[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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