G:\M\16\MAST\MAST_020.XML ..................................................................... (Original Signature of Member) H. R. ll 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION To modify the project for Central and Southern Florida to include public health considerations, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. MAST introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on llllllllllllll A BILL To modify the project for Central and Southern Florida to include public health considerations, and for other purposes. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Prioritizing Revised 5 Operations To Eliminate Cyanobacteria Toxins in Florida 6 Act’’ or the ‘‘PROTECT Florida Act’’. g:\VHLC\061319\061319.554.xml June 13, 2019 (4:35 p.m.) VerDate Mar 15 2010 16:35 Jun 13, 2019 Jkt 000000 (735250 1) PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 C:\USERS\ECBLOUNT\APPDATA\ROAMING\SOFTQUAD\XMETAL\7.0\GEN\C\MAST_020.X G:\M\16\MAST\MAST_020.XML 2 1 SEC. 2. MANAGEMENT OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN 2 3 FLORIDA SYSTEM. (a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary of the 4 Army for Civil Works shall direct the Army Corps of Engi5 neers to modify water infrastructure management in Cen6 tral and Southern Florida to ensure public health shall 7 overlay all authorized project purposes. Such authorized 8 project purposes shall include— 9 (1) flood control; 10 (2) navigation; 11 (3) water supply for agricultural irrigation, mu- 12 nicipalities, industry, and Everglades National Park; 13 (4) regional groundwater control, and salinity 14 control; 15 (5) enhancement of fish and wildlife; and 16 (6) recreation. 17 (b) PUBLIC HEALTH.—For the purposes of this Act, 18 the term ‘‘public health’’ is defined as follows: 19 20 (1) Managing Lake Okeechobee and the Central and Southern Florida system— 21 (A) to minimize the potential of toxic 22 cyanobacteria and other harmful algal blooms; 23 and 24 (B) discharges containing 25 cyanobacteria or related toxins into the St. 26 Lucie and Caloosahatchee watersheds, down- g:\VHLC\061319\061319.554.xml June 13, 2019 (4:35 p.m.) VerDate Mar 15 2010 prevent 16:35 Jun 13, 2019 Jkt 000000 (735250 1) PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 C:\USERS\ECBLOUNT\APPDATA\ROAMING\SOFTQUAD\XMETAL\7.0\GEN\C\MAST_020.X G:\M\16\MAST\MAST_020.XML 3 1 stream users, and other areas where such 2 cyanobacteria or related toxins will cause or ex- 3 acerbate public health risks. 4 (2) Ensuring the integrity and stability of the 5 Herbert Hoover Dike. 6 (3) Maintaining all provisions of applicable 7 State, Federal, and Tribal water quality laws, poli- 8 cies, and regulations. 9 (4) Ensuring necessary water volume and qual- 10 ity reaches the greater Everglades, Tribal lands, Ev- 11 erglades 12 Caloosahatchee Watershed to restore the natural 13 habitat. 14 (c) MODIFICATION National OF Park, Florida Bay and OPERATIONS.—The Secretary 15 of the Army shall modify operations of all current project 16 elements to ensure that public health of all citizens, in17 cluding downstream users, shall overlay the operating re18 gimes of these various elements. 19 (d) MASTER OPERATIONAL MANUAL.—The Sec- 20 retary of the Army shall update or develop a Master Oper21 ational Manual, in cooperation with the State of Florida, 22 to ensure that all of the various existing operational 23 project elements of the Central and Southern Florida 24 project shall be managed as a system to protect public 25 health and Everglades Restoration. As new elements are g:\VHLC\061319\061319.554.xml June 13, 2019 (4:35 p.m.) VerDate Mar 15 2010 16:35 Jun 13, 2019 Jkt 000000 (735250 1) PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 C:\USERS\ECBLOUNT\APPDATA\ROAMING\SOFTQUAD\XMETAL\7.0\GEN\C\MAST_020.X G:\M\16\MAST\MAST_020.XML 4 1 completed and added to the project, the Master Oper2 ational Manual shall be updated to include the new fea3 tures. 4 (e) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Army, in conjunc- 5 tion with the National Academies of Sciences, shall under6 take a study of the legacy of pollution and nutrient loading 7 as well as the impacts of soil amendments from current 8 and past operational regimes. The study shall include— 9 (1) the components of the nutrient load and soil 10 amendments, and how this nutrient loading is and 11 will continue to impact Everglades restoration ef- 12 forts; and 13 (2) proposed solutions to ameliorate the impacts 14 of this pollution to downstream watersheds. 15 (f) SCOPE.—Nothing in this section shall be con- 16 strued to alter or amend— 17 (1) the Water Rights Compact between the 18 State of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida; 19 20 (2) water quality standards of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; 21 (3) State water quality standards, applicable 22 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 23 discharge permits, and Everglades Forever Act wa- 24 tershed permits; or g:\VHLC\061319\061319.554.xml June 13, 2019 (4:35 p.m.) VerDate Mar 15 2010 the 16:35 Jun 13, 2019 Jkt 000000 (735250 1) PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 C:\USERS\ECBLOUNT\APPDATA\ROAMING\SOFTQUAD\XMETAL\7.0\GEN\C\MAST_020.X G:\M\16\MAST\MAST_020.XML 5 1 (4) the schedule for completion of the Central 2 Everglades Planning Project or Comprehensive Ev- 3 erglades Restoration Plan projects authorized on or 4 before enactment of this Act. 5 (g) PROHIBITION ON USE OF RESTORATION 6 FUNDS.—No restoration funds shall be used by the Sec7 retary to undertake Deep Well Injection (DWI) of flood 8 or any other excess waters. 9 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 10 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are nec11 essary to carry out the provisions of this Act. g:\VHLC\061319\061319.554.xml June 13, 2019 (4:35 p.m.) VerDate Mar 15 2010 16:35 Jun 13, 2019 Jkt 000000 (735250 1) PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 C:\USERS\ECBLOUNT\APPDATA\ROAMING\SOFTQUAD\XMETAL\7.0\GEN\C\MAST_020.X