# Plain Language Summary: Salton Sea Public Health and Environmental Protection Act of 2022

The Salton Sea in California is shrinking, and as it does, it's exposing lakebed that kicks up dust and pollutants into the air, creating serious health problems for people living nearby. This bill requires the federal government to step up and help fix the problem by taking responsibility for managing a portion of the exposed lakebed to control dust and restore habitat, just like California is already doing.

Here's what the bill actually does: The federal government, through the Department of Interior, must manage the same number of acres of exposed lakebed as California manages under its own Salton Sea restoration program. This means either controlling dust on those acres or restoring them as wildlife habitat. The federal government gets three years at a time to meet these goals, giving them flexibility since the amount of exposed lakebed changes over time. The bill also allows the federal government to hand off this responsibility to California if they provide enough money to do the job properly, including paying for ongoing maintenance.

To make sure everything works smoothly, the bill creates a Salton Sea Council made up of representatives from various federal agencies—Interior, Agriculture, Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, and others—plus California state officials and local tribal governments. This council's job is to coordinate all the different projects, speed up permits, and figure out how to fund everything. They have to hold at least one public meeting every year at the Salton Sea to hear from local residents about what they need.

The bill also focuses on protecting people's health. The federal government must publish yearly reports on air quality around the Salton Sea, including information about pollutants and chemicals in the exposed lakebed. The EPA is required to add more air monitoring stations near towns around the Salton Sea so people know what they're breathing. The bill even allows for a long-term health study to track how exposure to Salton Sea pollution affects people living in the area.

Salton Sea Public Health and Environmental Protection Act of 2022

Salton Sea Public Health and Environmental Protection Act of 2022 This bill provides support for restoring the Salton Sea in California. Specifically, the Bureau of Reclamation must establish a program to provide for water quality improvements, dust mitigation, and environmental restoration at the Salton Sea. The Department of the Interior must, in coordination with efforts by California, engage in activities to improve dust control and habitat conservation. Interior must also establish a Salton Sea Council to coordinate and expedite various Salton Sea projects.