Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions S. 1413

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

S. 1413. A bill to authorize appropriations for conservation grants of the Environmental Protection Agency, to direct the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Interior to conduct expedited feasibility studies of certain water projects in the State of California, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today I am introducing the California Affordable Quantity and Quality Water Act of 2003, CAL-AQQWA.

Nowhere is the need for a comprehensive water policy that includes innovative recycling and reuse principles more urgently felt than in California. Water agencies and elected officials throughout the State are constantly planning, and struggling, to balance California's agricultural, municipal, industrial and environmental water needs.

This challenge becomes all the more acute in the face of the State's declining Colorado River surplus allocation and growing population. California is facing an annual loss of about 800,000 acre feet from the Colorado River. And population forecasts project an additional 15 million residents in California over the next 20 years.

Unfortunately, funding to pursue and implement much-needed, environmentally beneficial water infrastructure projects is not readily available, and many good water management ideas are left languishing on the shelf. CAL-AQQWA can help move many of these ideas forward and into production.

There are two sections in this bill. The first section authorizes expedited feasibility studies for 22 water projects in California. Funding priority would be given to projects that would provide environmental and other benefits. Costs for these studies would be shared between the local sponsors and the Federal Government.

Studies in this bill explore a variety of innovative water supply strategies, including groundwater recharge; recycled water distribution for landscaping, wetlands restoration, agricultural use, industrial use, and general irrigation; surface water storage alternatives; groundwater storage; desalination; conservation; and groundwater demineralization. If fully implemented, these water projects may provide up to 630,000 acre feet of water per year in California. These additional acre feet would allow local authorities to decrease their dependence on imported water sources.

The second section of this bill increases funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's Conservation Grant programs, including $2 billion in fiscal year 2004 for the drinking water state revolving loan program. EPA conservation grants provide funding for measures that include: urban conservation, low-flow toilets, water meter installation or retrofit, desalination projects, wastewater treatment system upgrades for compliance with Clean Water Act requirements, and groundwater recharge facilities projects.

Water agencies and local officials throughout California are constantly struggling to meet all of our state's water needs. My hope is that this legislation will bring us closer to meeting the challenges facing our growing population by studying and expanding the proven benefits of water conservation and recycling.

Let me conclude by noting that seven of the studies in the bill would be conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers. I support moving forward with additional Corps studies. But I also recognize we need to reform the Corps. As part of any reform effort for the Corps, I would like to see that costly or controversial Corps projects be subject to independent review; that any environmental harm caused by Corps projects be fully mitigated in a timely manner; that the public will have access to the information necessary to fully participate in the Corps' planning process; that the Corps' procedures for determining project costs and benefits will be modernized; and that Corps projects will be designed and operated in a manner that protects our precious natural resources.

I encourage my colleagues to take a close look at this bill, and I ask for their support.