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NFC: Fw: River Policy Update, Week of November 5, 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 November 5, 2001
IN THIS WEEK'S UPDATE:
* Appropriations
* CALFED reauthorization
* Klamath Basin bill
* Farm bill
* Bush administration environmental nominations
* Community right-to-know laws
* EPA rulemaking
* Congressional calendar
* Tribute to two legendary river advocates
* Take action
* Jobs
APPROPRIATIONS
EPA funding
The VA-HUD-independent agencies appropriations bill, which includes
funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, is scheduled to go
to conference committee this Tuesday. 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. The
Commerce-Justice-State appropriations bill, which includes funding
for the National Marine Fisheries Service, is also awaiting
conference, but no time has been set yet.
VA-HUD-independent agencies conference: 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6
in S-128 of the Capitol
Energy and Water appropriations
Last week, the House and Senate passed the $24.6 billion fiscal
year '02 energy and water conference report. The bill now awaits the
president's signature. Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid (D-NV), chair
of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, managed
to strip language from the House bill that would have prevented the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from studying how to improve flow to
recover endangered species in and along the Missouri River. The
conference report does include language that will allow the Corps to
consider flow alternatives other than those recommended by the Fish
and Wildlife Service as part of consultation under the Endangered
Species Act, but river advocates were pleased that the Corps will
still have the opportunity to protect the Missouri River's fish and
wildlife by allowing flexible flows.
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.
More generally, the energy and water conference report did not
approve any new construction starts or environmental infrastructure
projects for the Corps of Engineers. It also provides $30 million
for CALFED projects in California's Central Valley; $7.14 billion for
clean-up at Department of Energy nuclear facilities, including $365
million for clean-up at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation near the
Columbia River; $396 million for renewable energy research and
development ($120 million over the president's request and $21
million more than last year). The bill also takes steps to prevent
drilling for oil and gas in the Great Lakes and upper Midwest
rivers.
CALFED reauthorization
This Wednesday, the House Resources Committee will meet to markup
Rep. Ken Calvert's (R-CA) bill to reauthorize CALFED (HR 3208).
CALFED is a federal-state effort to better manage water and protect
wildlife in the Central Valley of California, but the conservation
community argues that Calvert's bill would undermine the spirit of
compromise embodied in the CALFED Record of Decision, which was
signed last August by federal and state officials. Critics charge
that HR 3208 would (and an earlier version, HR 1985) allow
potentially environmentally harmful water projects to proceed unless
authorizing congressional committees take action to stop them within
a 60-day period; that it would guarantee water rights to a water
district with rights that are junior to those of other water users in
the Central Valley; and that it would weaken protections for
endangered species. Rep. George Miller (D-CA) is offering a
competing bill (HR 2404) that would be a more straight up
reauthorization of the existing CALFED agreement. Miller's bill is
similar to a Senate bill (S. 976) offered by Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-
CA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA).
Markup: 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 7, in 2318 Rayburn
Klamath Basin bill
Also under discussion at Wednesday's House Resources markup will be
one of four bills offered by Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) that are
designed to address the competing needs of fish and farmers in
Oregon's Klamath Basin. HR 2828 would help farmers whose irrigation
water was restricted last summer by refunding irrigation fees. The
bill provides $5 million for this purpose. Walden has also
introduced bills to subject biological opinions on Endangered Species
Act-listed Klamath Basin species to peer review (HR 2827) and to
provide $200 million in economic relief to Klamath Basin farmers (HR
2829). Last week, the House passed another bill from Walden, HR
2585, which would authorize the study of ways to improve the passage
of endangered suckerfish around Chiloquin Dam on the Sprague River.
FARM BILL
This week the Senate Agriculture Committee is meeting to continue
marking up a new Senate farm bill. Committee Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA)
plans to push ahead with marking up a farm bill this year despite
objections from the Bush administration that moving the bill during
the current national security situation would be "unnecessary and
unwise." Harkin's bill would provide considerably more funding for
agricultural conservation programs than would the House farm bill (HR
2646), but some conservationists have noted that the percentage of
funding that this farm bill devotes to conservation programs is less
than that provided in the last farm bill. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
may offer an amendment to bump up farm bill spending on conservation
programs from $3.5 billion per year in Harkin's bill to $5 billion
per year.
Markup: 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6 in 328 Russell.
BUSH ADMINISTRATION ENVIRONMENTAL NOMINATIONS
Two nominees for environmental positions in the Bush administration
will receive hearings before two different Senate committees this
week. The first nominee, Conrad Lautenbacher, is nominated to
replace James Baker as Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and
Atmosphere. Lautenbacher would oversee the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, which contains the National Marine
Fisheries Service. Lautenbacher's hearing will take place before the
Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday. The second nomination, of
Thomas Sansonetti to be Assistant Attorney General for the Department
of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division, is
considered to be more controversial. Sansonetti, a former coal
industry lobbyist, has raised concern among some environmental
groups. Sansonetti's hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee
is scheduled for Tuesday.
Lautenbacher hearing: 2:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 8 in 253 Russell
Sansonetti hearing: 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6 in 406 Dirksen
COMMUNITY RIGHT-TO-KNOW LAWS
This Thursday the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's
Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment will hold a
hearing on federal right-to-know laws. The focus of the hearing will
be on whether having information available to the public on the
location of hazardous chemical facilities poses a national security
risk in light of the September 11 attacks. Supporters of right-to-
know laws have suggested increasing security at such facilities
rather than restricting information they view as important to the
health of people and the environment.
Hearing: 10:00 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 8 in 2167 Rayburn
EPA Rulemaking
After several delays, the House Small Business Committee's Regulatory
and Oversight Subcommittee will finally meet this Thursday to discuss
industry concerns about EPA rulemaking procedures. Featured will be
panelists who question whether past EPA rules have been based on
sound scientific and economic determinations. No one from the EPA or
the conservation community will be testifying at the hearing.
Hearing: 10:00 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 8 in 2360 Rayburn
CONGRESSIONAL CALENDAR
Senate:
Markup of Farm Bill
Agriculture Committee
8:30 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6 in 328 Russell
Hearing on nomination for DOJ environmental nominee
Judiciary Committee
2:00 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1 in 406 Dirksen
Hearing on nominee for Under Secretary of Oceans and Atmosphere
Commerce Committee
2:00 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1 in 253 Dirksen
House:
Hearing on forest issues
Resources Committee
10:00 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 7 in 2325 Rayburn
Markup of CALFED, Klamath bills
Resources Committee
2:00 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 7 in 2318 Rayburn
Hearing on community right-to-know laws
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
10:00 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 8 in 2167 Rayburn
Hearing on college sea grants
Resources Committee
10:00 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 8 in a location to be announced
Hearing on EPA rulemaking
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
10:00 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 8 in 2360 Rayburn
TRIBUTE
Last month we lost two legendary river advocates: Frank Craighead, an
architect of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, and James Phillips, a
clean water activist. To read more, visit
http://www.americanrivers.org/feature/legends.htm
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 two 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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restore America's rivers.
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