Water Resources Development Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise today, along with my fellow Texans, Pete Sessions, John Ratcliffe, and Eddie Bernice Johnson, with an amendment that is absolutely vital for north Texas.
Mr. Chairman, north Texas is no stranger to drought. And with our area booming, the need for water is as great as ever. That is why for years the North Texas Municipal Water District has been working hard to get State and Federal approval to construct the Lower Bois d'Arc Creek Reservoir in Fannin County. In fact, they have been working at it for 10 years.

The good news is that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has already issued the State permit for this locally funded project.

But here is the bad news: Federal bureaucrats have been holding up the permit for the project, specifically the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers.

There is no end in sight to the delay which will lead to a manmade water crisis. The bottom line is there won't be enough water to meet demand in north Texas without this new reservoir in as few as 4 years.

This isn't simply water for our lawns. It is about having the water to support our fast growing regional economy. Earlier this summer, The Dallas Morning News ran an editorial with the title: ``EPA's delay of Fannin County reservoir could threaten North Texas economy,'' which I include in the Record.

[The Dallas Morning News, June 10, 2016]

EPA's Delay of Fannin County Reservoir Could Threaten North Texas Economy

For nearly a decade, the North Texas Municipal Water District has tried to build the Lower Bois d'Arc Reservoir in Fannin County to support the rapid growth in cities like Frisco, Plano and other municipalities north and east of Dallas.

The project was moving forward until last year, when the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency abruptly shifted course at the last minute to require a more detailed analysis of the environmental impact to forested wetlands near the proposed reservoir. Completion of the $1 billion, 16,526-acre project has been delayed from 2020 to possibly 2022.

Federal environmental reviews are complicated matters, but what makes this particularly disturbing is that the EPA appears to be changing the rules in the middle of the process without much regard to real-world consequences for North Texas. The project received its state water rights approval last summer and had expected to secure the necessary federal permits by the end of last year. Those permits would have kept the project on schedule, allowing the reservoir to open in 2020 with enough capacity to provide the region with water through at least 2040.

EPA and Army Corp officials say they are only following the law, but they're also making a high-stakes gamble with the region's economic well-being. Even with normal North Texas temperatures and rainfall, Collin County is on pace to face water supply issues by 2020 unless this reservoir is constructed. A major drought would be even more problematic.

Rest assured, this issue is more serious than brown lawns and restrictive watering schedules. Water rates would soar.

Construction would slow, and there could be tense moments for sanitation and fire fighting, too. Emergency water supplies would be difficult to obtain. Dallas and other neighboring water districts would have their own challenges, and water from outside Texas couldn't be tapped without more regulatory battles and technical complications that would make supplies prohibitively expensive.

Dozens of mayors and members of Congress have pressed for faster action only to be told the review will be completed on the regulators' schedule. Frustrated, U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson recently introduced a bill to exempt the project from the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and speed up construction. We don't back this bill, but, like the congressman and various other elected officials, we agree that it is time for this project to move forward at a faster pace.

North Texas' population is expected to mushroom in the next quarter-century. The Army Corps and EPA need to find a way to allow this vital water project to be completed without further delay.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. That is why I am offering this amendment which would require the EPA and Army Corps to issue a final permit for the construction of the reservoir no later than September 30, 2017.
North Texans want, need, and deserve this reservoir, a reservoir already approved by the State. I am absolutely committed to getting this done, and I ask all the Members to support this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I thank both of you all and all our Dallas delegation, the Texas delegation really, for this interest.

My commonsense amendment is intended to prevent a real water crisis-- which we are getting close to--by getting the Federal Government to finally issue the needed permit for this vital local reservoir project.

I ask all my colleagues to support this amendment. Please pass this amendment. Let's get the water north Texas needs.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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