[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 325]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 325]]

   INTRODUCTION OF THE LEWIS AND CLARK RURAL WATER SYSTEM ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN R. THUNE

                            of south dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 6, 1999

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. Speaker, today I, along with my colleagues 
Representative Minge from Minnesota and Representative Latham from 
Iowa, am pleased to introduce the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System 
Act of 1999. This legislation would authorize the construction of the 
Lewis and Clark Rural Water System which, when completed, will serve 
over 180,000 people in 22 communities, covering almost 5,900 square 
miles throughout South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. The project and 
legislation recognize the tremendous need the people of this region 
have for access to clean, safe, affordable drinking water.
  The need for water development in South Dakota is great. In our 
state, water is a matter of health, economic development, and rural 
development. The ability of rural America to survive and grow is 
directly related to the ability of rural areas and growing communities 
to have access to adequate supplies of safe drinking water. Without a 
reliable supply of water, these areas cannot attract new businesses and 
cannot create jobs. In a rural state like South Dakota, the link 
between the creation of jobs and adequate water supplies cannot be 
emphasized enough.
  Some cities and towns throughout the Lewis and Clark project region 
are preventing new building and development, just to preserve the 
existing water supplies. Because of these limitations, these same 
communities have permanent restrictions on the use of water for washing 
cars and watering the laws--something most of us take for granted. 
Further, over 75 percent of the population relies upon shallow wells 
and limited water supplies, posing the risk of exposing these residents 
to dangerous levels of contamination. Each of these factors point to 
the strong need for a comprehensive, regional solution to meet this 
most basic of needs.
  The people of these three great states recognized this same need when 
they organized to form the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System almost 
nine years ago in 1990. Since that time, they have worked tirelessly to 
see their dream of clean, safe water become a reality. The project has 
been supported strongly by all three states, with the South Dakota 
legislature having already committed $400,000 to Lewis and Clark. The 
state legislatures of Minnesota and Iowa have authorized similar levels 
of support. The support of the Members of this body who represent the 
Lewis and Clark service area further demonstrates the regional 
cooperation at play. The regional approach offered by the Lewis and 
Clark System maximizes the number of people that can be served, and it 
also serves to offer the most cost-efficient manner to provide water.
  This legislation, originally introduced in the 104th Congress and 
reintroduced in the 105th Congress, has been the subject of numerous 
hearings in the House and Senate and countless hours of discussions and 
negotiations between the project sponsors, the Administration, and many 
of our colleagues in Congress. Last September, the Senate companion 
bill met important success in its approval by the full Senate Energy 
and Natural Resources Committee. I am optimistic that we will see 
similar action on this important legislation here in the House.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to reiterate the importance of 
this vital project. People most familiar with the project have clearly 
seen that the need for water is great and indisputable. Likewise, the 
roll of the federal government in both participation and funding rural 
water supply has been set by numerous and lengthy historical 
precedents. Now it is up to the House to respond to this need. Congress 
has the opportunity to do so by supporting this important piece of 
legislation and moving forward with plans that will allow over 180,000 
hard-working taxpayers the opportunity to turn on their taps and 
receive what many of us take for granted--a cool glass of clean, fresh 
water.
  I look forward to working with each of you in seeing this dream for 
many South Dakotans, Minnesotans, and Iowans come to fruition.

                          ____________________