Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7872) to amend the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act to modify certain requirements applicable to salinity control units, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 7872
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act''. SEC. 2. SALINITY CONTROL UNITS.
Section 205 of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act (43 U.S.C. 1595) is amended--
(1) by striking the section designation and all that follows through ``(a) The Secretary'' and inserting the following: ``SEC. 205. SALINITY CONTROL UNITS; AUTHORITY AND FUNCTIONS OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.
``(a) Allocation of Costs.--The Secretary'';
(2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
``(1) Nonreimbursable costs; reimbursable costs.--
``(A) Nonreimbursable costs.--
``(i) In general.--In recognition of Federal responsibility for the Colorado River as an interstate stream and for international comity with Mexico, Federal ownership of the land of the Colorado River Basin from which most of the dissolved salts originate, and the policy established in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) and except as provided in clause (ii), the following shall be nonreimbursable:
``(I) 75 percent of the total costs of construction and replacement of each unit or separable feature of a unit authorized by section 202(a)(1), including 90 percent of--
``(aa) the costs of operation and maintenance of each unit or separable feature of a unit authorized by that section; and
``(bb) the total costs of construction, operation, and maintenance of the associated measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone.
``(II) 75 percent of the total costs of construction and replacement of each unit or separable feature of a unit authorized by section 202(a)(2), including 100 percent of--
``(aa) the costs of operation and maintenance of each unit or separable feature of a unit authorized by that section; and
``(bb) the total costs of construction, operation, and maintenance of the associated measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone.
``(III) 75 percent of the total costs of construction, operation, maintenance, and replacement of each unit or separable feature of a unit authorized by section 202(a)(3), including 75 percent of the total costs of construction, operation, and maintenance of the associated measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone.
``(IV) 70 percent of the total costs of construction, operation, maintenance, and replacement of each unit or separable feature of a unit authorized by paragraphs (4) and (6) of section 202(a), including 70 percent of the total costs of construction, operation, and maintenance of the associated measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone.
``(V) 70 percent of the total costs of construction and replacement of each unit or separable feature of a unit authorized by section 202(a)(5), including 100 percent of--
``(aa) the costs of operation and maintenance of each unit or separable feature of a unit authorized by that section; and
``(bb) the total costs of construction, operation, and maintenance of the associated measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone.
``(VI) 85 percent of the total costs of implementation of the on-farm measures authorized by section 202(c), including 85 percent of the total costs of the associated measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone.
``(ii) Special rule for nonreimbursable costs for fiscal years 2024 and 2025.--Notwithstanding clause (i), for each of fiscal years 2024 and 2025, the following shall be nonreimbursable:
``(I) 75 percent of all costs described in clause (i)(I).
``(II) 75 percent of all costs described in clause (i)(II).
``(III) 70 percent of all costs described in clause (i)(V).
``(IV) The percentages of all costs described in subclauses (III), (IV), and (VI) of clause (i).
``(B) Reimbursable costs.--The total costs remaining after the allocations under clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A) shall be reimbursable as provided for in paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5).'';
(3) in subsection (b), by striking the subsection designation and all that follows through ``Costs of construction'' in paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
``(b) Costs Payable From Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund.--
``(1) In general.--Costs of construction'';
(4) in subsection (c), by striking ``(c) Costs of construction'' and inserting the following:
``(c) Costs Payable From Upper Colorado River Basin Fund.-- Costs of construction''; and
(5) in subsection (e), by striking ``(e) The Secretary is'' and inserting the following:
``(e) Upward Adjustment of Rates for Electrical Energy.-- The Secretary is''.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. WESTERMAN. 7872, the bill now under consideration.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7872, the Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act. The Colorado River is a critical resource for the basin's seven States.
Since the 1970s, the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program has operated salinity control projects to reduce salinity levels in the river, which helps to improve crop yields for farmers. This effort is crucial since agriculture is the most significant component of the basin's economy.
Historically, this program has been funded through both appropriations and power revenues. However, the Colorado River has experienced historic ongoing multidecade drought conditions that have reduced hydropower generation and created an imbalance between the program's obligations and the costs payable through hydropower.
The Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act would address this challenge by reducing the cost-share percentages from hydropower revenues and increasing the Federal nonreimbursable costs for the salinity programs across the Colorado River Basin.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I am prepared to close. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Again, H.R. 7872 builds on important efforts undertaken by all seven States in the Colorado River Basin to ensure that salinity control projects are funded.
These projects support farmers and ranchers across the region and lead to better environmental outcomes. The importance of this work cannot be overstated.
Lastly, I thank Congressman John Curtis for his work in moving this legislation forward. While we will miss him on our committee next year, I know we will continue to find ways to work with him in his new role at the other end of the Capitol.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage adoption of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source