[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 134 (Tuesday, September 22, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H9757]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RAISING FEDERAL COST SHARE OF CALLEGUAS WATER DISTRICT RECYCLING 
                                PROJECT

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2522) to raise the ceiling on the Federal share of the cost 
of the Calleguas Municipal Water District Recycling Project, and for 
other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2522

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, That 
     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:
       ``(3) In the case of the Calleguas Municipal Water District 
     Recycling Project authorized by section 1616, the Federal 
     share of the cost of the Project may not exceed the sum 
     determined by adding--
       ``(A) the amount that applies to the Project under 
     paragraph (1); and
       ``(B) $40,000,000.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 2522, introduced by our colleague Representative Elton Gallegly, 
would raise the existing authorization ceiling to authorize funds for 
phases 2 and 3 of the Calleguas Municipal Water District Recycling 
Project. When these phases are completed, it is expected that the 
project will produce 43,000 acre-feet of water annually.
  At a time when reported water is unreliable, the title XVI water 
recycling program is a tool that communities can use to create a 
reliable local supply to meet all of the future demands.
  I ask my colleagues to support passage of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today to support H.R. 2522, legislation introduced by my 
Natural Resources Committee colleague, Elton Gallegly, and cosponsored 
by Congresswoman Lois Capps.
  This legislation extends limited Federal participation in the 
Calleguas Municipal Water District Water Recycling Project. This 
project is already underway to help over 600,000 water consumers with 
their water supply needs by recycling wastewater. The residents of the 
region are entirely dependent on imported water, and this bill will 
help alleviate that dependence by extending the Federal financial cap 
on the project.
  Because he's flying back to Washington, DC, from his California 
district, Congressman Gallegly is unable to be here for debate on this 
bill; therefore, his statement will be included in the Record.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my strong support 
for H.R. 2522, which is a bill introduced earlier this year that would 
raise the ceiling on the Federal share of the cost of completing the 
Calleguas Municipal Water District Recycling Project.
  I believe most of the country knows about the water shortage plaguing 
the state of California. In my district, maintaining adequate water 
supplies has also become increasingly problematic, especially as the 
traditional sources of imported water have become unreliable. For this 
reason, I introduced H.R. 2522, which will assist the Calleguas 
Municipal Water District with the development of new water sources.
  Specifically, this legislation would authorize an additional $40 
million in funding for the Bureau of Reclamation to support the 
completion of a salinity management pipeline, also known as a brine 
line. This pipeline will collect salty water generated by desalting 
facilities and excess recycled water and then transport that water for 
reuse elsewhere. The result will be both improved water quality and an 
enhanced supply of local groundwater.
  The increased use of recycled water will expand the water available 
for approximately 600,000 of my constituents and, at the same time, 
reduce dependence on water from the sensitive Bay-Delta ecosystem. In 
an era of drought and water shortages throughout California, local 
water districts need to do all they can to reduce their dependence on 
increasingly scarce supplies of imported water.
  I want to thank Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Hastings, along 
with their staffs, for their assistance with moving this important 
legislation.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support this bill, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2522.
  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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