Congressional Research Service Reports - 104 Matching Results

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Army Corps Civil Works Funding: A Primer

Description: This report describes funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), including budget accounts and annual appropriations.
Date: May 12, 2014
Creator: Stern, Charles V. & Carter, Nicole T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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EPA and the Army Corps' Proposed Rule to Define "Waters of the United States"

Description: This report describes the March 25 proposed rule to define "waters of the United States," particularly focused on clarifying the regulatory status of waters located in isolated places in a landscape, the types of waters with ambiguous jurisdictional status following the Supreme Court's ruling. It includes a table comparing the proposal to existing regulatory language.
Date: April 21, 2014
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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EPA and the Army Corps' Proposed Rule to Define "Waters of the United States"

Description: This report describes the March 25 proposed rule to define "waters of the United States," particularly focused on clarifying the regulatory status of waters located in isolated places in a landscape, the types of waters with ambiguous jurisdictional status following the Supreme Court's ruling. It includes a table comparing the proposal to existing regulatory language.
Date: March 27, 2014
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Emergency Water Assistance During Drought: Federal Non-Agricultural Programs

Description: This report discusses droughts in relation to several issues for Congress, including how to measure and predict drought, how to prepare, and how to coordinate federal agency actions responding to drought.
Date: February 26, 2014
Creator: Carter, Nicole T.; Cowan, Tadlock & Barrett, Joanna
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Mexico: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report provides an overview of political and economic conditions in Mexico followed by assessments of some key issues of congressional interest in Mexico: migration, trade, security, human rights, energy, and water issues. The report summarizes legislative action that has occurred related to these topics and refers to other CRS products and experts that can be consulted for further information.
Date: January 30, 2014
Creator: Seelke, Claire Ribando
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Clean Water Act and Pollutant Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

Description: This report discusses the total maximum daily load (TMDL) program which regulates pollutants to ensure that water quality standards can be attained; section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires states to identify waters that are impaired by pollution, even after application of pollution controls. The report focuses on new challenges facing the TMDL program, including more complex TMDLs, larger scale impairments, and nonpoint sources.
Date: January 17, 2014
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Energy-Water Nexus: The Water Sector's Energy Use

Description: This report provides background on energy for facilities that treat and deliver water to end users and also dispose of and discharge wastewater. This report first discusses water-related energy use broadly and then energy for facilities that treat and deliver water to end users and also dispose of and discharge wastewater.
Date: January 3, 2014
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S.-Mexico Water Sharing: Background and Recent Developments

Description: This report is a primer on U.S. and Mexican water-sharing topics. It focuses on surface water quantity sharing and recent developments, including drought conditions. Due to Mexico's recent below-target deliveries of Rio Grande water to the United States, particular attention is given to the status, underlying causes, and responses to the Rio Grande water debt. This report describes: legal obligations and processes under the 1944 Water Treaty; drought conditions from 2010 to 2013; water sharing … more
Date: November 19, 2013
Creator: Carter, Nicole T.; Seelke, Clare Ribando & Shedd, Daniel T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Hydropower: Federal and Nonfederal Investment

Description: This report analyzes a wide range of factors that would attribute to the success of investing in Hydropower, the use of flowing water to produce energy. Some factors include but are not limited to federal or nonfederal classifications, clean energy discussions, fluctuating electricity market rates.
Date: September 5, 2013
Creator: Bracmrot, Kelsi; Stern, Charles V. & Vann, Adam
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Inland Waterways: Recent Proposals and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the major issues for Congress which include whether to increase inland waterway funding in the future (and by what amount); the appropriate type of revenue stream (e.g., fuel taxes or lockage fees) for the user-required portion of these projects; division of the cost-share responsibilities between the federal government and commercial users (e.g., 50/50 or some other division); and whether to initiate process-based recommendations that some argue will improve the delivery … more
Date: August 5, 2013
Creator: Stern, Charles V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Inland Waterways: Recent Proposals and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the major issues for Congress which include whether to increase inland waterway funding in the future (and by what amount); the appropriate type of revenue stream (e.g., fuel taxes or lockage fees) for the user-required portion of these projects; division of the cost-share responsibilities between the federal government and commercial users (e.g., 50/50 or some other division); and whether to initiate process-based recommendations that some argue will improve the delivery … more
Date: May 3, 2013
Creator: Stern, Charles V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Water Resource Issues in the 113th Congress

Description: This report provides an overview of the federal role in water resources development, management, and protection, including a discussion of the two major federal water resources agencies and related legislation. It also discusses overarching policy issues, such as flood and drought management and response; project funding and authorization priorities; and aquatic ecosystem restoration.
Date: January 31, 2013
Creator: Cody, Betsy A.; Stern, Charles V.; Carter, Nicole T. & Sheikh, Pervaze A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Hydropower: Federal and Nonfederal Investment

Description: This report explains how the federal government is involved directly in hydropower generation at federal facilities and in the regulation of nonfederal hydropower generation; the focus is on current roles and processes and common concerns and questions about changing those roles.
Date: January 22, 2013
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi; Stern, Charles V. & Vann, Adam
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Mexico: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report provides an overview of political and economic conditions in Mexico followed by assessments of some key issues of congressional interest in Mexico: migration, trade, security, human rights, energy, and water issues. The report summarizes legislative action that has occurred related to these topics and refers to other CRS products and experts that can be consulted for further information.
Date: January 16, 2013
Creator: Seelke, Clare Ribando
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Hydraulic Fracturing and Safe Drinking Water Act Regulatory Issues

Description: This report reviews past and proposed treatment of hydraulic fracturing under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the principal federal statute for regulating the underground injection of fluids to protect groundwater sources of drinking water. It reviews current SDWA provisions for regulating underground injection activities, and discusses some possible implications of the enactment of legislation authorizing EPA to regulate hydraulic fracturing (beyond diesel) under this statute.
Date: January 10, 2013
Creator: Tiemann, Mary & Vann, Adam
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Terrorism and Security Issues Facing the Water Infrastructure Sector

Description: This report examines the possibility of damage to or destruction of the nation's water supply and water quality infrastructure by terrorist attack or natural disaster, which 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 increased after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.
Date: November 28, 2012
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Clean Water Act and Pollutant Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

Description: This report discusses the total maximum daily load (TMDL) program which regulates pollutants to ensure that water quality standards can be attained; section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires states to identify waters that are impaired by pollution, even after application of pollution controls. The report focuses on new challenges facing the TMDL program, including more complex TMDLs, larger scale impairments, and nonpoint sources.
Date: September 21, 2012
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Global Access to Clean Drinking Water and Sanitation: U.S. and International Programs

Description: Report that focuses on bilateral water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) schemes authorized by the Water for the Poor Act. This report identifies some issues that donors and U.S. agencies face while carrying out global drinking water and sanitation projects.
Date: September 10, 2012
Creator: Salaam-Blyther, Tiaji
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Drought in the United States: Causes and Issues for Congress

Description: This report describes the physical causes of drought, drought history in the United States, and policy challenges related to drought. It also provides examples of recurrent regional drought conditions.
Date: August 15, 2012
Creator: Folger, Peter; Cody, Betsy A. & Carter, Nicole T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Firearms at Army Corps Water Resources Projects: Proposed Legislation and Issues for Congress

Description: This rport discusses issues for Congress regarding public safety and infrastructure security at water resource projects managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Proposed legislation would bar the Secretary of the Army from promulgating or enforcing regulations that prohibit individuals from possessing firearms (including assembled or functional firearms) at Corps projects and instead require that firearms possession comply with state law.
Date: July 12, 2012
Creator: Carter, Nicole T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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