[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 123 (Monday, October 4, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H7965]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1445
  AUTHORIZING SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO PARTICIPATE IN BROWNSVILLE 
    PUBLIC UTILITY BOARD WATER RECYCLING AND DESALINIZATION PROJECT

  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2960) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 
Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
participate in the Brownsville Public Utility Board water recycling and 
desalinization project.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2960

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

     SECTION 1. BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITY BOARD WATER RECYCLING 
                   AND DESALINIZATION PROJECT.

       (a) In General.--The Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 
     Study and Facilities Act (Public Law 102-575, title XVI; 43 
     U.S.C. 390h et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``SEC. 163__. BROWNSVILLE PUBLIC UTILITY BOARD WATER 
                   RECYCLING AND DESALINIZATION PROJECT.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the 
     Brownsville Public Utility Board, may participate in the 
     design, planning, and construction of facilities to reclaim, 
     reuse, and treat impaired waters in the Brownsville, Texas, 
     area.
       ``(b) Cost Sharing.--The Federal share of the cost of the 
     project described in subsection (a) shall not exceed 25 
     percent of the total cost of the project.
       ``(c) Limitation.--Funds provided by the Secretary shall 
     not be used for operation and maintenance of the project 
     described in subsection (a).''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections in section 
     2 of Public Law 102-575 is amended by inserting after the 
     last item relating title XVI the following:
``Sec. 163_. Brownsville Public Utility Board water recycling and 
              desalinization project.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin 
Islands (Mrs. Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons).


                             General Leave

  Mr. GIBBONS. 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. 2960, the bill now 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nevada?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 2960, authored by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz), amends 
the Bureau of Reclamation's Title XVI Program to authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior, in cooperation with the Brownsville Public 
Utility Board, to participate in the design, planning, and construction 
of facilities to reclaim, reuse, and treat impaired waters in the 
Brownsville, Texas, area. The Federal cost-share for the project will 
not exceed 25 percent of the total projected cost.
  This bill will help ensure delivery of high-quality drinking water 
for the residents of the Brownsville area. By developing nontraditional 
water supplies, the community is reducing stress on the over-utilized 
Rio Grande while providing safe and dependable water supplies for 
future generations, and I therefore urge adoption of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
her remarks.)
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by commending my 
friend and colleague on the Committee on Resources, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Ortiz), for introducing this bill and for working hard to 
secure its passage.
  The community leaders in the Brownsville, Texas, area also deserve 
recognition for the decision to use water desalinization and water 
recycling as tools to stabilize their water supplies and reduce the 
impact of drought. We strongly support this legislation.
   Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2960, a bill I 
introduced that will amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 
Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
participate in the Brownsville Public Utility Board water recycling and 
desalinization project.
   I would like to thank Chairman Pombo, Ranking Member Rahall, as well 
as Water and Power Subcommittee Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member 
Napolitano, for their valuable support on this legislation.
   This bill was considered in the House Resources Committee and was 
passed with no dissent. It will essentially allow the Brownsville PUB 
to participate in water recycling and desalinization project funding 
authorized by the Secretary of the Interior.
   This bill, H.R. 2960, makes the Brownsville Public Utilities Board 
(PUB) eligible for a Federal share of Title 16 funding for design, 
planning, and construction of facilities to reclaim, reuse, and treat 
impaired waters in the Brownsville area.
   PUB's water supply plan has several components including: reclaiming 
brackish groundwater (not obligated under the Mexican water treaty) 
through desalinization, and building a pipeline to transport treated 
sewage for irrigation. This is an important bill for Brownsville and 
the PUB because it will make them eligible for grants to do the 
essential work of reclaiming waters that are currently unusable in the 
South Texas area.
   Given our current water situation, and the ongoing water debt with 
Mexico, Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley must use all our 
creativity to find new sources of water for the next century to attend 
to all the needs of future water users. South Texas has seen an amazing 
amount of growth, a dynamic we expect to continue for decades to come. 
The more varied, and more creative, we are in finding new water 
sources, the more successful we will be in attracting new industry to 
sustain the growth of our Valley economy.
   I ask my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2960.
  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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