[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 37 (Monday, March 5, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H2124-H2125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INLAND EMPIRE AND CUCAMONGA VALLEY RECYCLING PROJECTS
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 122) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater
Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
participate in the Inland Empire regional recycling project and in the
Cucamonga Valley Water District recycling project, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 122
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. INLAND EMPIRE AND CUCAMONGA VALLEY RECYCLING
PROJECTS.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Inland
Empire Regional Water Recycling Initiative''.
(b) 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__. INLAND EMPIRE REGIONAL WATER RECYCLING PROJECT.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the
Inland Empire Utilities Agency, may participate in the
design, planning, and construction of the Inland Empire
regional water recycling project described in the report
submitted under section 1606(c).
``(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).
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000.
``(e) 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.
``SEC. 16__. CUCAMONGA VALLEY WATER RECYCLING PROJECT.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the
Cucamonga Valley Water District, may participate in the
design, planning, and construction of the Cucamonga Valley
Water District satellite recycling plants in Rancho
Cucamonga, California, to reclaim and recycle approximately 2
million gallons per day of domestic wastewater.
``(b) Cost Sharing.--The Federal share of the cost of the
project described in subsection (a) shall not exceed 25
percent of the capital 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).
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section, $10,000,000.
``(e) 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''.
(c) Conforming Amendments.--The table of sections in
section 2 of Public Law 102-575 is amended by inserting after
the last item the following:
``16__. Inland Empire Regional Water Recycling Program.
``16__. Cucamonga Valley Water Recycling Project.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.
General Leave
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 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 Arizona?
There was no objection.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
The purpose of H.R. 122, as amended, introduced by our colleague,
Congressman Dreier of California, is to amend the Reclamation
Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Inland Empire regional
water recycling project and in the Cucamonga Valley Water District
satellite recycling plant.
H.R. 122, as amended, would add approximately 100,000 acre-feet of
new water annually to one of the largest recycled water distribution
systems in the Santa Ana River Watershed. Some of the recycled water
will be used to reclaim the groundwater basin and help drought-proof
the service area. These water recycling plants will develop recycled
water near where it will be used, offsetting the energy costs
associated with pumping.
The Subcommittee on Water and Power held hearings on similar
legislation in the 108th Congress. In the 109th Congress, similar
legislation was passed by the House.
H.R. 122, as amended, will provide a very modest amount of Federal
financial assistance to help in the construction of these worthy water
recycling projects.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 122, as
amended, and yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 122, sponsored by our colleague, David Dreier, authorizes the
Bureau of Reclamation to participate in two water recycling projects in
Southern California that will allow the water districts there to be
less reliant on imported water.
As the water demand grows and supplies become more scarce in Southern
California, this bill would help to drought-proof this arid area. These
projects would add over 75,000 acre-feet of water annually to one of
the last recycled water distribution systems in the Santa Ana River
Watershed. This legislation passed the House during the past two
Congresses, and I urge my colleagues to support this noncontroversial
bill.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield as much time as he may consume to
the sponsor of this piece of legislation, the gentleman from California
(Mr. Dreier).
(Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. As I
was just told by a distinguished member of the committee staff, we hope
that the third time is a charm here. We have been pursuing this for
quite a while, and I hope very much that we will be able to see final
implementation of this.
I would like to recognize the leadership again on both sides of the
aisle; the Committee on Natural Resources, of course, Mr. Bishop, who
served with great distinction on the Committee on Rules. And I will say
that we miss him upstairs in the Rules Committee. I especially miss the
fact that we are no
[[Page H2125]]
longer in the majority up in the Rules Committee, but he is serving
very ably now as an important member of the Natural Resources Committee
and the Water and Power Subcommittee. And I want to thank, of course,
on the majority side the distinguished chairman of the full committee,
Mr. Rahall, my very good friend from California (Mrs. Napolitano) with
whom I worked closely on this, and of course the ranking member on the
subcommittee, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and of course the ranking member
of the full committee, Mr. Young.
I want to really underscore the great commitment and support that was
provided in this effort by my California colleague, Mrs. Napolitano,
who was an original cosponsor of this bill and has long been a great
champion for many, many years of regional water solutions. I am also
very pleased to have had the continued support and cosponsorship of
other Southern California colleagues in a bipartisan way, Ken Calvert,
Gary Miller, and of course I am pleased to see that we have just been
joined on the floor here by my good friend, who represents the Inland
Empire, Mr. Baca. And I should say, Mr. Speaker, that I just signed one
of those cosponsor sheets and turned it in at the desk that will now
include Mr. Baca's name as one of the cosponsors of this important
legislation.
