[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 5, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H5942]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CEILING INCREASE ON FEDERAL SHARE OF WATER RECLAMATION PROJECT

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 1175) 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 the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1175

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

     SECTION 1. CEILING INCREASE 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 new paragraph:
       ``(3) The Federal share of the costs of the project 
     authorized by section 1624 shall not exceed the following:
       ``(A) $22,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
       ``(B) $24,200,000 for fiscal year 2008.
       ``(C) $26,620,000 for fiscal year 2009.
       ``(D) $29,282,000 for fiscal year 2010.
       ``(E) $32,210,200 for fiscal year 2011.
       ``(F) $35,431,220 for fiscal year 2012.
       ``(G) $38,974,342 for fiscal year 2013.
       ``(H) $42,871,776 for fiscal year 2014.
       ``(I) $47,158,953 for fiscal year 2015.
       ``(J) $51,874,849 for fiscal year 2016.''.

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

                              {time}  1500


                             General Leave

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members 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 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would first like to commend my friend and our 
colleague from California, Representative Loretta Sanchez, for her 
dedicated and hard work on this legislation over several Congresses.
  The purpose of H.R. 1175, as introduced by Ms. Sanchez, is to amend 
the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to 
increase the Federal cost share of phase one of the Orange County, 
California Regional Water Reclamation Project.
  The project authorized by H.R. 1175 will supplement existing water 
supplies by providing a new, reliable, high quality source of water to 
recharge the Orange County Groundwater Basin and protect it from 
further degradation due to seawater intrusion.
  I thank Ms. Sanchez for her efforts on this legislation and urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1175.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1175 and yield 
myself such time as I may consume.
  The Democratic bill manager has adequately explained the bill. This 
legislation has been cosponsored by five of my Republican colleagues, 
Mr. Calvert, Mr. Gary Miller of California, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Royce 
and Mr. Campbell of California.
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of 
H.R. 1175, a bill that I have introduced for two consecutive 
Congresses. I am pleased to see that the bill is on the Suspension 
Calendar today. I would like to thank the House leadership for making 
that happen.
  H.R. 1175 would increase the ceiling on the federal share of the 
Orange County, California, Regional Water Reclamation Project--from $20 
million to $51,874,849. This project will ultimately allow Orange 
County to complete its innovative groundwater replenishment system, 
which is designed to reuse advanced treated wastewater to recharge the 
aquifer in northern Orange County.
  This aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for over 144,000 
families in Orange County each year, serving about 2.3 million 
residents from north and central Orange County. This reclamation effort 
has the potential of creating a new water supply of 72,000 acre-feet 
per year.
  The OC Groundwater Replenishment Project is an innovative program 
which has drawn national and international attention. Many U.S. states 
and foreign nations--including Japan, Korea, Taiwan--have come to 
Orange County to look at our tertiary cleaning system. They have 
observed that reusing recycled water--especially important in the arid 
west--will help preserve and recharge overdrawn river and groundwater 
supplies, and will help protect our environment from unexpected 
scarcity of water.
  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 
also to the entire western United States. By recycling our own water, 
we will not rely so heavily on the Colorado River Aqueduct or water 
from the San Francisco Bay Delta.
  Members from both sides of the aisle recognize the need for this 
project and have been consistently supportive of this effort. I would 
like to thank, in particular, my colleagues from Orange County who are 
all original cosponsors of this bill. I appreciate their continued 
support for this legislation, and this important project.
  Let me thank, again, the gentleman from West Virginia, Mr. Rahall, 
for his support, as well as Ranking Member Young, Subcommittee 
Chairwoman Napolitano and Ranking Member McMorris for their 
overwhelming support of H.R. 1175.
  Finally, let me thank Denis Bilodeau, Irv Pickler, Virginia Grebbien, 
Philip Anthony, Craig Miller, and everyone affiliated with the Orange 
County Water District and Orange County Sanitation District for their 
hard work and leadership in groundwater treatment and recycling. Their 
innovation has put Orange County at the forefront of water recycling 
and groundwater replenishment technology. I thank them for all they 
continue to do for Orange County.
  I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1175.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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