text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Mud Dump Permanent Closure and 
  Remediation Act of 2000''.
  
  SEC. 2. PERMANENT DUMPING BAN AT HISTORIC AREA REMEDIATION SITE.
  
      Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act 
  of 1972 (33 U.S.C. 1413) is amended by adding at the end the following:
      ``(f) Historic Area Remediation Site.--
              ``(1) Prohibition on ocean dumping.--Except as provided by 
          paragraph (2), after the date of enactment of this subsection, 
          dumping shall be prohibited at the Historic Area Remediation 
          Site (as defined in subsection (g)).
              ``(2) Permits for remediation.--After the date of issuance 
          of standards for remediation materials under subsection (g), 
          the Secretary may issue permits under this section authorizing 
          the transportation of dredged materials to the Historic Area 
          Remediation Site solely for the purpose of providing for 
          remediation of the site.
              ``(3) Remediation to be followed by permanent closure.--
          Upon satisfying the goal specified in subsection (g)(2)(B) at 
          the Historic Area Remediation Site, as determined by the 
          Administrator, the Secretary shall not issue any further 
          permits under this section authorizing the transportation of 
          dredged materials to the site for any purpose.
              ``(4) Existing permits.--A permit issued under this section 
          before the date of enactment of this subsection shall not be 
          effective to the extent that the permit authorizes dumping in 
          violation of this subsection.
              ``(5) Advance notice of permits.--At least 30 days before 
          issuing a permit under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall 
          provide written notice of the permit to the Governors of the 
          States of New York and New Jersey and to each Member of 
          Congress representing one of such States. This paragraph shall 
          not be construed to affect any notification requirement under 
          any other provision of law.''.
  
  SEC. 3. STANDARDS FOR REMEDIATION MATERIALS.
  
      Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act 
  of 1972 (33 U.S.C. 1413) is further amended by adding at the end the 
  following:
      ``(g) Standards for Remediation Materials.--
              ``(1) Development of standards.--Not later than 90 days 
          after the date of enactment of this subsection, the 
          Administrator, in consultation with the Under Secretary for 
          Oceans and Atmosphere, shall develop and publish in the Federal 
          Register standards for evaluating dredged materials to be used 
          solely for remediation purposes at the Historic Area 
          Remediation Site.
              ``(2) Requirements for standards.--
                      ``(A) In general.--In developing standards under 
                  paragraph (1), the Administrator shall ensure that the 
                  materials used for remediation--
                              ``(i) contain significantly lower levels of 
                          contaminants (as referred to in section 227.6 
                          of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations), 
                          including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and 
                          polyclorinated biphenyls, than exist at the 
                          Historic Area Remediation Site;
                              ``(ii) will significantly reduce 
                          contamination levels in biota and sediments at 
                          the Historic Area Remediation Site; and
                              ``(iii) will reduce both the number, 
                          extent, and magnitude of undesirable effects on 
                          marine life in and around the Historic Area 
                          Remediation Site, including through 
                          bioaccumulation.
                      ``(B) Goal.--The goal of the standards to be 
                  developed under paragraph (1) shall be to reduce the 
                  level of contamination at the Historic Area Remediation 
                  Site to a level that reflects background ambient 
                  contamination levels in the ocean.
              ``(3) Notice and comment.--The Administrator shall provide 
          notice and an opportunity for public comment before issuing 
          final standards under paragraph (1).
              ``(4) Definitions.--In this subsection, the following 
          definitions apply:
                      ``(A) Background ambient contamination levels.--The 
                  term `background ambient contamination levels' means a 
                  level of contamination that is substantially equivalent 
                  to or less than--
                              ``(i) the levels of contamination in biota 
                          and sediments found occurring naturally in the 
                          ocean in areas that have never been impacted by 
                          ocean dumping; and
                              ``(ii) the levels of contamination found in 
                          the clean reference sediments used by the 
                          Environmental Protection Agency when testing 
                          and evaluating remediation materials to be 
                          deposited at the Historic Area Remediation 
                          Site.
                      ``(B) Clean reference sediments.--The term `clean 
                  reference sediments' means a sediment, substantially 
                  free of contaminants, that is as similar to the grain 
                  size of the dredged material and the sediment at the 
                  disposal site as practical, and reflects conditions 
                  that would exist in the vicinity of the disposal site 
                  had no dredged material disposal ever occurred, but had 
                  all other influences on sediment taken place.
                      ``(C) Historic area remediation site.--The term 
                  `Historic Area Remediation Site' means the dredged 
                  material disposal area known by that name that is 
                  located east of Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and described 
                  in section 228.15(d)(6) of title 40, Code of Federal 
                  Regulations (as in effect on July 1, 1999).''.
target: Provides that an existing permit shall not be effective if it authorizes dumping in violation of this Act.
  Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to develop standards for evaluating dredged materials to be used solely for remediation purposes at the Site. Directs the Administrator, in developing such standards, to ensure that the materials used for remediation: (1) contain significantly lower levels of contaminants than exist at the Site; (2) will significantly reduce contamination levels in biota and sediments at the Site; and (3) will reduce the number, extent, and magnitude of undesirable effects on marine life in and around the Site. Requires the goals of such standards to be to reduce the level of contamination at the Site to a level that reflects background ambient contamination levels in the ocean.
feat_title: Mud Dump Permanent Closure and Remediation Act of 2000