[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 102 (Wednesday, July 24, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7314-S7315]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ALLARD:
  S. 2786. A bill to provide a cost-sharing requirement for the 
construction of

[[Page S7315]]

the Arkansas Valley Conduit in the State of Colorado; to the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, water is a precious resource that 
nourishes our civilization and cultivates our society. Yet finding 
clean, inexpensive water in Southeastern Colorado, can be difficult. 
That is why today I am introducing legislation that paves the way for 
expedited construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit, a pipeline that 
will provide the small, financially strapped towns and water agencies 
along the Arkansas River with safe, clean, affordable water. By 
providing for the Federal Government to pay for 75 percent of the 
construction costs of the Conduit, we can put Southeastern Coloradans 
in the position of being able to provide themselves with the water that 
they so vitally need.
  The Conduit was originally authorized with the enactment of the 
Fryingpan-Arkansas Project in 1962. Due to Southeastern Colorado's 
depressed economic status and the fact that the authorizing statute 
lacked a cost share formula, the Conduit was never built. Until 
recently, the region has been fortunate enough to enjoy an economical 
and safe alternative to pipeline-transportation of Project Water: the 
Arkansas River. Sadly, the water quality in the Arkansas has seriously 
declined. At the same time, the federal government has continued to 
strengthen its water quality standards while providing no assistance to 
water municipalities struggling to meet those standards. In order to 
comply with these standards. In order to comply with these standards, 
the region's municipalities have begun exploring options for water 
treatment, some of which are estimated to cost between $20,000,000 and 
$40,000,000. Taken together, the municipalities alone are facing 
potential expenditures of $320,000,000 to $640,000,000, simply to 
comply with federally mandated water quality standards. As you know, 
this is not a financially feasible option for small farming 
communities.
  The local sponsors of the project have initiated, and are nearing the 
completion of, an independently funded feasibility study of the 
Conduit. They have developed a coalition of support from water users in 
Southeastern Colorado and are exploring options for financing their 25 
percent share of the costs.
  Because forty years have passed between the enactment of the 
authorizing statute and the current efforts to build the Conduit, the 
Bureau of Reclamation has stated that a Reevaluation Statement, rather 
than a Reconnaissance Study, is the next appropriate action. I would 
like to see the Bureau begin the Reevaluation Statement as quickly as 
possible. To help make this happen, I have made a request for an 
additional $300,000 in the Bureau's General Investigations account to 
be used to prepare the Statement and to begin work in earnest on the 
Conduit.
  I am pleased to learn that the Appropriations Committee is currently 
working to include the funding for the Reevaluation Statement, the 
Conduit's next step.
  With the help of my colleagues, the promise made by Congress forty 
years ago to the people of Southeastern Colorado, will finally become a 
reality. Thank you. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill 
be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2786

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

     SECTION 1. COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT FOR THE ARKANSAS VALLEY 
                   CONDUIT IN THE STATE OF COLORADO.

       (a) In General.--Section 7 of Public Law 87-590 (76 Stat. 
     393) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``Sec. 7.'' and inserting the following: 
     ``SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.'';
       (2) in the first sentence, by striking ``There is hereby 
     authorized'' and inserting the following:
       ``(a) Construction.--There is authorized'';
       (3) in the second sentence, by striking ``There are also'' 
     and inserting the following:
       ``(b) Operations and Maintenance.--There are''; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Arkansas Valley Conduit.--
       ``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
     such sums as are necessary to pay the Federal share of the 
     costs of constructing the Arkansas Valley Conduit in 
     accordance with subsection (a) of the first section.
       ``(2) Non-federal share.--
       ``(A) In general.--The non-Federal share of the total costs 
     of construction (including design and engineering costs) of 
     the Arkansas Valley Conduit shall be not more than 25 
     percent.
       ``(B) Form.--Up to 100 percent of the non-Federal share 
     may--
       ``(i) be in the form of in-kind contributions; or
       ``(ii) consist of amounts made available under any other 
     Federal law.''.
       (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     apply to any costs of constructing the Arkansas Valley 
     Conduit incurred during fiscal year 2002 or any subsequent 
     fiscal year.
                                 ______