[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 38 (Thursday, March 8, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E343]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION SMALL CONDUIT HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND RURAL 
                            JOBS ACT OF 2011

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                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 7, 2012

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2842) to 
     authorize all Bureau of Reclamation conduit facilities for 
     hydropower development under Federal Reclamation law, and for 
     other purposes:

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, as Co-Chair of the House Renewable Energy 
and Energy Efficiency Caucus, I support the responsible development of 
renewable energy wherever we can generate it--and that includes the 
development of small conduit hydropower at Bureau of Reclamation 
facilities.
  What I cannot support is this legislation's blanket exemption from 
the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). Conducting 
appropriate environmental reviews is not a barrier to the responsible 
development of our energy resources; it is a prerequisite for that 
development. Moreover, NEPA already gives federal agencies the 
authority to create categorical exemptions for projects that already 
meet statutory and regulatory criteria.
  For that reason, I will be supporting the amendment offered by Rep. 
Napolitano to correct this defect in the underlying bill. If the 
Napolitano amendment is not adopted, I will oppose final passage and 
urge my colleagues to do the same.

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