[House Report 106-599]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
106th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 106-599
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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.