General credit for flood control

Within one year after November 17, 1986, the Secretary shall issue guidelines to carry out this section, consistent with the principles and guidelines on project formulation. The guidelines shall include criteria for determining whether work carried out by non-Federal interests is compatible with a project for flood control and procedures for making such determinations. The guidelines under this section shall be promulgated after notice in the Federal Register and opportunity for comment. The guidelines established under subsection (a) shall provide for the Secretary to consider, in analyzing the costs and benefits of a proposed project for flood control, the costs and benefits produced by any flood control work carried out by non-Federal interests that the Secretary determines to be compatible with the project. For purposes of the preceding sentence the Secretary may consider only work carried out after the date which is 5 years before the first obligation of funds for the reconnaissance study for such project. In no case may work which was carried out more than 5 years before November 17, 1986, be considered under this subsection, unless otherwise provided in this Act. The guidelines established under subsection (a) shall provide for crediting the cost of work carried out by the non-Federal interests against the non-Federal share of the cost of an authorized project for flood control as follows: The Secretary shall consider, under subsections (b) and (c), work carried out before November 17, 1986, by non-Federal interests on a project for flood control, if the non-Federal interests apply to the Secretary for consideration of such work not later than March 31, 1987. The Secretary shall make determinations under subsections (b) and (c) with respect to such work not later than 6 months after guidelines are issued under subsection (a). The Secretary shall consider work carried out after November 17, 1986, by non-Federal interests on a project for flood control under subsections (b) and (c) in accordance with the guidelines issued under subsection (a). The guidelines shall require prior approval by the Secretary of any flood control work carried out after November 17, 1986, in order to be considered under this section, taking into account the economic and environmental feasibility of the project. Any flood control work included as part of the non-Federal share of the cost of a project under this section shall not be subject to the limitation contained in the last sentence of section 1962d–5a(a) of title 42. Nothing in this section affects the requirement of section 2213(a)(1)(A) of this title.