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NFC: Fw: River Policy Update, Week of March 19, 2001
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American Rivers' Policy Update
Week of March 19, 2001
IN THIS WEEK'S UPDATE:
* Budget
* Energy Policy
* Water Resources
* Status of Major Legislation
* Congressional Calendar
* Take Action
* Jobs
BUDGET
This week the House Budget Committee plans to move forward with the
FY'02 budget process. A markup of the FY'02 budget resolutions draft
is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday. The Committee is expected to
support Bush's plan to cap the increase in federal discretionary
spending for fiscal year 2002 at 4 percent, roughly the rate of
inflation. Some members of both parties agree that the 4 percent
goal is unrealistic. For more details on the budget, see the March 5
River Policy Update.
Hearing tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, March 21 in Cannon House
Office Building 210.
ENERGY POLICY
Energy Trends
On Tuesday, March 20, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
held a hearing to discuss "U.S. energy trends." Testimony was
expected to address high natural gas prices, dependence on foreign
oil, issues related to the production of oil and gas on federal
lands, fuel economy standards, and other energy matters. At the
hearing, Energy Committee Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-AL) planned to
argue in favor of the energy package he introduced in February.
Murkowski is waiting to get the go ahead from the Bush Administration
to start a big push for his energy package. The special White House
energy task force headed by Vice President Cheney is expected to
release its assessment of national energy policy by mid-April. Last
week, Energy Committee Ranking Member Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) was
expected to introduce a comprehensive bill of his own but the bill's
release was delayed for unexplained reasons. Bingaman's bill aims to
tackle the nation's energy needs from both the demand and supply
sides.
Utilities
This week the House Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee will hold two
hearings to assess the California energy situation and discuss
possible state and federal solutions to the electricity crunch. The
testimony is expected to focus on the causes of the California power
market disruptions, possible bankruptcy among California investor-
owner utilities, and the anticipated supply problem this summer.
Much of the focus will be alleged price gouging by independent power
generators. Last week Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA) sent a letter
to Attorney General John Ashcroft demanding a full-scale
investigation into the pricing practices of power generators and
pipeline operators in the West. Several other Representatives
recently have called for a variety of federal investigations into
charges that generators may have charged utilities inflated rates
during a recent spate of Stage 3 emergency power alerts.
Hearings scheduled for Tuesday, March 20 at 2 p.m. and Thursday,
March 22 in Rayburn House Office Building.
CO2 Emissions Reversal
Last week President Bush reversed course on plans to regulate carbon
dioxide emissions. Bush argued that limiting CO2 would be unwise
in the face of the California energy crunch. Representative Ed
Markey (D-MA) and many other Democrats wonder how much of an
influence backroom lobbying by the coal industry and the electric
utility industry had on the administration's decision.
Public Lands
This week the House Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee will
hold another hearing to examine the latest oil and gas resource
estimates for the nation, including the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge. The subcommittee will focus on federal and offshore lands
and the potential for oil and gas development. Potential oil and gas
development in ANWR also will be discussed. The USGS began its
assessment of oil and gas resources in 1995. Democrats like
Subcommittee Ranking Member Ron Kind (D-WI) feel as though opening
ANWR and other federal lands is not a solution to the problem, but
rather a more supply at any costs. Kind advocates a comprehensive
approach that involves conservation and wise use of our natural
resources.
Hearing is scheduled for Thursday, March 22 at 2 p.m. in Longworth
House Office Building 1334.
Air Pollution
The Senate Environment Subcommittee on Clean Air, Wetlands, and
Private Property will hold its first oversight hearing of the 107th
Congress on harmonizing the Clean Air Act with the nation's energy
policy. The hearing will focus on clean air issues dealing with
electric utility emissions like the multi-pollutant bills that are
being proposed to reduce power plant emissions, and is likely to
discuss President Bush's decision last week to reverse his campaign
pledge on regulating CO2 emissions.
Hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 21 at 9 a.m. in Dirksen
Senate Office Building 406.
Energy Security
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing
in the coming weeks to discuss a report released last month that
predicts growth of more than 50 percent in worldwide energy demand by
2020, with increasing use of fossil fuels. The three-volume report
released in February was prepared by the Center for Strategic and
International Studies beginning in mid-1998.
Hearing scheduled for Wednesday, March 21 at 9:30 a.m. in Dirksen
Senate Office Building 106.
