[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 10, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2565-S2566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. WYDEN:
  S. 693. A bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 
Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
participate in the City of Hermiston, Oregon, water recycling and reuse 
project, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, today I rise to reintroduce legislation 
that will authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to share in the cost of 
the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant for Hermiston, 
Oregon. This is the same bill that was passed by the House of 
Representatives, by voice vote, in the 111th Congress and reported by 
the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee without opposition 
that Congress as well. I look forward to working with supporters of 
this bill to advance this important reclamation project.
  The city of Hermiston will be responsible for the lion's share of 
this project. CBO has estimated that the Federal share of the $26 
million project would be $7 million or just over \1/4\ of the cost. 
Once constructed, the plant will provide the Bureau of Reclamation-
authorized West Extension Irrigation District with enough additional 
high-quality water per year to irrigate approximately 600 acres of high 
value crops. This will have a significant, long-term benefit to the 
farming industry in the Hermiston area.
  The Hermiston project has gotten the sign-off at every level from the 
local irrigation district to Federal agencies. The city and the bureau 
have completed the required feasibility report and the bureau of 
reclamation has formally concluded that the project meets the 
requirements of the Title XVI cost-sharing program. The regional office 
of the National Marine Fisheries Service at NOAA has completed a 
biological opinion approving the project. The city and the West 
Extension Irrigation District have signed a memorandum of understanding 
to work together to develop the project. The bureau has concluded its 
environmental review of the authorization to transfer the water to they 
district and issued a finding of no significant impact, or FONSI.
  The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation have also 
recognized the benefits of the project and support it. These benefits 
include a significant improvement in the quality of water discharged to 
the Umatilla River in winter and protection of sensitive fish habitat 
during summer. These benefits have led the tribe to endorse 
construction of the Hermiston Water Recycling System Improvement 
Project and the city's effort to obtain Federal funding.
  This project will increase agricultural production while improving 
the local economy, the environment and habitat for endangered fish. I 
intend to

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work with colleagues to complete action on legislation that has 
advanced so far in previous Congresses.
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