As many of you will recall, this bill was passed, as I said, by the
last Congress; but it was held up in the other body over issues that
were much larger regarding overall reform of the Bureau of
Reclamation's title 16 program. And I do share the concern that the
program, while hugely popular, successful and competitive, is
oversubscribed and underfunded. That being said, Mr. Speaker, the need
to reform the program shouldn't hold back good projects like this one.
The Inland Empire Water Recycling Initiative authorizes $30 million
for the Inland Empire Utilities Agency and the Cucamonga Valley Water
District to assist in constructing two water recycling projects. The
projects will produce nearly 100,000 acre-feet of new water annually to
the area's water supply. This initiative has the support of all member
agencies of the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, which encompasses 240
square miles in Southern California. It also serves a number of cities
that I am very honored to be able to represent, the cities of Rancho
Cucamonga, Upland and Montclair, some of the fastest growing cities in
our Nation.
These water agencies are using high-quality recycled water in many
water intensive applications like landscape and agricultural
irrigation, construction and industrial cooling. This allows fresh
water to be conserved or used for drinking, which reduces our
dependence on expensive imported water. In addition, by recycling water
which would otherwise be wasted and unavailable, these agencies ensure
that we wring the last drop of use out of water before it is ultimately
returned to the environment.
It is imperative that we continue to approve measures preventing
water supply shortages in the western United States. And, Mr. Speaker,
this recycling initiative will help meet the water needs of the Inland
Empire and begin a strategic Federal-local partnership to bring a
significant amount of new water supply to this very important region in
Southern California. This project has already been recognized
nationally as one of the most cost-effective water reuse projects that
we have.
The Inland Empire Utility Agency and the Cucamonga Valley Water
District are innovative leaders in using high-quality recycled water in
environmentally sensitive and creative ways. This allows fresh water to
be conserved for drinking, reducing our dependence on expensive
imported water.
The hard work of these two local water agencies should be recognized.
Mr. Speaker, I want to specifically recognize the tireless efforts of
Rich Atwater, the CEO of the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, and Robert
DeLoach, the CEO of the Cucamonga Valley Water District.
I would also like to commend the boards of these agencies for their
leadership in providing our region with safe, clean, and affordable
water. And I will say, Mr. Speaker, that at a time when we are focusing
constantly on the need to look at ways to recycle and focusing on the
issue of environmentally sound planning for our future, meeting our
needs, this measure is, again, a model that can be used for the rest of
the country.
At this juncture, I would be happy to yield to my very good friend,
with whom I am privileged to share representing part of the Inland
Empire, Mr. Baca.
(Mr. BACA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BACA. I appreciate the comments by Mr. Dreier. I appreciate his
leadership on this important issue of water. It is critical to the
Inland Empire. This is one that needs to be addressed, and he has
constantly addressed the issues of water in the Inland Empire, not only
now, but in the past. And I rise in support of H.R. 122, the Inland
Empire recycling project.
And I appreciate Grace Napolitano's leadership in this endeavor
because this is a bipartisan effort for the Inland Empire and its
region in the area. This is not a Republican or a Democratic issue, but
an issue that pertains to water and water that is important to a lot of
us in that region and throughout the State of California.
This project is important for my district. And he not only mentioned
his district that covers Upland and Rancho Cucamonga, but it is
important for my district and across Southern California because it
would help solve California's state-wide water shortage.
We all have been warned about global warming and the impact it is
going to have in terms of the future and the possibility of the lack of
water. Well, this addresses some of that. By recycling the water in our
region, we will be able to increase the local water supply and reduce
our dependence on imported water from San Francisco Bay delta area.
{time} 1415
The Bureau of Reclamation has ranked this project as one of the most
cost-effective new water supply projects in California; I state, the
most effective, cost-effective water supply projects in California. And
it is also endorsed by all cities, including Fontana and Ontario, as
well as community groups and business groups, and environmental leader
groups, and I state, environmental groups and leaders throughout the
Inland Empire.
I rise to give my full support, and I urge my colleagues to do the
same on this important issue on water that impacts not only the Inland
Empire but the State of California, and I ask full support.
Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank my friend for
his very able contribution.
Let me just say, Mr. Speaker, in closing that I think that this
legislation underscores once again how the California congressional
delegation continues, as it has in the past, to work in a bipartisan
way addressing priority concerns that we have, whether it be
transportation, dealing with the whole issue of base closure, dealing
with the challenge of illegal immigration, dealing with this very
important water resources issue, health care issues. California's
delegation is working together in a bipartisan way to address them, and
this legislation today is evidence of our great success at implementing
the shared vision that we have for the constituents whom we are honored
to represent in California. And I again thank both Democrats and
Republicans on the Natural Resources Committee for their strong support
of this important legislation.
And, again, as Mr. Baca said, I hope very much that the committee and
others will utilize this very successful program as a model for future
water recycling.
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. 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 Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 122, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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