WATER RESOURCES
Klamath Basin Project Review
On Wednesday, March 21, a Senate Energy panel plans to looks at how a
mounting water shortage in the Northwest will affect the Klamath
Basin Project in California and Oregon. The looming problems
associated with the water shortage are two fold; the lack of water
negatively affects distribution to farmers, aquatic life, and other
interests in the area and it will also make recently approved
feasibility studies on how to wring more water out of the watershed
more difficult to complete. The Klamath project, which began in
1905, is one the Bureau of Reclamation's oldest. The project
includes the Upper Klamath Lake, the Klamath River, Clear Lake
Reservoir, Gerber Reservoir, Lost River, Lower Klamath, and Tule
Lake, and includes national wildlife refuges, dams, canals, pumping
plants and more than 200,000 acres of irrigable land. Regional water
demand continues to grow. Last year federal agencies were already
calling for more water to be left in the streams to help salmon and
suckers listed under the Endangered Species Act. Unlike much of the
rest of the Pacific Northwest, the Klamath Basin has not experienced
drought conditions this year.
Hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 21 at 2 p.m. in Dirksen
Senate Office Building 628.
Parks, Public Lands and Rivers
On Thursday, March 22, House Resources Subcommittee is scheduled to
hold its the first of hearing first plans to act on bills addressing
specific parks, monuments, and rivers. Bills that will be marked up
include one that will ensure continued access for hunters to land
added to Idaho's Craters of the Moon National Monument last year by
President Clinton, a bill that would initiate a study of sites and
resources significant to the Cold War, and a bill to study a possible
addition to the national park system in New Jersey and a possible
addition to the wild and scenic rivers system in Connecticut.
The markup is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 22 in
Longworth House Office Building 1324.
STATUS ON MAJOR LEGISLATION
Nuclear Energy Electricity Assurance Act of 2001
Latest Action: On April 7, Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) introduced
S. 472, legislation intended to increase the use of nuclear power in
the United States.
The bill provides $406 million for five main provisions: advancing
support for nuclear energy; encouraging new plant construction;
assuring a so-called "uniform playing field" for nuclear power; an
attempt to create waste solutions; and improving Nuclear Regulatory
Commission regulations.
Air Pollution
Latest Action: On April 15, Senator Jim Jeffords (R-VT) introduced
the Clean Power Act of 2001. In the coming weeks, Representatives
Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) will introduce
similar legislation. Both bills aim to cut electric power plant
emissions of four major pollutants, including the greenhouse gas
carbon dioxide.
CONGRESSIONAL CALENDAR
House:
Energy and Commerce:
Hearing on California Power Crisis
Tuesday, March 20 in Rayburn House Office Building 2123
Budget:
Markup on FY'02 Budget Resolution
Tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, March 21 in Cannon House Office
Building 210
Appropriations:
Hearing on Transportation Budget
Wednesday, March 21 in Rayburn House Office Building 2358
Energy and Commerce:
Hearing on California Power Crisis Continued
Thursday, March 22 in Rayburn House Office Building 2322
Science:
Hearing on Nuclear Safety Bill
Thursday, March 22 in Rayburn House Office Building 2318
Resources:
Hearing on Natural Gas in Federal Lands
Thursday, March 22 in Longworth House Office Building 1334
Senate:
Energy and Natural Resources:
Hearing on U.S. Energy Trends
Tuesday, March 20 at 9:30 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building 106
Environment and Public Works:
Hearing on Clean Air and Energy Policy
Wednesday, March 21 at 9 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building 406
Energy and Natural Resources:
Hearing on Oregon Water Project
Wednesday, March 21 at 2 p.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building 628
Energy and Natural Resources:
Hearing on National Parks Concessions
Thursday, March 22 at 2:30 p.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building 192
TAKE ACTION
Follow the latest American Rivers' Action Alerts and Press Releases!
Take action to help save America's rivers. Visit
http://www.americanrivers.org/actionalerts/default.htm.
JOBS
American Rivers currently has a number of job openings. See our
employment page for the following opportunities:
* Online Community Manager
* Conservation Assistant for Dam Removal Program
* Conservation Assistant for Outreach
* Organizer/Outreach Specialist for Missouri River Campaign
QUESTIONS?
Contact Jamie Mierau, Assistant to the Vice President for
Conservation, at 202-347-7550.
Legislative information taken from sources including: Greenwire,
Congressional Green Sheets, and Environment and Energy Daily.
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