S. 3550: Columbia River Basin Restoration Act of 2010
Before you vote › Federal bills
S. 3550: Columbia River Basin Restoration Act of 2010
111th Congress · introduced 2010-06-29 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5541-5543)
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2010-06-29 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5541-5543) Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
Columbia River Basin Restoration Act of 2010
Plain summary
Columbia River Basin Restoration Act of 2010 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a Columbia Basin Restoration Program to: (1) build on the work and collaborative structure of the existing Columbia River Toxics Reduction Working Group to develop a collaborative toxic contamination reduction approach for the Columbia River Basin; and (2) build on the work and collaborative structure of the Estuary Partnership in the Lower Columbia River Basin and Estuary. Requires the Administrator to establish a Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Working Group to: (1) assess trends in water quality and toxic contamination or toxics reduction; (2) collect, characterize, and assess data on toxics and water quality to identify possible causes of environmental problems; (3) develop periodic updates to the Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Action Plan and the Estuary Plan; (4) submit to the Administrator annually a prioritized list of projects that would implement such Plans for consideration for funding; and (5) monitor the effectiveness of actions taken. Requires the Estuary Partnership to function as the Working Group in the Lower Columbia River Estuary for such time as the Estuary Partnership is the management conference for the Lower Columbia River National Estuary Program. Transboundary Flathead River Basin Protection Act of 2010 - Requires the President to preserve and protect the unique, pristine area of the transboundary Flathead River, with a particular focus on the River's North Fork. Authorizes the President to: (1) engage in negotiations with the government of Canada to establish an executive agreement to ensure permanent protection for the North Fork of the Flathead River watershed and the adjacent area of Glacier-Waterton National Park; and (2) participate in cross-border collaborations with Canada on environmental assessments of any project of cross-border significance that has the potential to degrade land or water resources. Authorizes the President, acting through the Administrator, to provide grants to protect and preserve the natural resources, water quality, wildlife, and environmental conditions in the transboundary Flathead River Basin.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
Columbia River Basin Restoration Act of 2010
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text
No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.
Limited to a few requests an hour per person.
The strongest published arguments
Arguments for (supporters)
Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
Arguments against (opponents)
Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
Alternatives
Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] · 4 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] reported raising $5.4 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s3550.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>
Record fed-us-cong111-s3550 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111