[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 100 (Monday, July 19, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H5929-H5930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INCREASING CEILING ON FEDERAL SHARE OF ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA,
REGIONAL WATER RECLAMATION PROJECT
Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1156) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater
Study and Facilities Act to increase the ceiling on the Federal share
of the costs of phase I of the Orange County, California, Regional
Water Reclamation Project.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 1156
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. INCREASE IN CEILING ON FEDERAL SHARE OF WATER
RECLAMATION PROJECT.
Section 1631(d) of the Reclamation Wastewater and
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (43 U.S.C. 390h-13(d))
is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``paragraph (2)'' and
inserting ``paragraphs (2) and (3)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) The Federal share of the costs of the project
authorized by section 1624 shall not exceed $80,000,000.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arizona (Mr. Hayworth) and the gentlewoman from Guam (Mr. Bordallo)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hayworth).
General Leave
Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1156, the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arizona?
There was no objection.
Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1156, introduced by the gentlewoman from California
(Ms. Loretta Sanchez), increases the authorized Federal cost ceiling of
the phase I Regional Water Reclamation Project in Orange County,
California, by $60 million.
Local project sponsors have expressed a desire to expand the
groundwater replenishment system, which injects highly treated
wastewater blended with other sources of water into the local
groundwater aquifer. This project will provide an additional water
supply for future use and create a freshwater barrier to prevent
seawater intrusion.
The project reduces the region's dependency on imported water
supplies and provides drought-proofing safeguards.
I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, as many of my colleagues know, the
Colorado River Basin is now experiencing the worst drought in 500
years. H.R. 1156 authorizes a modest increase in Federal financial
support to expand water recycling in southern California's Orange
County water district.
There is a strong Federal interest in completing this project, as it
will help reduce the amount of water that now must be imported from the
Colorado River. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Loretta Sanchez) for introducing
this important legislation.
I urge support for H.R. 1156.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman
from California (Ms. Loretta Sanchez).
Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1156, a bill that I authored.
I am pleased to see that the bill is on the Suspension Calendar today,
and I thank the leadership for putting it on today's calendar.
H.R. 1156 would increase the authorized Federal share for the Orange
County, California, groundwater replenishment system from $20 million
to $80 million. This will allow Orange County to complete its
innovative groundwater replenishment system. The groundwater
replenishment system will serve about 2.3 million residents of north
and central Orange County, and it will create a new water supply of
72,000 acre-feet per year. It is basically a recycling program, a very
innovative one; and many States and nations around the world have come
to Orange County to look at our tertiary cleaning system that we have.
What this bill does is to increase the Federal share of the project,
bringing it closer to the 25 percent level, the level at which almost
every other reclamation project is funded in the Reclamation Wastewater
and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act of 1992 and the Reclamation
Cycling and Water Conservation Act.
The project is not just important to Orange County, California, but
is important to the entire western United States because by recycling
our own water, we would not rely so heavily on the Colorado River
Aqueduct or the San Francisco Bay Delta water.
Members from both sides of the aisle recognize the need for this
project, and I would like to particularly recognize the gentleman from
California (Mr. Gary G. Miller) for his cosponsorship and his continued
support. The gentleman from California (Mr. Gary G. Miller) is also
offering H.R. 142 today, authorizing the Interior Secretary to
participate in Inland Empire water projects; and I am pleased to be a
cosponsor of that, and I urge my colleagues to support that as well.
At the same time, I would like to thank the Committee on Resources
chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo); the ranking
member, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall); as well as the
chairman of the Subcommittee on Water and Power, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Calvert); and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Napolitano) for their overwhelming support of H.R.
1156.
I would also like to say in a very bipartisan manner, the rest of the
Orange County delegation, including the gentleman from California (Mr.
Cox), the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher), and the
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), have been strong supporters of
H.R. 1156; and I thank them as well.
Lastly, let me thank Denis Bilodeau, Virginia Grebbien, Craig Miller,
and everyone affiliated with the Orange County Water District and
Orange County Sanitation District for their hard work and leadership in
groundwater recycling. Their innovation has
[[Page H5930]]
put Orange County in the forefront of water recycling and groundwater
replenishment technology. I thank them for their continued support.
Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers; I yield
back the remainder of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hayworth) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1156.
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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