[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 124 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H7736-H7737]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1515
RECLAMATION WASTEWATER AND GROUNDWATER STUDY AND FACILITIES ACT
AMENDMENT
Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4545) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater
Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
participate in the Los Angeles County Water Supply Augmentation
Demonstration Project, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 4545
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY WATER SUPPLY
AUGMENTATION DEMONSTRATION 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:
``SEC. 16__. LOS ANGELES COUNTY WATER SUPPLY AUGMENTATION
DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior, in
cooperation with the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers
Watershed Council, is authorized to participate in the
planning, design, construction, and assessment of a
neighborhood demonstration project to--
``(1) demonstrate the potential for infiltration of
stormwater runoff to recharge groundwater by retrofitting one
or more sites in the Los Angeles area with features designed
to reflect state-of-the-art best management practices for
water conservation, pollution reduction and treatment, and
habitat restoration; and
``(2) through predevelopment and postdevelopment
monitoring, assess--
``(A) the potential new water supply yield based on
increased infiltration; and
``(B) the value of the new water.
``(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.--No Federal funds shall be used for the
operation and maintenance of the project described in
subsection (a). For purposes of this subsection, pre- and
post-development monitoring for not more than 2 years before
and after project installation for project assessment
purposes shall not be considered operation and maintenance.
``(d) Sunset of Authority.--- 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.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections in section 2
of Public Law 102-575 is amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 16__ the following:
``Sec. 16__. Los Angeles County Water Supply Augmentation Demonstration
Project''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arizona (Mr. Hayworth) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.
Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 4545 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, in cooperation
with the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council, to
participate in the design, planning, and construction of a water
recharge demonstration project in Southern California. To meet the
needs of future population growth in this arid region, capturing
stormwater runoff and recharging groundwater could substantially
increase local water supplies.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. PALLONE. We strongly support H.R. 4545, championed by our
colleague from Lakewood, California (Ms. Linda T. Sanchez). This
authorization will authorize Federal financial assistance for a unique
water reuse and conservation project in the Los Angeles area. The
project will demonstrate that small-scale neighborhood projects can be
built to increase local water supplies and reduce urban water
pollution.
[[Page H7737]]
Projects like this can help residents of southern California increase
local water supplies and reduce their dependence on imported water from
northern California and the Colorado River.
This is an innovative project and a good bill that deserves our
support. Again, I want to congratulate my friend, Linda Sanchez, for
her hard work on this bill.
Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I would now yield as much time as she would
consume to the gentlewoman who is the sponsor of the bill.
Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by
thanking Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo and Ranking Member
Nick Rahall as well as Water and Power Subcommittee Chairman George
Radanovich for recognizing the importance of this bill, H.R. 4545, the
Southern California Water Augmentation Study.
I would also like to especially thank my colleague Grace Napolitano,
the ranking member of the Water and Power Subcommittee. She has served
in that position with distinction and established herself as an
advocate for sound water policy in her home State of California and
across the Nation. Representative Napolitano has supported this bill,
and she has utilized many efforts in shepherding it through the
legislative process.
I became interested in this effort because California and other parts
of this country need to move forward on two very important issues:
First, we must increase our groundwater drinking supplies, and we can
do this by improving the safe infiltration of surface water. And,
second, we must reduce urban stormwater runoff that can carry trash and
contamination to our beaches and oceans.
The water augmentation study was created to address important
economic and scientific questions about water quality and water supply.
Simply put, this project is about taking the water that we lose and
turning it into water that we can use.
This study will assess the potential of urban stormwater infiltration
to augment water supplies. This water augmentation study will determine
the benefits, costs, and risks of infiltration. It will help us
understand what conditions we need to make infiltration work and assess
the potential for larger water supply. At the same time, it will show
us how to reduce water pollution and create additional environmental
and social benefits.
Mr. Speaker, this bill is designed to make southern California more
water self-sufficient and less reliant on imported water from our
neighbors in the central and northern parts of our State. I am also
very pleased that President Bush has included funding for the water
augmentation study in his last three budgets, including this year. This
is a bipartisan effort in which there is agreement on the merits of the
project throughout our government.
Also, the California staff of the Bureau of Reclamation has been very
supportive of this project. In fact, they helped create it in the year
2000, because they see it as helping solve a real problem we face in
California and, shall I say, other water-challenged States across the
country.
Again, I would like to thank Chairman Pombo and Ranking Member
Rahall, as well as the great staff on the House Resources Committee,
and to Representative Napolitano for her unyielding support of this
bill. I urge all my colleagues to join us in supporting H.R. 4545.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I would
yield back my time.
Mr. HAYWORTH. Likewise, Mr. Speaker, with that note of unanimity,
being from a water-challenged State the gentlewoman from California
spoke of earlier, I would simply like to say I likewise have no
additional speakers.
I yield back the balance 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. 4545, 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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