[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 40 (Monday, March 14, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1308-H1309]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REINSTATING AND EXTENDING DEADLINE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF HYDROELECTRIC 
                   PROJECT INVOLVING CLARK CANYON DAM

  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2080) to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement 
of construction of a hydroelectric project involving Clark Canyon Dam.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2080

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

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF TIME FOR A FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY 
                   COMMISSION PROJECT INVOLVING CLARK CANYON DAM.

       Notwithstanding the time period described in section 13 of 
     the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806) that would otherwise 
     apply to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission project 
     numbered 12429, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
     (referred to in this section as the ``Commission'') shall, at 
     the request of the licensee for the project, and after 
     reasonable notice and in accordance with the procedures of 
     the Commission under that section, reinstate the license and 
     extend the time period during which the licensee is required 
     to commence construction of project works for the 3-year 
     period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. 
Kennedy) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Kentucky?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Montana (Mr. Zinke), who is the author of this legislation.

                              {time}  1530

  Mr. ZINKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in firm support of H.R. 2080, 
which reinstates and extends the deadline for construction of the Clark 
Canyon Dam hydroelectric project.
  The dam is located outside of Dillon, Montana, and will provide 
critical electricity to both Montana and Idaho. That is why I am proud 
to have the entire Idaho delegation with me and the entirety of the 
Montana delegation in support of this bill.
  The issue is the red tape. Despite the importance of the project, the 
red tape with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has created an 
impassable deadlock in it that won't allow for construction of it. Even 
though we all recognize that hydroelectric power is clean and it is 
appropriate and the project is enormously important to Montana and 
Idaho, the bureaucratic red tape has just prevented it from going 
forward.
  This is why we are here. Congress must act, and Congress will act. I 
am sure my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will agree that 
this is a worthy project for Congress to use our authority and to 
introduce the legislation to authorize such projects and independently 
move ahead.
  This is why I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 2080.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2080, a bill sponsored and led 
by the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Zinke) to reinstate and extend the 
deadline for commencement of construction on the hydroelectric project 
involving Clark Canyon Dam.
  Mr. Speaker, on August 26, 2009, FERC licensed the Clark Canyon Dam 
project at the Bureau of Reclamation's Clark Canyon Dam on the 
Beaverhead River in Beaverhead County, Montana.
  Section 13 of the Federal Power Act requires licensees to commence 
construction of the hydroelectric project within a time fixed by the 
license, no more than 2 years from its being issued. It also authorizes 
FERC to issue one extension of that deadline for no more than 2 years.
  In March of 2015, FERC terminated the license for the Clark Canyon 
Dam hydroelectric project after the licensee did not commence 
construction by the already extended deadline of August 2013.
  The bill authorizes FERC to reinstate the terminated license for the 
Clark Canyon Dam hydroelectric project to extend for 6 years the date 
by which the licensee is required to commence construction. FERC has no 
objections to this legislation, and the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce reported the bill by voice vote without dissent.
  I hope my colleagues will support passage of H.R. 2080. I commend the 
gentleman from Montana for all his work in bringing this to the floor.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, this is an important piece of legislation 
to give additional time for the development of Clark Canyon Dam, for 
which a license has been issued in the past. I urge passage of this 
legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2080.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the

[[Page H1309]]

rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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