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For the week of June 22, 1998:
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The Senate voted 98-1 to pass its $21.3 billion FY '99 Energy and Water appropriations bill. The House bill is scheduled for floor action on Monday, June 22. The bill would provide $20.6 billion for energy and water development programs. Like the Senate bill, the House version rejects the Administration's attempt to cut FY '99 water programs. The House bill includes $3.97 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers' water program, a cut of $202.4 million below FY '98. Neither bill funds any new water projects for the Army Corps of Engineers. The House bill provides no funding for the Tennessee Valley Authority.
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The FY '99 Agriculture funding bill faces floor action in both the House and Senate this week. The House bill is scheduled to hit the floor on Tuesday, June 23 and includes $784 million for Natural Resources Conservation Service Programs, $641 million of which would go to conservation operations. The bill would provide $98 million for watershed and flood prevention programs. The Senate bill provides $792 million for conservation programs administered by the NRCS and includes $101 million for watershed and flood prevention operations, $50 million over the Administration's request.
The Senate Environment Subcommittee will begin hearings on the 1998 Water Resources Development Act this Tuesday. The Administration's bill (S 2131) authorizes five new water projects, estimated at $897.4 million. It encourages non-structural approaches to flood control, authorizing up to $75 million each for the design and implementation of nonstructural watershed management and restoration projects. Funding for the projects would have to be appropriated later. The bill also would instruct the Army Corps to study environmental restoration and protection needs along the Lower Missouri River and create and implement a list of projects to improve fish and wildlife habitat. The bill also would create a Water Resources Foundation to collect money to "further the conservation and management of natural, scenic, historic, and recreational resources at such projects." The hearing will take place at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 23 in 406 Dirksen.
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The House Interior and Other Related Agencies FY '99 funding bill provides $13.4 billion is funding, $700 million below last year's level. The bill includes $745 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, $73 million below the Administration's request, and $1.6 billion for the National Park Service, $150 below the Administration's request. The bill would increase by $8 million spending for U.S. endangered species programs and would provide no spending on the American Heritage Rivers program without approval by Congressional committees to switch funds from another program. It also provides no funding for the Administration's Clean Water Initiative. The full Appropriations Committee markup will take place sometime this week, time and location TBA. House debate on the bill is not expected until after the July 4th recess. The corresponding Senate bill will be marked up on Tuesday.
The House Energy and Water FY '99 funding bill recommends $3.7 million for the Bureau of Reclamation's Columbia Basin Project which includes funding for salmon recovery efforts in the Columbia River.
Senators Conrad Burns (R-MT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced legislation on June 18th to amend the Clean Water Act to permit state revolving loan funds to be used for irrigation channel improvements. Such improvements will address water conservation problems in the Pacific Northwest and should provide more water for rivers and streams, necessary for revitalizing endangered fish populations.
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Sites and Projects:
On June 18th, the House approved $8 million for the Missouri River Mitigation Program which will be used to purchase land to restore historic side channels and floodplain habitat between St. Louis and Sioux City. The Senate already approved funding for the program.
A current rider on the House Interior Department and other Related Agencies FY '99 funding bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to grant an easement for road construction in Alaska's Chugach National Forest. This road would run through the 650,000 acre Copper River Delta area, home to over 15 million shorebirds, and the largest wetlands area along North America's Pacific Coast. The bill faces markup this week before the House Appropriations Committee, location and time TBA.
The House Resources Water and Power Subcommittee will markup several bills that transfer federal water projects to local authorities at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 25, in 1324 Longworth. The measure includes the following water projects:
The House Resources Water and Power Subcommittee will look at a proposal this week to sell the Auburn Dam site to California authorities. A hearing will follow the water project markup scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, June 25th in 1324 Longworth.
A joint hearing of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power will address a new proposal for the Animas LaPlata water project in Colorado and the Rocky Boys Reservation Water Rights Settlement Act at 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 24th in 628 Dirksen.
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Last week, the VA-HUD House Appropriations Subcommittee rejected the Administration's request for an increase of $600 million for the superfund program in FY '99. The appropriations bill provides $75 million for the assessment of brownfields and fully funds the Administration's request of an increase of $145 million for EPA components of the Clean Water Action plan, a program that provides non-point source pollution grants to state water agencies. The markup before the House Appropriations Committee is scheduled for Thursday, June 25, in 2359 Rayburn. Time TBA.
The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Nutrition, and Foreign Agriculture plans a hearing this week on implementing the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. The subcommittee plans to address EPA method of measuring human exposure to pesticide through drinking water. The hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m., Thursday, June 25, in 1300 Longworth.
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The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved Agriculture funding for FY '99 on June 11th. The bill faces floor action this week. Included in the bill is a cap on the Wetlands Reserve program at 140,000 acres. The House Appropriations Committee set a limit of 130,000 acres for the CCC-supported program. The Administration requested enrolling 164,000 acres.
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Tuesday: Water Resources Development Act hearing-- Senate Environment Subcommittee 9:30 a.m., 406 Dirksen.
Wednesday: Full committee markup-- Senate Energy Committee 9:30 a.m., 366 Dirksen. Joint Senate Indian Affairs Committee and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power hearing on the Animas LaPlata and Rocky Boys Reservation Water Rights Settlement Act at 2:30 p.m., 628 Dirksen. Hearing on human exposure to pesticide-- House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Nutrition, and Foreign Agriculture 9 a.m., 1300 Longworth.
Thursday: Markup of several water resource bills and Auburn Dam hearing-- House Resources 10 a.m., 1324 Longworth.
Friday: No action.
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July 14th: Senate Water and Power Subcommittee hearing on S 1771, a bill concerning the management of the Columbia and Snake River Basin by the Bonneville Power Administration and several federal agencies at 2:30 p.m. in 366 Dirksen. American Rivers 1025 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 720 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 347-7550 Legislative information collected from numerous sources including Congressional Green Sheets, Environment and Energy Weekly, and Roll Call.
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