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NFC: Fw: River Policy Update, Week of July 23
To read the River Policy Update online, visit American Rivers' Online
Newsroom at http://www.americanrivers.org/policyupdates/update.htm
and click on "River Policy Update."
American Rivers' Policy Update
Week of July 23, 2001
IN THIS WEEK'S UPDATE:
* Energy policy
* Appropriations
* Water resources
* Air pollution/acid rain
* Bush administration environmental nominations
* Land conservation
* EPA status
* Ecosystems and biodiversity
* Take action
* Jobs
ENERGY POLICY
House energy legislation
Four separate committees in the House of Representatives reported
energy bills last week; the Energy and Commerce Committee, the
Resources Committee, the Science Committee and the Ways and Means
Committee. The House leadership hopes to bring these bills to the
floor next week, probably merged into a single bill. The Resources
Committee and Energy and Commerce Committee bills include hydropower-
related provisions.
House Resources Committee:
Last week the House Resources Committee approved Chairman Jim
Hansen's (R-UT) Energy Security Act. Heavily backed by the Bush
administration, the Energy Security Act includes, among other things,
provisions that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil
and gas development, promote offshore oil and gas development,
provide for studies aimed at maximizing hydroelectric generation
under the jurisdiction of the Interior Department, and implement
measures to increase efficiency at some hydropower dams under the
Interior's jurisdiction. Conservationists oppose many provisions of
the bill, including raising concerns that the hydropower efficiency
language fails to provide for adequate environmental review.
House Energy and Commerce Committee:
Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee completed a
lengthy markup and reported "the Energy Conservation and Advancement
Act of 2001." The comprehensive energy legislation addresses several
areas including conservation, automobile fuel efficiency standards,
reformulated gasoline, hydropower relicensing, nuclear energy, and so-
called "clean coal" technology. Hydropower industry advocates have
criticized the hydropower licensing process, which they claim is made
more lengthy and complex by the authorities of state and federal
resource agencies to insist on environmental safeguards during the
licensing process. Conservationists have argued that the changes
promoted by the industry would alter the licensing process in a way
that would limit the authority of the Interior Department, Fish and
Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and National Marine Fisheries
Service to adequately protect aquatic resources and riparian lands.
The Committee staff has developed compromise language on hydropower
that both conservationists and industry have agreed to, which would
require that the resource agencies consider less costly alternatives
when developing conservation measures.
APPROPRIATIONS
Energy and Water funding
A House-Senate Conference committee may be held as early as this week
to discuss and settle differences in the FY '02 energy and water
funding bill. The conservation community is vigorously opposed to a
rider that Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA) inserted in the House version of
the bill that would prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from revising
Missouri River operations to benefit wildlife, and plans to fight the
rider's inclusion in conference committee. The Senate bill reported
by the Appropriations Committee contained a more limited provision
that would allow continued consideration of necessary flow changes.
In passing the bill last week, the Senate approved a further
amendment that would allow the Corps to consider alternatives other
than those recommended by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Conservationists argue that allowing a more natural seasonal rise and
fall of water levels would not prevent traditional uses of the river
or its floodplain, but would be critical to the survival of several
endangered species, including the pallid sturgeon, piping plover, and
interior least tern. To encourage the Army Corps to revise its
operation of Missouri River dams, American Rivers listed the Missouri
as its number one Most Endangered River this year.
Conference time and place TBD.
Agriculture funding
Floor action is likely this week after the Senate Appropriations
Committee approved the FY '02 Agriculture Appropriations Act
unanimously last week. The House bill provides $46 million above the
Administration's request for four key programs in the Natural
Resources Conservation Service. The bill would dedicate $10 million
for a new watershed rehabilitation program, repairing structures in
Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota,
South Carolina, and South Dakota. The House measure did not request
funding for the NRCS forestry incentives program, which the Senate
has insisted on funding. In addition, the House did not fund three
other popular conservation programs: the Wetland Reserve Program, the
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, and the Farmland Protection
Program.
