[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11422-11423]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      CITY OF OXNARD WATER RECYCLING AND DESALINATION ACT OF 2007

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 1737) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and 
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to participate in the design, planning, and construction of 
permanent facilities for the GREAT project to reclaim, reuse, and treat 
impaired waters in the area of Oxnard, California.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1737

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

     SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``City of Oxnard Water 
     Recycling and Desalination Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. OXNARD, CALIFORNIA, WATER RECLAMATION, REUSE, AND 
                   TREATMENT PROJECT.

       (a) In General.--The Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 
     Study and Facilities Act (title XVI of Public Law 102-575; 43 
     U.S.C. 390h et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``SEC. __. OXNARD, CALIFORNIA, WATER RECLAMATION, REUSE, AND 
                   TREATMENT PROJECT.

       ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary, in cooperation with 
     the City of Oxnard, California, may participate in the 
     design, planning, and construction of Phase I permanent 
     facilities for the GREAT project to reclaim, reuse, and treat 
     impaired water in the area of Oxnard, California.

[[Page 11423]]

       ``(b) Cost Share.--The Federal share of the costs of the 
     project described in subsection (a) shall not exceed 25 
     percent of the total cost.
       ``(c) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not provide funds 
     for the following:
       ``(1) The operations and maintenance of the project 
     described in subsection (a).
       ``(2) The construction, operations, and maintenance of the 
     visitor's center related to the project described in 
     subsection (a).
       ``(d) Sunset of Authority.--The authority of the Secretary 
     to carry out any provisions of this section shall terminate 
     10 years after the date of the enactment of this section.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections in section 2 
     of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act 
     of 1992 is amended by inserting after the last item the 
     following:

``Sec. __. Oxnard, California, water reclamation, reuse, and treatment 
              project.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Napolitano) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. 
Lamborn) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I would like to commend foremost my colleague from California (Mrs. 
Capps) again for the hard work and dedication to this great piece of 
legislation for her district.
  The purpose of H.R. 1737 is to authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to participate in the design and planning and construction of 
permanent facilities for the Groundwater Recovery Enhancement Treatment 
project, the GREAT project.
  H.R. 1737, when enacted, authorizes limited Federal financial 
assistance to develop a facility that will reclaim, reuse and treat 
impaired water in the Oxnard, California, area. It is my hope that the 
administration will understand the significance of this very critical 
litigation for Oxnard as the shining example of the role water 
recycling plays in balancing our water management portfolio.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1737.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This legislation will help meet the City of Oxnard, California, water 
supply needs through the year 2030 and will reduce the city's 
dependence on imported water. A provision in the bill ensures that no 
Federal taxpayer dollars will be used to construct or operate a nearby 
visitor center connected to this water project. We have no objection to 
this bill and urge its adoption.
  Mrs. CAPPS. I rise in strong support of H.R. 1737, the City of Oxnard 
Water Recycling and Desalination Act.
  First, I want to thank the chairman of the Natural Resources 
Committee, Mr. Rahall, and chairwoman or the Subcommittee on Water and 
Power, Mrs. Napolitano, as well as the ranking members of the full 
Committee and Subcommittee for expediting the consideration of this 
legislation and for bringing H.R. 1737 before us today. This bill was 
passed by the House of Representatives last year but was never acted on 
by the Senate.
  H.R. 1737 would authorize a proposed regional water resources 
project--the Groundwater Recovery Enhancement and Treatment or GREAT 
Program--located in my congressional district. As you know many 
communities today are faced with the difficult task of providing 
reliable and safe water to their customers. The City of Oxnard is no 
exception.
  Oxnard is on of California's fastest growing cities and is facing an 
ever growing crisis: it's running out of affordable water. The water 
needs for the city's agricultural and industrial base, together with 
its growing population, has exceed its local water resources. As a 
result, over 50 percent of its water has to be Imported from outside 
sources.
  However, through a series of local, state and federal restrictions 
the amount of imported water available to the city is shrinking, while 
the cost of that water is rising. Recognizing these challenges, Oxnard 
developed the GREAT Program to address its long term water needs.
  The GREAT Program elements include:
  A new regional groundwater desalination facility to serve potable 
water customers in Oxnard and adjacent communities;
  A recycled water system to serve agricultural water users, and added 
protection against seawater intrusion and saltwater contamination; and
  A wetlands restoration and enhancement component that efficiently 
reuses the brine discharges from both the groundwater desalination and 
recycled water treatment facilities.
  Implementation of the GREAT Program will provide many significant 
regional benefits.
  First, the new desalination project will serve ratepayers in Oxnard 
and adjacent communities, guaranteeing sufficient water supplies for 
the area.
  Second, Oxnard's current water infrastructure delivers approximately 
30 million gallons of treated wastewater per day to an ocean outfall. 
The GREAT Program will utilize the resource currently wasted to the 
ocean and treat it so that it can be reused by the agricultural water 
users in the area.
  During the non-growing season, it will inject the resource into to 
the ground to serve as a barrier against seawater intrusion and 
saltwater contamination. To alleviate severely depressed groundwater 
levels, this component also includes pumping groundwater into the 
aquifer to enhance groundwater recharge.
  Finally, the brine produced as a by-product of the desalination and 
recycling plants will provide a year-round supply of nutrient rich 
water to the existing wetlands at Ormond Beach.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the Natural Resources Committee for trying to 
find innovative and effective ways of extending water supplies in the 
West. In my view, the City of Oxnard Water Recycling and Desalination 
Act offers such a creative solution. It will reduce the consumption of 
groundwater for agricultural and industrial purposes, cut imported 
water delivery requirements, and improve local reliability of high 
quality water deliveries.
  Again, I would like to thank the Natural Resources Committee for 
supporting this bill, and urge its immediate passage.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) that the House suspend 
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1737.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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