[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12090-12091]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE RATHDRUM PRAIRIE/SPOKANE VALLEY AQUIFER

  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4609) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
comprehensive study of the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer, 
located in Idaho and Washington.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4609

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

     SECTION 1. COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE RATHDRUM PRAIRIE/
                   SPOKANE VALLEY AQUIFER.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior, in 
     consultation with the State of Idaho and the State of 
     Washington, shall conduct a comprehensive study of the 
     Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer for the purpose of 
     preparing a model of the aquifer and establishing for those 
     States a mutually acceptable understanding of the aquifer as 
     a ground water resource.
       (b) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to the Congress a 
     report on the findings and conclusions of the study by not 
     later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--For conducting the 
     study under this section there is authorized to be 
     appropriated to the Secretary $3,500,000.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 4609, the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer Study Act of 
2002, directs the Secretary of the Department of Interior to work with 
the State of Idaho and the State of Washington to conduct a 
comprehensive study for the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer by 
preparing a groundwater model to help establish a mutually acceptable 
understanding of the aquifer as a groundwater resource. The tools 
developed by this legislation will help to better coordinate and 
understand the various factors that influence the quantity and quality 
of the aquifer and encourage better cooperation between the two States 
charged with its maintenance operations.
  I would like to commend the gentleman from Washington (Mr. 
Nethercutt), the sponsor of this legislation, for his work on this 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt).
  Mr. NETHERCUTT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me 
this time and I am pleased to make a statement in support of this bill.
  There is nothing in the Northwest States that is more precious than 
our air and our water. We in eastern Washington and northern Idaho are 
blessed with not only these great resources but especially our clean 
water. We think it is some of the best water in the entire world to 
drink. So we want to make sure that it is protected, and that is what 
this bill does.
  This bill was introduced by me and by the gentleman from northern 
Idaho (Mr. Otter) because we are affected by this bill, and the aquifer 
which traverses both States affects our respective districts. So we are 
proud to introduce this bill which calls for a study, as the gentleman 
from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) mentioned, to analyze this aquifer, to 
understand what is there so we can make sure we protect it and wisely 
manage it. One of the great challenges for us in the Pacific Northwest 
is to make sure that our abundant resources, our natural resources, our 
mountains, our streams, our rivers, our lakes, our entire environment 
is well managed by Federal agencies and by private resources.
  So in the case of the aquifer we have a situation where there are 
some economic interests that want to use it. They want to use it as a 
resource to provide industrial benefit to eastern Washington and 
northern Idaho.
  But before they do so, we have to be sure that it is protected. What 
this bill does is to take a hard look at doing a model and a study to 
make sure we know what is there so that it can be protected.
  There is also a disparity in consideration of aquifer use, of 
economic development, on either side of the border. Spokane, 
Washington, is my hometown, the major city in my district, the largest 
population center. It is about 32 miles from the Idaho border.

[[Page 12091]]

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, rests on the other side of the border in Idaho 
that is represented by the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Otter), and the 
States of Idaho and Washington have very different consideration times 
for permitting, for permitting for economic benefit and use.
  In Idaho, if we want to get a permit, it can take months; in 
Washington, it can take years. So we think that in doing this study and 
having the Committee on Resources in Congress adopt this position in a 
study, we can make sure that there is some continuity of interest in 
analysis and development that would rest on each side of the border, so 
that the legislatures of each side, each State, each respective State, 
would have a chance to look at this issue and understand what is there, 
and then make policy decisions that are coordinated rather than 
disparate.
  So I can say to the House that there is unanimity on the part of our 
chambers of commerce that this is a wise approach. There are five 
chambers of commerce that are in Idaho and Washington State that are 
affected by this issue, and they are of the opinion and their 
memberships are of the opinion that this is a wise thing to do; that 
is, make sure we know what is in the aquifer, what its considerations 
and characteristics are, so that we can make sure we manage it wisely.
  I especially want to thank the Committee on Resources. The gentleman 
from California (Mr. Calvert) and his subcommittee presented this bill 
in very fast consideration, very fair consideration. The entire 
Committee on Resources passed it out. I especially am grateful to that 
Committee on Resources that took into account this very important 
measure that affects a large area in eastern Washington and northern 
Idaho.
  I will restate again that the environmental protections that we seek 
from this bill are sensible, they are reasonable, and they are timely. 
It is estimated that there are millions of gallons that go through this 
aquifer and would be presented by it, but we have to be sure that we 
know what is there, and we have to be sure that what is there is wisely 
managed so that we protect this wonderful resource that we have in the 
Pacific Northwest, a clean environment, a great place to live and work, 
a great place to have economic development, at the same time we protect 
our environmental resources.
  So I will thank the gentleman from Nebraska and his counterpart, the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu), for his courtesy in allowing me to say 
a few words in support of my bill. I speak on behalf of the gentleman 
from Idaho (Mr. Otter) in thanking the committee and subcommittee of 
jurisdiction for considering this measure, and we hope it will pass 
overwhelmingly.
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4609 directs the Secretary of the Interior to 
conduct a study of groundwater resources in certain areas of Washington 
and Idaho. In the Pacific Northwest, our water resources are precious 
resources, and we expect the results of the study to provide the States 
with reliable information they can use to better manage the groundwater 
resource which is shared between the States.
  I commend my colleagues, the gentlemen from Idaho and Washington, for 
bringing this legislation to the floor, and urge my colleagues to 
support H.R. 4609.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kolbe). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4609.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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