[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 136 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11582-S11583]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       WATER DESALINIZATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1996

  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I ask the Chair lay before the Senate a 
message from the House of Representatives on (S. 811) a bill 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.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the House of Representatives:

       Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 811) entitled 
     ``An Act 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'', do pass with the 
     following amendments:
       Strike out all after the enacting clause, and insert:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

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

[[Page S11583]]

     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) Usable 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, 
     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 other 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 desalination research or operations.

  Mr. NICKLES. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate concur in the 
amendments of the House, and I move to reconsider and lay on the table 
that action.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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