[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 24, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H10802-H10804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     WATER DESALINATION ACT OF 1996

  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the Senate bill (S. 811) to authorize research into the desalinization 
and reclamation of water and authorize a program for States, cities, or 
qualifying agencies desiring to own and operate a water desalinization 
or reclamation facility to develop such facilities, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 811

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Water Desalination Act of 
     1996''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       As used in this Act:
       (1) Desalination or desalting.--The terms ``desalination'' 
     or ``desalting'' mean the use of any process or technique for 
     the removal and, when feasible, adaptation to beneficial use, 
     of organic and inorganic elements and compounds from saline 
     or biologically impaired waters, by itself or in conjunction 
     with other processes.
       (2) Saline water.--The term ``saline water'' means sea 
     water, brackish water, and other mineralized or chemically 
     impaired water.
       (3) United states.--The term ``United States'' means the 
     States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the 
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories and 
     possessions of the United States.
       (4) Usuable water.--The term ``usable water'' means water 
     of a high quality suitable for environmental enhancement, 
     agricultural, industrial, municipal, and other beneficial 
     consumptive or nonconsumptive uses.
       (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF RESEARCH AND STUDIES.

       (a) In General.--In order to determine the most cost-
     effective and technologically efficient means by which usable 
     water can be produced from saline water or water otherwise 
     impaired or contaminated, the Secretary is authorized to 
     award grants and to enter into contracts, to the extent 
     provided in advance in appropriation Acts, to conduct, 
     encourage, and assist in the financing of research to develop 
     processes for converting saline water into water suitable for 
     beneficial uses. Awards of research grants and contracts 
     under this section shall be made on the basis of a 
     competitive, merit-reviewed process. Research and study 
     topics authorized by this section include--
       (1) investigating desalination processes;
       (2) ascertaining the optimum mix of investment and 
     operating costs;
       (3) determining the best designs for different conditions 
     of operation;
       (4) investigating methods of increasing the economic 
     efficiency of desalination processes through dual-purpose co-
     facilities with other processes involving the use of water;
       (5) conducting or contracting for technical work, including 
     the design, construction, and testing of pilot systems and 
     test beds, to develop desalting processes and concepts;
       (6) studying methods for the recovery of byproducts 
     resulting from desalination to offset the costs of treatment 
     and to reduce environmental impacts from those byproducts; 
     and
       (7) salinity modeling and toxicity analysis of brine 
     discharges, cost reduction strategies for constructing and 
     operating desalination facilities, and the horticultural 
     effects of desalinated water used for irrigation.
       (b) Project Recommendations and Reports to the Congress.--
     As soon as practicable and within three years after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall recommend to 
     Congress desalination demonstration projects or full-scale 
     desalination projects to carry out the purposes of this Act 
     and to further evaluate and implement the results of 
     research and studies conducted under the authority of this 
     section. Recommendations for projects shall be accompanied 
     by reports on the engineering and economic feasibility of 
     proposed projects and their environmental impacts.
       (c) Authority To Engage Others.--In carrying out research 
     and studies authorized in this section, the Secretary may 
     engage the necessary personnel, industrial or engineering 
     firms, Federal laboratories, water resources research and 
     technology institutes, other facilities, and educational 
     institutions suitable to conduct investigations and studies 
     authorized under this section.
       (d) Alternative Technologies.--In carrying out the purposes 
     of this Act, the Secretary shall ensure that at least three 
     separate technologies are evaluated and demonstrated for the 
     purposes of accomplishing desalination.

     SEC. 4. DESALINATION DEMONSTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT.

