[House Report 106-599] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] 106th Congress Report HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 106-599 ====================================================================== INCREASED AUTHORIZATION FOR MINIDOKA PROJECT, IDAHO _______ May 2, 2000.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed _______ Mr. Young of Alaska, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following R E P O R T [To accompany H.R. 3577] [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 3577) to increase the amount authorized to be appropriated for the north side pumping division of the Minidoka reclamation project, Idaho, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. Purpose of the Bill The purpose of H.R. 3577 is to increase the amount authorized to be appropriated for the north side pumping division of the Minidoka reclamation project, Idaho. Background and Need for Legislation Due to the lack of natural surface drainage outlets to the Snake River and constraints associated with drainage onto the lower lying Minidoka Irrigation District, most irrigation return flows and storm water runoff are injected into drain wells (part of the original project design), which pass water directly into the underlying aquifer. The Minidoka Project is overseen by the Bureau of Reclamation of the Department of the Interior. In October 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated the eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer a sole source of drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act. A plan, identified as the ``Framework Plan for Drain Water Management'', was developed by the Bureau of Reclamation and the Minidoka Irrigation District in 1993 to implement an alternate to the current practice of untreated agricultural return flow and storm water entering drain wells directly into the Snake River Plain Aquifer. This bill would increase an earlier authorization of appropriations by $2.8 million to complete the remaining work of the Minidoka Project in Idaho. The remaining work consists of constructing passive treatment, abandoning a number of wells, and reuse systems at an estimated cost of $2.8 million (60 percent federal/40 percent local), of which up to $1.3 million would be reimbursable to the District under a cost sharing arrangement. Committee Action H.R. 3577 was introduced on February 3, 2000, by Congressman Michael D. Simpson (R-ID). H.R. 3577 was referred to the Committee on Resources and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on Water and Power. The Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill on February 10, 2000. The Subcommittee on Water and Power held a markup on the bill on March 9, 2000. No amendments were offered and the bill was reported to the full Committee on Resources by voice vote. On April 5, 2000, the Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill. No amendments were offered and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by voice vote. Section-by-Section Analysis Section 1. Increased authorization for Minidoka Project, Idaho This section amends Section 5 of the Act of September 30, 1950 (chapter 1114; 64 Stat. 1085), authorizing appropriations for the north side pumping division of the Minidoka reclamation project, Idaho, by striking ``$11,395,000'' and inserting ``$14,200,000''. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Resources' oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. Constitutional Authority Statement Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United States grants Congress the authority to enact this bill. Compliance With House Rule XIII 1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) of that Rule provides that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. 3. Government Reform Oversight Findings. Under clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee has received no report of oversight findings and recommendations from the Committee on Government Reform on this bill. 4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office: U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC, April 13, 2000. Hon. Don Young, Chairman, Committee on Resources, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3577, a bill to increase the amount authorized to be appropriated for the north side pumping division of the Minidoka reclamation project, Idaho. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Megan Carroll. Sincerely, Steven Lieberman (For Dan L. Crippen, Director). Enclosure. H.R. 3577--A bill to increase the amount authorized to be appropriate for the north side pumping division of the Minidoka reclamation project, Idaho H.R. 3577 would increase, by $2.8 million, the total amount authorized to be appropriated to the Bureau of Reclamation to complete the north side pumping division of the Minidoka reclamation project in Idaho. That amount includes $250,000 that has already been provided for the current year. Based on information from the agency, CBO estimates that implementing this bill would increase discretion spending by about $2.5 million over the 2001-2005 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amount. The bill would not affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. H.R. 3577 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. Enacting this bill would authorized the bureau to reimburse the affected irrigation district in the state of Idaho for the federal share of the district's costs to complete the Minidoka project. The CBO staff contact is Megan Carroll. This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. Compliance With Public Law 104-4 This bill contains no unfunded mandates. Preemption of State, Local or Tribal Law This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman): SECTION 5 OF THE ACT OF SEPTEMBER 30, 1950 AN ACT To authorize the Palisades Dam and Reservoir project, to authorize the north side pumping division and related works, to provide for the disposition of reserved space in American Falls Reservoir, and for other purposes Sec. 5. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sums of not to exceed $76,601,000 for the Palisades Dam and Reservoir project, Idaho, [$11,395,000] $14,200,000 for the Minidoka project north side pumping division, Idaho, and $6,600,000 for the American Falls power plant.