[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 22 (Thursday, March 3, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
         INTRODUCTION OF THE MNI WICONI ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1994

                                 ______


                            HON. TIM JOHNSON

                            of south dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 3, 1994

  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing 
legislation to expand the Mni Wiconi Rural Water Supply Project. The 
Mni Wiconi Project is a critically important drinking water project for 
the western half of South Dakota, and I am proud to introduce this 
legislation which will bring a clean and dependable source of life's 
basic necessity--water--to even more people than was originally 
envisioned in the authorizing legislation of 1988. The legislation I am 
introducing today will give the Mni Wiconi Project the opportunity to 
serve more people and a larger geographical area, including the Rosebud 
Sioux Tribe on the Rosebud Indian Reservation and Lower Brule Sioux 
Tribe on the Lower Brule Indian Reservation. Also, additional people in 
the originally authorized service territory, which includes the Oglala 
Sioux Tribe of the pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the West River/
Lyman-Jones Rural Water System service areas, will have access to safe 
drinking water.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress has become familiar with the Mni Wiconi Rural 
Water Supply Project in recent years, after passing authorizing 
legislation in 1988, Public Law 100-516, and providing almost $20 
million in appropriations through fiscal year 1994. But I want to once 
again emphasize the importance of this project. A large number of South 
Dakotans are forced to subsist on water of awfully poor quality. This 
water exceeds Safe Drinking Water Act standards in a number of areas 
and the current delivery systems are often either insufficient or 
nonexistent. Most water sources in this part of South Dakota, whether 
community water supplies or personal wells, do not meet standards set 
by the Safe Drinking Water Act due to high levels of total dissolved 
solids, sodium, sulfates, chlorides, iron, and even radium. Many 
reservation water sources are increasingly polluted with biological 
contaminants and some residents currently must drive or walk for miles 
to a community pump, filing up buckets and barrels for their daily 
water needs.
  Obviously, the poor water throughout the project area contributes to 
the health problems in the region. Diabetes, kidney disease, 
hypertension and a high infant mortality are particularly prevalent on 
the reservation. On average across the project area, drinking 2\1/2\ 
quarts of water per day for a year is equivalent to drinking 2 pounds 
of rock. On top of the poor quality, drilling a well in this region can 
cost up to $50,000.
  In addition to improving the health of residents in the region, I 
strongly believe that this water delivery project will stabilize the 
rural economy. Water is a basic commodity and is essential if we are to 
ever foster new rural development. Several communities have lost new 
businesses because of questions over water quality. Water development 
and economic development are especially important in helping the 
residents of the Indian Reservations break the cycle of poverty. 
Several of the counties in this part of South Dakota are among the 
poorest in the Nation. I am confident that by providing one of life's 
key commodities to this region, Congress will take a fundamental step 
in meeting its trust responsibility to these Indian communities.
  The Mni Wiconi Rural Water Supply Project will deliver reliable, good 
quality drinking water from a dependable source, the Missouri River, 
and will result in an improved quality of life, as well as economic 
development and job creation. The five project sponsors, the Oglala 
Sioux Tribe, the West River Rural Water System, the Lyman-Jones Rural 
Water System, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, 
have done an excellent job in working together, and I commend them for 
the level of cooperation and understanding they have all demonstrated.
  Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank Chairman Miller  of the Committee 
on Natural Resources and Chairman Bevill of the Appropriations 
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development for the continued support 
they have demonstrated over the years for the Mni Wiconi Project and 
water development efforts in South Dakota.
  The current administration and the Bureau of Reclamation have also 
demonstrated their support for this critically important project by 
including funding in the budget requests made by the Bureau of 
Reclamation. Commissioner Beard and the many Bureau of Reclamation 
officials who have worked on this project should be commended for their 
diligent efforts in working with the project sponsors and helping to 
make Mni Wiconi a reality.
  I do not believe our needs get any more basic than good quality, 
reliable drinking water, and I appreciate the fact that Congress has 
shown support for the Mni Wiconi Project over the past few years. I 
look forward to continuing work with my colleagues and to the continued 
support of Congress for the Mni Wiconi Rural Water Supply Project.

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