       (a) In General.--In order to further demonstrate the 
     feasibility of desalination processes investigated either 
     independently or in research conducted pursuant to section 3,

[[Page H10803]]

     the Secretary shall administer and conduct a demonstration 
     and development program for water desalination and related 
     activities, including the following:
       (1) desalination plants and modules.--Conduct or contract 
     for technical work, including the design, construction, and 
     testing of plants and modules to develop desalination 
     processes and concepts.
       (2) Byproducts.--Study methods for the marketing of 
     byproducts resulting from the desalting of water to offset 
     the costs of treatment and to reduce environmental impacts of 
     those byproducts.
       (3) economic surveys.--Conduct economic studies and surveys 
     to determine present and prospective costs of producing water 
     for beneficial purposes in various locations by desalination 
     processes compared to other methods.
       (b) Cooperative agreements.--Federal participation in 
     desalination activities may be conducted through cooperative 
     agreements, including cost-sharing agreements, with non-
     Federal public utilities and State and local governmental 
     agencies and other entities, in order to develop 
     recommendations for Federal participation in processes and 
     plants utilizing desalting technologies for the production of 
     water.

     SEC. 5. AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.

       All information from studies sponsored or funded under 
     authority of this Act shall be considered public information.

     SEC. 6. TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE.

       The Secretary may--
       (1) accept technical and administrative assistance from 
     States and public or private agencies in connection with 
     studies, surveys, location, construction, operation, and 
     other work relating to the desalting of water, and
       (2) enter into contracts or agreements stating the purposes 
     for which the assistance is contributed and providing for the 
     sharing of costs between the Secretary and any such agency.

     SEC. 7. COST SHARING.

       The Federal share of the cost of a research, study, or 
     demonstration project or a desalination development project 
     or activity carried out under this Act shall not exceed 50 
     percent of the total cost of the project or research or study 
     activity. A Federal contribution in excess of 25 percent for 
     a project carried out under this Act may not be made unless 
     the Secretary determines that the project is not feasible 
     without such increased Federal contribution. The Secretary 
     shall prescribe appropriate procedures to implement the 
     provisions of this section. Costs of operation, maintenance, 
     repair, and rehabilitation of facilities funded under the 
     authority of this Act shall be non-Federal responsibilities.

     SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Section  3.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out section 3 of this Act $5,000,000 per year for 
     fiscal years 1997 through 2002. Of these amounts, up to 
     $1,000,000 in each fiscal year may be awarded to institutions 
     of higher education, including united States-Mexico 
     binational research foundations and interuniversity research 
     programs established by the two countries, for research 
     grants without any cost-sharing requirement.
       (b) Section 4.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out section 4 of this Act $25,000,000 for fiscal years 
     1997 through 2002.

     SEC. 9. CONSULTATION.

