[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 24, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H6500-H6501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   MNI WICONI RURAL WATER SUPPLY PROJECT REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2002

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4638) to reauthorize the Mni Wiconi Rural Water Supply 
Project.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4638

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

     SECTION 1. MNI WICONI RURAL WATER SUPPLY PROJECT, SOUTH 
                   DAKOTA.

       Section 10(a) of the Mni Wiconi Project Act of 1988 (Public 
     Law 100-516; 102 Stat. 2571), as amended by section 813 of 
     the Mni Wiconi Act Amendments of 1994 (Public Law 103-434; 
     108 Stat. 4545), is amended--
       (1) in the first sentence, by inserting ``(based on October 
     1, 1992, price levels) and $58,800,000 (based on October 1, 
     1997, price levels)'' after ``$263,241,000'';
       (2) in the second sentence, by striking ``2003'' and 
     inserting ``2008''; and
       (3) in the last sentence, by inserting ``(with respect to 
     the $263,241,000), and October 1, 1997 (with respect to the 
     $58,800,000)'' after ``1992''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen).
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4953, the Mni Wiconi Rural Water Supply 
Authorization Act of 2002, will extend the completion date of the Mni 
Wiconi Rural Water Supply Project to 2008 and increase the 
appropriation ceiling by $58.8 million.
  The Mni Wiconi project was originally authorized under Public Law 
100-516 to construct a municipal, rural and industrial water system to 
serve the Pine Ridge, Rosebud and Lower Brule Indian Reservations and 
seven counties in southwestern South Dakota. The project was developed 
to overcome the shortage of good quality drinking water in the region.
  While the overall appropriation ceiling for the project has not been 
reached, two of the primary components have reached their individual 
allocations. Without additional funding, these two project components 
will not be completed.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I read an article in today's CQ Daily Monitor with the 
following headline: ``Dakota Water Project Marked by November Election 
Overtones.''
  My purpose in supporting this legislation, however, is marked by the 
pressing need to keep our promise to Native Americans in South Dakota 
who need and deserve a safe and reliable water supply. That is my 
motive here, pure and simple. Native Americans deserve no less.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from South Dakota (Mr. Thune), the author of 
this legislation.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Utah (Chairman 
Hansen), the gentleman from California (Chairman Calvert) and all the 
members of the Committee on Resources for their support of H.R. 4638, 
to extend the authorization of the Mni Wiconi Rural Water Supply 
Project, which I introduced earlier this year.
  This legislation is absolutely essential to the completion of this 
critical project, which is now over 50 percent

[[Page H6501]]

finished. H.R. 4638 will increase the authorization ceiling of the 
project by $58.8 million and extend the authorization of the project to 
2008.
  Mr. Speaker, Mni Wiconi translates into ``water is life,'' and I 
believe this is a fitting name for this project. Currently, many 
communities within the area of the Mni Wiconi project suffer from poor 
quality drinking water, which has been the cause of water-borne 
illnesses. The need for this project is simple: Clean, safe water.
  The Mni Wiconi Rural Water Supply Project is also a great symbol of 
cooperation and compromise. The project is made up of four separate 
rural water supply systems: Oglala, Rosebud, Lower Brule and West 
River/Lyman-Jones.
  This project will bring healthy, safe drinking water and the 
potential for greater prosperity to over 52,000 South Dakotans, many of 
whom live in some of the most economically depressed counties in 
America.
  When complete, Mni Wiconi will cover more than 12,500 square miles, 
making it the largest water project in the Bureau of Reclamation in 
North America. To service an area of this size, the project includes 
4,500 miles of new pipeline, 60 booster stations and 35 water storage 
reservoirs. I am pleased to report the water treatment facility is 
fully operational and able to treat over 13 million gallons of water 
per day.
  Mr. Speaker, Mni Wiconi is not just a water project, it is a unique 
partnership between the Oglala, Rosebud and Lower Brule Sioux Tribes 
and non-tribal communities in Lyman, Jones, Stanley, Haakon, Jackson, 
Bennett and Pennington Counties.
  During a hearing on H.R. 4638 in late May, each of the four project 
sponsors were represented in the audience and at the witness table. 
Their attendance illustrated the unified support this project has from 
the American Indian and the non-tribal communities through the Mni 
Wiconi tribal area and their willingness to put differences aside to 
fix a common problem, poor quality water.

                              {time}  1600

  Mr. Speaker, I want to again thank the Committee on Resources for 
their work to consider this critically important legislation. I would 
like to thank the gentleman from West Virginia for his work as well in 
making this possible and getting this legislation to the floor and 
enacted into law.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Jeff Miller of Florida). The question is 
on the motion offered by the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4638.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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