EPA funding
Floor action is possible this week after the Senate Appropriations
Committee unanimously approved a $84.15 billion VA-HUD and
Independent Agencies appropriations bill last week that would restore
funding to EPA water programs that the Bush Administration proposed
cutting. The Administration proposed cut backs in the clean water
state revolving fund and the safe drinking water state revolving
fund, as well as cuts in EPA's environmental enforcement programs.
Floor action is also likely in the House, where conservationists are
opposing several "riders" and pushing for full funding of
environmental enforcement.
NOAA Funding
Floor action is possible this week after the Senate Appropriations
Committee unanimously approved a $41.49 billion Commerce, Justice,
and State funding bill last week, including $3.33 billion for NOAA,
which includes the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The
funding bill provides $70 million for NMFS's Pacific Coastal Salmon
Recovery Fund, which funds state, local, and tribal salmon habitat
and monitoring projects - $20 million less then the Administration
request and less than half of what salmon advocates had requested.
$134 million in total would be allocated for Pacific salmon
conservation.
Floor action: TBA
WATER RESOURCES
California water bill (CalFed)
This Thursday, the House water and power subcommittee will hold a
hearing to assess two competing bills that would reauthorize the
federal-state effort to improve water quality and endangered species
management in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and San
Francisco Bay. Sen. Dianne Feinstein's California Ecosystem, Water
Supply, and Water Quality Enhancement Act (S 976) and Rep. Ken
Calvert's (R-CA) Western Water Enhancement Act (HR 1985) would
initiate several major new water storage projects at a cost of at
least $3 billion over seven years. Conservationists oppose both the
Feinstein and Calvert bills, arguing that they would undermine water
rights, authorize an expensive group of new water projects with
unknown environmental impacts, and renege on commitments to
environmental goals. Rep. George Miller (D-CA) has introduced
another bill (HR 2404), supported by California environmental groups,
that would authorize numerous water reclamation, reuse, recycling,
desalination and groundwater banking projects. "Instead of turning
back to 19th century solutions like big new dams that are subsidized
by taxpayers," said Miller, "we use 21st century methods -- including
recycling and desalination - to generate over a million acre feet of
real water for California's diverse needs." Both Interior Secretary
Gale Norton and California Gov. Gray Davis (D) have been invited to
testify.
Hearing: 2:00 p.m., Thursday, July 26, 1324 Longworth
Oregon watershed management
Floor action is scheduled today (Monday) on a bill to expand the
watershed management unit that protects Portland's drinking water
supply. Approved by the Resources Committee without amendments, HR
427 would provide further protections for the watershed of the Little
Sandy River as part of the Bull Run Management Unit.
Oregon Indian tribe hydropower agreement
This Tuesday the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs will hold
a hearing to examine a hydropower agreement between an Oregon Indian
tribe and the Interior Department. The Pelton hydroelectric project
on the Deschutes River is operated jointly by the Confederated Tribes
of the Warm Springs Reservation and Portland General Electric Co.
under a pact signed in April 2000. A bill was proposed to codify the
agreement in federal law and authorize the sale of bonds to finance
the budget. The entire Oregon delegation supports the legislation
and representatives of the tribe will testify in favor of the bill.
Hearing: 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 24, 485 Russell
AIR POLLUTION/ACID RAIN
Power plant hearing
This Thursday the Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a
hearing focusing on air pollution caused by power plants. Senator
Jeffords' bill, called the Clean Power Act, would reduce emissions of
sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide and mercury from power
plant smokestacks. Although the hearing will not focus on the bill,
Jeffords said he hopes to build on his legislation and address
climate issues more broadly. Cosponsoring Jeffords' bill are several
other New England Senators whose states are suffering from haze and
acid deposition caused by emissions from power plants in the
Midwest.
Hearing: 9:30 a.m., Thursday, July 26, 406 Dirksen
BUSH ADMINISTRATION ENVIRONMENTAL NOMINATIONS
This Wednesday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
will hold a confirmation hearing on the nominations of three EPA top-
level officials. Robert Fabricant is nominated to be general
counsel, Judith Elizabeth was nominated as assistant administrator
for the office of international activities, and G. Tracy Mehan was
nominated to be assistant administrator for the office of water.