       In carrying out the provisions of this Act, the Secretary 
     shall consult with the heads of the Federal agencies, 
     including the Secretary of the Army, which have experience in 
     conducting desalination research or operating desalination 
     facilities. The authorization provided for in this Act shall 
     not prohibit other agencies from carrying out separately 
     authorized programs for deslination research or operations.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Doolittle] and the gentleman from California [Mr. Farr] 
will each control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California [Mr. Doolittle].
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. DOOLITTLE asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Madam Speaker, the Water Desalination Research and 
Development Act of 1996 passed at that point on May 3, 1996. It was 
referred to the Committee on Resources and, in addition, to the 
Committee on Science and the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure.
  The bill was reported out of the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure, as well as the Senate Committee on Environment and 
Public Works, to bring the bill to the floor in its current form. We 
have also worked to coordinate with the minority in both Houses to 
ensure final passage. It is our expectation that the bill in its 
present form will be taken up by the Senate immediately.
  The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to consult with the 
heads of relevant Federal agencies, to conduct a basic research and 
development program for desalination, and to participate in 
demonstration projects.
  As amended, the bill contains the following provisions: First, 
research on key subjects that will advance our ability to provide 
supplemental high-quality water in various water-short areas throughout 
the country;
  Second, an evaluation of at least three alternative technologies to 
achieve desalination;
  Third, an authorization for $55 million between now and the year 
2002. This compares to an authorization of $75 million in the Senate-
passed version.
  Last, a funding formula which limits the Federal cost share to 50 
percent, with a specific justification required for anything exceeding 
25 percent.
  I want to express my appreciation to the other committees that have 
worked with us to craft this legislation, and urge support for the 
bill.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FARR of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  (Mr. FARR of California asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FARR of California. Madam Speaker, the distinguished chair of our 
Committee on Resources, the gentleman from California [Mr. Doolittle], 
I want to also commend him on bringing this bill to the floor. The 
purpose of this bill, as amended, is to authorize the Federal program 
to finance strategies to encourage new research and development for 
methods and technologies for water desalinization.
  The bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior, in 
cooperation with other agencies, to award, as it was spelled out, 
contracts for studies regarding the desalinization of water and water 
reuse and demonstration projects, as so outlined.
  I see all these students in the gallery, and I am thinking that when 
I was a student one of the poems we were all required to learn is the 
Coleridge ``Ancient Mariner,'' where the great line is, ``Water, water, 
everywhere, but not a drop to drink.''
  This bill allows us to drink that water, because what it does is it 
allows us to find the technology to solve the problems of water 
shortages and water contamination. Many people do not realize, but 
desalination of chemically and biologically impaired water can often be 
useful in solving problems of drought, of contamination, and an 
overappropriation of supplies.
  Both the speakers are from the State of California. Our coastline is 
surrounded by salt water. The coastal communities of our great State do 
not have any benefit from the great water project that we have in 
California. We rely on the water that comes from the heavens.
  Unfortunately, more and more people are living on the coast, and we 
are having a tremendous amount of water shortages. Everybody realizes 
it is only a matter of time before the technology of desalinization and 
the price for that technology will become available, so we can indeed 
tap into that great resource.
  The United States, interestingly, was once the leader of this 
technology. No other country knew it better. The world beat a path to 
our door. But severe budget cuts since 1981 have all but eliminated the 
funds for desalinization research.
  I want to really credit this bill to its author, to Senator Paul 
Simon, who pursued the desalination legislation with great 
determination for several years. Senator Simon, as we know, is 
retiring, and has made a significant contribution to the field of water 
desalination, and his efforts will be appreciated for many years.
  Therefore, the enactment of this bill will once again allow the 
United States to pursue water desalination as a means of reducing 
stress on our limited water supplies. I urge my colleagues to join me 
in support of this important piece of legislation.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak in support of S. 811, the 
Water Desalination Act of 1996 and to clarify its effect on programs 
and authorities of the Army Corps of Engineers.
  First let me congratulate the proponents of this legislation, 
particularly the gentleman from

[[Page H10804]]

Illinois, Senator Paul Simon. He has worked tirelessly with others to 
promote desalination research, technologies, and demonstrations. This 
legislation will help to do that, and as a result advance 
environmentally protective water conservation, reuse, and efficiency 
policies.
  Second, I should clarify the role of the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee regarding S. 811 and our committee's intent 
regarding the Army Corps of Engineers. In order to expedite 
consideration of S. 811, our committee agreed to be discharged. We also 
agreed to the revisions made by the Resources Committee to limit the 
scope of the bill to the programs and authorities of the Secretary of 
the Interior. In no way should this be construed as a statement of 
congressional policy that the Department of the Interior is the only 
appropriate or most appropriate Federal entity to carry out 
desalination research, development, and demonstrations.
  In fact, at the request of the leadership of the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee, the leadership of the Resources Committee 
included in the manager's amendment a specific requirement to consult 
with the Corps of Engineers on activities carried out under the act and 
included a statement that authorizations in this act are not intended 
to affect other agency programs or authorizations. I appreciate the 
cooperation of the Resources Committee and their acknowledgment that 
the Corps of Engineers has experience and expertise in desalination 
research, development, and demonstration.
  I also congratulate the gentlelady from California, Representative 
Andrea Seastrand, for her involvement in shaping and improving this 
bill. At her suggestion and based on the experience of the city of 
Santa Barbara, the manager's amendment includes specific references to 
key areas for desalination research.
  Again, I thank my colleagues on the Resources Committee, as well as 
the Science Committee, for their efforts and cooperation and urge my 
colleagues to support the bill.
  Mr. FARR of California. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I 
urge an ``aye'' vote.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Doolittle] that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 811, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds of those present having voted 
in favor therefore) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill as 
amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``An act to authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior to conduct studies regarding the desalination 
of water and water reuse, and for other purposes.''
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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