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NFC: Fw: River Policy Update, Week of October 29, 2001
To read the River Policy Update online, visit American Rivers' Online
Newsroom at http://www.americanrivers.org/policyupdates/update.htm
American Rivers' Policy Update
Week of October 29, 2001
IN THIS WEEK'S UPDATE:
* Energy policy
* Appropriations
* Water resources
* Congressional calendar
* Take action
* Jobs
ENERGY POLICY
Energy bill update
It is growing more unlikely that comprehensive energy legislation
will reach the floor of the Senate this year. Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Committee Chair Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), said last
week that he would "be amazed" if an energy bill comes to the floor
before the end of the year. However, Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK),
ranking member on Bingaman's committee, continues to push for a
separate energy bill that he is calling the Homeland Security Act of
2001. In addition to its security provisions, which are aimed at
expanding security for the nation's energy infrastructure,
Murkowski's bill would open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to
drilling and likely weaken environmental protections in the
hydropower relicensing process.
The environmental threats posed by the development of ANWR prompted
American Rivers to list the wildlife refuge's Canning River as the
nation's second most endangered river in its America's Most
Endangered Rivers of 2001 report.
APPROPRIATIONS
Two appropriations bills with major implications for the environment,
Energy and Water and VA-HUD-independent agencies, may go to
conference this week, as Congress attempts to resume work that was
delayed last week due to the presence of anthrax in congressional
office buildings. Staff reports make it unclear which bill will be
conferenced first. The VA-HUD-independent agencies bill includes
funding for the EPA. Both the House and Senate VA-HUD bills would
fund EPA at higher levels than the administration requested, but the
Senate bill, unlike the House bill, rejects an administration request
to cut the EPA's enforcement budget. As discussed in more detail
below, the Energy and Water bill will help determine the future
management of the Missouri River and several other important aquatic
resources.
Missouri River rider
The House version of the energy and water bill (H.R. 2311) includes a
controversial rider that would prevent the Corps of Engineers from
improving Missouri River flows to better protect species listed under
the Endangered Species Act including the piping plover and the pallid
sturgeon. The Senate bill, S. 1171, also includes language on
Missouri River operations that would allow the Corps of Engineers to
consider flow alternatives other than those recommended by the Fish
and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act. The
environmental community opposes inclusion of any Missouri River
rider, but has urged adoption of the Senate language if the
conference committee insists on including a provision on this issue.
The importance of reoperating the Missouri for the benefit of fish
and wildlife prompted American Rivers to list it the number one most
endangered river in its 2001 America's Most Endangered Rivers report.
Controversial water projects
The environmental community has also written to the conference
committee opposing funding for several water projects included in
either the House or Senate version of the Energy and Water bill,
including the Grand Prairie Irrigation Project and White River
Navigation Project in Arkansas, the Yazoo Backwater Pumping Plant
Project and Big Sunflower River Dredging Project in Mississippi, the
Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock in Louisiana, the Dallas Floodway
Extension Project in Texas, the Unit 15 Levee on the Missouri River,
and the Delaware River Deepening Project - all by the Corps of
Engineers - and the Animas-LaPlata Project by the Bureau of
Reclamation in Colorado.
WATER RESOURCES
MTBE hearing
The House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight
and Investigations will attempt to finally hold a much-delayed
hearing this Thursday on methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). While
the use of MTBE as an oxygenate in gasoline can help meet Clean Air
Act requirements, it is a hazardous chemical that can leak from
underground storage tanks and contaminate groundwater. Subcommittee
Chair James Greenwood (R-PA) has offered a bill (H.R 20) that would
permit states to waive the Clean Air Act's oxygenate requirement for
gasoline sold in their states as long as air quality does not
worsen. A similar bill, S. 950, is under consideration in the Senate.
Hearing: 1:00 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1 in 2322 Rayburn
Water infrastructure
On Wednesday the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee's
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water will hold a hearing
(originally scheduled for Oct. 18) to discuss the need for more
funding to improve the nation's aging water and sewer systems. The
Water Infrastructure Network, a coalition of local elected officials,
drinking water and wastewater service providers, state environmental
and health officials, engineers and environmentalists, estimates that
there is a $23 million gap between infrastructure needs and current
funding levels. WIN proposes that the federal government should be
responsible for half that amount ($11.5 million), with state and
local governments responsible for the rest. EPA Administrator
Christine Todd Whitman says that EPA estimates of the financial need
are lower, but agrees that more investment is needed. Democrats on
the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee have proposed
including $10 billion for water infrastructure improvements in an
economic stimulus package.
Environmental advocates have urged that spending on water
infrastructure emphasize projects that will provide wide
environmental benefits, avoid contributing to urban sprawl,
prioritize funding for serious environmental threats and poorer
communities, and include measures to ensure accountability.
Hearing: 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 31 in 406 Dirksen
Potomac River dumping
This Tuesday the House Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Parks
will hold a hearing to examine the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers'
practice of dumping sludge into the Potomac River near Washington,
D.C. The Corps dumps the sludge, which is generated by a water
treatment plant, into the river about 18 times per year. The
National Wildlife Institute has sued the Corps, arguing that the
sludge contains toxic sediments and that it jeopardizes the
endangered shortnose sturgeon and dwarf wedge mussel. Many western
Republicans have joined in criticizing the dumping. Their interest
in the issue appears to be based at least in part on their desire to
demonstrate to eastern lawmakers, whose constituencies may have had
less direct experience with Endangered Species Act compliance, that
the ESA overburdens property owners and needs to be "reformed."
Hearing: 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 30 in 2218 Rayburn
Floor votes
The House is expected to vote on two river-related bills under
suspension of the rules this Tuesday. H.R. 2585, introduced by Rep.
Greg Walden (R-OR), would require the Department of Interior to study
the feasibility of providing two endangered species of sucker fish
with adequate passage around Chiloquin Dam on the Sprague River near
Klamath Falls, Oregon. One alternative the study will explore is dam
removal. Walden says that his bill will help the fish to recover
(the dam currently blocks 95 percent of their spawning habitat) while
also ensuring that more water will be available to irrigators in
Klamath Basin. The other bill reaching the House floor will be H.R.
1776, which would direct the National Park Service to study the
possibility of designating the Buffalo Bayou, on the San Jacinto
River in Houston, as a National Heritage Area.
CONGRESSIONAL CALENDAR
Senate:
Hearing on water infrastructure
Environment and Public Works Committee
9:30 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 31 in 406 Dirksen
Hearing on four-pollutant legislation
Environment and Public Works Committee
2:00 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1 in 406 Dirksen
Hearing on infrastructure security
Energy and Natural Resources Committee
2:00 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1 in 406 Dirksen
House:
Hearing on Potomac River dumping
Resources Committee
10:00 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 30 in 2218 Rayburn
Hearing on MTBE
Energy and Commerce Committee
1:00 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1 in 2322 Rayburn
Hearing on Forest Service Management
Resources Committee
Thursday, Nov. 1 at a time and location to be announced
Hearing on reducing petroleum dependence
Science Committee
10:00 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 1 in 2318 Rayburn
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/.
JOBS
American Rivers currently has a number of job openings. See our
employment webpage at http://www.amrivers.org/jobs/default.htm for
the following opportunities:
* Director of Outreach
* Director of Development, Northwest Regional Office
Questions?
Contact Michael Garrity, Conservation Associate, at 202-347-7550.
Legislative information is obtained from sources including:
Environment and Energy Daily, Greenwire, Congressional Green Sheets,
and members of the American Rivers conservation staff.
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