[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 50 (Tuesday, May 2, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H1938-H1939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1515
DANA POINT DESALINATION PROJECT AUTHORIZATION ACT
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3929) to amend the Water Desalination Act of 1996 to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to assist in research and
development, environmental and feasibility studies, and preliminary
engineering for the Municipal Water District of Orange County,
California, Dana Point Desalination Project located at Dana Point,
California, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3929
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Dana Point Desalination
Project Authorization Act''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR DANA POINT DESALINATION PROJECT.
The Water Desalination Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 10301 note;
Public Law 104-298) is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``SEC. 10. DANA POINT DESALINATION RESEARCH AND FEASIBILITY
RELATED COSTS.
``(a) Authority.--The Secretary may assist in research and
development, environmental and feasibility studies, and
preliminary engineering for the Municipal Water District of
Orange County, California, Dana Point Desalination Project
located at Dana Point, California.
``(b) Federal Share.--Notwithstanding section 7, the
Federal share of the costs for the project assisted under
subsection (a) shall not exceed 25 percent of the total costs
of the project.
``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $2,500,000 to
carry out this section.
``(d) Sunset.--The authority of the Secretary to carry out
any provisions of this section shall terminate 10 years after
the date of the enactment of this section.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Mexico (Mr. Pearce) and the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Mexico.
General Leave
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Mexico?
There was no objection.
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3929, introduced by our distinguished colleague,
Ken Calvert, authorizes Federal participation in a unique desalination
research and development project in Southern California.
Water consumers in that area of the State depend on imported water,
and local efforts are being undertaken to develop nearby water supplies
to reduce this dependence.
Desalination and water recycling are some of the most important ways
to create new local water supplies. This legislation provides limited
Federal assistance to develop a unique subsurface ocean water
collection system that can reduce desalination's cost and eliminate
impacts on the environment.
This project will not only help Southern California, but could also
be a model for future desalination operations nationwide. I urge my
colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
(Mr. UDALL of New Mexico asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, we support passage of H.R.
3929. We need to do more, not less, to help communities that are
working to apply new technologies to their water supply problems. This
bill provides limited financial assistance for engineering and
environmental studies. It does not authorize funds for construction.
The project sponsors are exploring the feasibility of an ocean water
desalinization plant using subsurface intake wells, which are
protective of the marine environment. If this design is successful, it
could encourage other coastal communities that are considering ocean
desalinization as a way to stretch their limited water supplies without
causing damage to marine life.
It is unfortunate that the Bush administration opposes this bill.
Their opposition to H.R. 3929 is short-sighted and ill advised. This
administration appears to be on a crusade against the use of innovative
technologies to help solve water supply problems.
I hope the bill will be enacted despite their objections.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Campbell).
Mr. CAMPBELL of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
New Mexico for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I have some familiarity with the project, since it is
located in the district which I have the privilege to represent. Water
is an issue. It is an issue in the West; it is an issue in California.
We will probably be dealing this week and over the next few weeks and
perhaps months with some of the issues of a shortage of various energy
projects. We can avoid shortages in water if we work on it early, if we
get on some of these projects now.
What this project does, as both the previous speakers indicated, is
it is not just something that is good for the district I represent or
the area I represent, but is in fact a test project for this new type
of desalinization, where you are getting the water, rather than
directly out of the ocean on the coast, you are actually bringing the
water out underneath the sand, and then back to a desalinization plant,
which is off the coast.
That is why it does not have the negative environmental impacts
putting a plant directly on the coast right against the water would be.
But, also, the sand itself has the effect, we believe, of filtering
this water on its way to the desalinization plant, which both reduces
the cost, reduces the waste that is created in desalinization, and
possibly, we believe, makes the project considerably more efficient and
therefore cheaper.
So what this project, if it is successful, will do is it will create
desalinization that will be both less impactful on the environment,
result in a higher
[[Page H1939]]
yield of usable water, and be cheaper along the way. So something that
is good for all sides.
The Federal involvement here would only be 25 percent of the entire
project, as 75 percent of the cost is being carried by local public
agencies. So I appreciate the support on both sides of the aisle for
this project and would urge its passage.
Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3929, the
Dana Point Desalination Project Authorization Act. My legislation will
authorize Federal participation in a relatively small ocean
desalination project that could have an enormous impact on the future
development of desalination projects.
As our country continues to look for new sources of water,
particularly in the West, the expansion of our desalinated ocean water
capability is essential. While extensively utilized in other parts of
the world, most notably in the Middle East, the U.S. has only recently
begun to consider large-scale ocean water desalination projects. There
are a number of factors that have limited the viability of desalination
projects. The major issues confronting ocean desalination are the cost
of producing potable water and the potential negative impacts on ocean
ecosystems.
The Dana Point Desalination Project is not a typical ocean
desalination project. The project will use a unique subsurface ocean
intake system that will collect water that naturally seeps through the
ocean floor. The system provides a number of benefits over traditional
intake systems, including removing the negative impacts on marine life
as well as potentially reducing the need for extensive pretreatment
filtration. If constructed and successful, the system would remove
various concerns expressed by environmental advocates as well as
improve the feasibility of future ocean desalination projects.
The Dana Point Desalination Project, to the best of my knowledge, is
the only ocean desalination project supported by the Surfrider
Foundation. Their support is a direct result of the unique subsurface
intake technology that avoids negative impacts to the marine ecosystem.
I would like to submit a letter form the Surfrider Foundation detailing
their support for the Dana Point project for the record.
The Dana Point Desalination Project could have significant regional
and national benefits. H.R. 3929 simply authorizes Federal
participation in the project and limits the Federal obligation to $2.5
million to assist with preliminary engineering and environmental
studies. No construction dollars are authorized in H.R. 3929.
I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting the Dana Point
Desalination Project and passing H.R. 3929.
Surfrider Foundation,
January 10, 2006.
Re Support for MWDOC Beach Well Feasibility Study.
To Whom it May Concern: I am writing on behalf of the
Surfrider Foundation in support of efforts by the Municipal
Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) to investigate the
feasibility of sub-surface beach wells to supply seawater for
ocean desalination.
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental
organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the
world's oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through
conservation, activism, research and education.
In general, Surfrider Foundation believes that future
demands for water supplies should first be met by fully
utilizing water conservation, wastewater reclamation, and
stormwater management that will capture runoff for beneficial
uses. We feel very strongly that these supply alternatives
combine the benefit of meeting our future water needs while
simultaneously reducing polluted runoff and ocean discharges.
Ocean desalination should be the lowest priority for water
supply choices and only employed using the most
environmentally protective methods and technology.
We are pleased to see this approach to water supply
alternatives reflected in MWDOC's 2005 Urban Water Management
Plan. Furthermore, we are very supportive of the measured
approach MWDOC is taking toward filling a limited role for
ocean desalination in their water supply portfolio. Sub-
surface ``feedwater'' intakes for desalination will avoid the
unnecessary destruction of marine life, and disruption of
healthy marine ecosystems, that accompanies open ocean
intakes.
We look forward to the results of the sub-surface beach
well feasibility study MWDOC is proposing in Dana Point.
Sincerely,
Joe Geever,
Southern California Regional Manager.
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, having no further speakers, I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers and yield back
the balance of my time and urge passage of H.R. 3929.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 3929, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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