None of the nominations are considered controversial according to a
spokesperson for the committee.
LAND CONSERVATION
Conservation and Reinvestment Act Fund
This Wednesday the House Resources Committee will markup the
Conservation and Reinvestment Act Fund (CARA). Introduced by
Congressmen Young (R-AK), Hansen (R-UT), and Tauzin (R-LA), CARA
would use federal oil and gas receipts to fund land conservation,
wildlife and recreation programs, as well as "impact aid" for coastal
states. $3.125 billion would be dedicated to impact aid annually.
Conservationists have expressed concern that the bill inadequately
constrains the use of royalty receipts to be devoted to conservation
purposes, and creates an incentive for other states to support
coastal drilling off Alaska.
Markup: 10 a.m., Wednesday, July 25 in 1324 Longworth.
EPA STATUS
This Tuesday the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a
hearing to consider renaming the EPA to the Department of
Environmental Affairs and give it Cabinet-level status. Introduced
by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), the Environmental Protection Affairs
Act would put the agency on the same level as the environment
ministries of other nations. EPA administrator Christie Whitman
would not have to be confirmed again in the Senate.
Hearing: 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 24, 342 Dirksen
ECOSYSTEMS AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Invasive species
This Thursday the Environment, Technology and Standards Subcommittee
of the House Science Committee will examine the research of various
federal agencies on invasive species and coordination efforts by the
Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force and the National Invasive Species
Council. Non-native plants, animals, insects and other species pose
a serious threat to America's indigenous species. The panel will
focus on the research provisions within the National Invasive Species
Act of 1996 and the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and
Control Act of 1990 to determine if possible amendments will be
needed as they come up for reauthorization.
Hearing: 11:00 a.m., Thursday, July 26, 2318 Rayburn
CONGRESSIONAL CALENDAR
Senate:
Hearing on climate change
Energy and Natural Resources Committee
9:30 a.m., Tuesday, July 24, 106 Dirksen
Hearing on EPA cabinet status
Governmental Affairs Committee
10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 24, 342 Dirksen
Hearing on electricity restructuring
Energy and Natural Resources Committee
9:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 25, 366 Dirksen
Hearing on EPA nominations
Environment and Public Works Committee
9:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 25, 406 Dirksen
Hearing on power plant emissions
Environment and Public Works Committee
9:30 a.m., Thursday, July 26, 406 Dirksen.
Hearing on electricity restructuring
Energy and Natural Resources Committee
9:45 a.m., Thursday, July 26, 106 Dirksen
House:
Hearing on renewable fuel use
Small Business Committee
10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 24, 2360 Rayburn
CARA markup
Resources Committee
10:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 25, 1324 Longworth
Markup of Farm Bill
Agriculture Committee
10:00 a.m., Thursday, July 26, 1300 Longworth
Hearing on invasive species
Science Committee
11:00 a.m., Thursday, July 26, 2318 Rayburn
Hearing on CALFED legislation
Resources Committee
2:00 p.m., Thursday, July 26, 1324 Longworth
Hearing on electricity policy
Energy and Commerce Committee
9:30 a.m., Friday, July 27, 1324 Longworth
TAKE ACTION
Follow the latest American Rivers' Action Alerts and Press Releases!
Take action to help save America's Rivers. Visit
http://www.amrivers.org/takeaction/.
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JOBS
American Rivers currently has a number of job openings. See our
employment page for the following opportunities:
* Online Community Manager
* Conservation Assistant-Outreach
* Organizer/Outreach Specialist-Missouri River Campaign
* Communications Assistant
* River Restoration Financing Associate
* Development Assistant
Questions?
Contact Michael Garrity, Conservation Associate, at 202-347-7550.
Legislative information taken from sources including: Environment and
Energy Daily, Greenwire, Congressional Green Sheets, and members of
the American Rivers conservation staff.
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restore America's rivers.
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