall remain available until expended.
(2)
Public education projects
Not more than 15 percent of the amount appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) in a fiscal year may be expended on grants for public education projects under subsection (d)(2) of this section.