PUBLIC LAW 106-53—AUG. 17, 1999 113 STAT. 371 CEirried out under this section, including a recommendation concerning whether the program should be implemented on a nationed basis. (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. —T here is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for the period beginning with fiscal year 2000, to remain available until expended. SEC. 571. CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA. (a) DEFINITION OF CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA. —In this section, the term "central West Virginia" meeuis the counties of Mason, Jackson, Putnam, Kanawha, Roane, Wirt, Calhoun, Clay, Nicholas, Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Upshur, Randolph, Pendleton, Hardy, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, and Jefferson, West Virginia. (b) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. —The Secretary may establish a pilot program to provide environmental assistance to non-Federal interests in central West Virginia. (c) FORM OF ASSISTANCE.— Assistance under this section may be in the form of design and construction assistance for waterrelated environmental infrastructiu'e and resoiu-ce protection and development projects in central West Virginia, including projects for wastewater treatment and related facilities, water supply and related facilities, and surface water resource protection and development. (d) PUBLIC OWNERSHIP REQUIREMENT.— The Secretary may provide assistance for a project under this section only if the project is publicly owned. (e) LOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENTS. — (1) IN GENERAL.— Before providing assistance under this section, the Secretary shall enter into a local cooperation agreement with a non-Federal interest to provide for design euid construction of the project to be csuried out with the assistance. (2) REQUIREMENTS.— Each local cooperation agreement entered into under this subsection shall provide for the following: (A) PLAN. —Development by the Secretsuy, in consultation with appropriate Federal and State officials, of a facilities or resource protection and development pleui, including appropriate engineering plans and specifications. (B) LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES. —Establishment of such legal and institutional structm*es as are necessary to ensiu-e the effective long-term operation of the project by the non-Federal interest. (3) COST SHARING.— (A) IN GENERAL.—The Federal share of the project costs under each local cooperation agreement entered into under this subsection shall be 75 percent. The Federal share may be in the form of grants or reimbiu-sements of project costs. (B) CREDIT FOR DESIGN WORK. —The non-Federal interest shall receive credit for the reasonable costs of design work completed by the non-Federal interest before entering into a local cooperation agreement with the Secretary for a project. The credit for the design work shall not exceed 6 percent of the total construction costs of the project.
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