79–006

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 pracVerDate 27-APR-2000 08:06 May 03, 2000 Jkt 079006 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR599.XXX pfrm08 PsN: HR599
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tice 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 appropria- tions 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

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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-yougo 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.

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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, ø$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.

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