49–010 

Calendar No. 548 

109TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 109–305 

VERMONT WATER RESOURCES STUDY 

JULY 31, 2006.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. DOMENICI, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 2054] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 2054) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to 

conduct a study of water resources in the State of Vermont, having 

considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment 

and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass. 

The amendment is as follows: 

On page 1, line 7, insert after ‘‘shall’’ the following: ‘‘, in accordance with this Act and any other applicable law,’’. 

PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE

S. 2054 would authorize the United States Geological Survey to 

undertake a water resources study in the State of Vermont. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

It is estimated that approximately sixty-six percent of Vermont’s 

population rely on groundwater for their drinking water. Groundwater also provides a significant source of water for industrial, environmental, and agricultural purposes. Naturally-occurring 

groundwater contaminants including arsenic, radioactivity, and 

radon have been found in the groundwater and, according to the 

state government, pose a health risk to Vermonters. 

Concerns have been raised regarding Vermont’s groundwater resources. Knowing more about the groundwater resources will allow 

Vermonters to best mitigate the threat posed by contaminants and 

to enhance planning efforts, including how best to manage existing 

water resources. Beginning in the 1960s, the State of Vermont undertook steps to better understand its groundwater resources. Since 


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that time, knowledge of Vermont’s groundwater resources has become more comprehensive and detailed. 

While the data acquired by the State since the 1960s allows for 

rudimentary aquifer mapping for parts of the State, lack of adequate State funding has not allowed the State to obtain information necessary to address potential problems. The study authorized 

by S. 2054 will allow the State of Vermont to better understand the 

nature of its groundwater resources and plan accordingly. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 2054 was introduced on November 18, 2005, by Senator Jeffords and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing on 

S. 2054 on March 30, 2006. At the business meeting on May 24, 

2006, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 

2054 favorably reported with an amendment. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open business session on May 24, 2006, by a unanimous voice vote of a 

quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 2054, if 

amended as described herein. 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

During consideration of S. 2054, the Committee adopted an 

amendment which provides that the survey authorized by S. 2054 

shall be conducted pursuant to applicable law. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1, subsection (a) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, 

acting through the Director of the United States Geological Survey 

and in coordination with the State of Vermont to conduct a survey 

of water resources in the State. 

Subsection (b) directs the Secretary to submit to the Committee 

on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee 

on Resources of the House of Representatives a report describing 

the result of the study not later than two years after the date of 

enactment of the act. 

Subsection (c) authorizes such sums as necessary to carry out 

this section. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of costs of this measure has been provided 

by the Congressional Budget Office: 

S. 2054—A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 

study of water resources in the state of Vermont 

S. 2054 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 

study of water resources in Vermont. The study, to be completed 

within two years of the bill’s enactment, would include a survey of 

groundwater supplies available to municipalities. Based on the cost 

of similar studies, CBO estimates that carrying out the proposed 

study would cost the U.S. Geological Survey about $6 million over 

the next few years, assuming appropriation of the necessary 


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amounts. Enacting S. 2054 would not affect direct spending or revenues. 

The bill 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. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following evaluation 

of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in carrying out 

S. 2054. The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of imposing Government-established standards or significant responsibilities on private individuals and businesses. 

No personal information would be collected in administering the 

program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal privacy. 

Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the enactment of S. 2054. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The testimony provided by the United States Geological Survey 

at the Subcommittee hearing on S. 2054 in the 109th Congress follows: 

STATEMENT OF CATHERINE L. HILL, NORTHEAST REGIONAL

HYDROLOGIST, UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Madam Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, I 

am Catherine L. Hill, Northeast Regional Hydrologist for 

Water for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). I thank you 

for the opportunity to provide the views of the Department 

of the Interior (Department) on S. 2054, a bill to conduct 

a Vermont water resources study. 

The Department agrees that the goals of the bill are 

commendable but has concerns with the bill. We note that 

studies similar to this have been done by USGS in other 

States, generally carried out within the USGS Cooperative 

Water Program, which is a long- standing cost-sharing program using Federal and State funds. Given the existing 

authorities for our Cooperative Water Program, congressional authorization of this study is not necessary. 

S. 2054, VERMONT WATER RESOURCES STUDY

S. 2054 directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting 

through the Director of the USGS and in coordination with 

the State of Vermont, to conduct a study on water resources in the State of Vermont. The role identified for the 

Department in this bill is consistent with USGS’s leadership role in surveying and characterizing ground-water resources. 

The bill requires a survey of ground-water supplies and 

aquifers available for water supply by municipalities 


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throughout the State, as part of a study to determine 

whether these supplies provide water of potable (drinkable) quality. 

The USGS has a long history of conducting groundwater assessments on both local and regional scales. In the 

1950s and 1960s, studies were conducted across the Nation 

to provide a basic understanding of geohydrologic conditions at a county-level scale. In the 1980s, 25 regional aquifer systems were studied in detail, including the aquifer 

systems in Vermont. However, these studies provide a regional and national context of ground water that are often 

not detailed enough for State and municipal needs. 

As stated, the goals of the S. 2054 can be met through 

existing authorities, and many related activities are being 

implemented on the ground in Vermont. USGS has been 

actively working with the Vermont Geological Survey in 

the creation of a new bedrock geologic map that is scheduled to be completed in the next few years. This new geologic map will provide a variety of information that can be 

used to help define ground-water availability and quality. 

Map information will include bedrock types that may be 

correlated with high yield wells or bedrock types that may 

be associated with natural contaminants (for example arsenic or radon). In 2003, USGS provided information on 

possible approaches for ground-water assessment and aquifer mapping to the State of Vermont for a report to the 

State Legislature on the status of ground-water and aquifer mapping. In this report, a plan for future statewide 

ground-water and aquifer assessments was presented. This 

document provides a foundation for how work proposed by 

this legislation could be performed. 

The USGS has extensive databases that would provide 

useful information in evaluating potential ground-water 

resources in Vermont. These databases include the location 

and characteristics of most mineral occurrences throughout the United States; geochemical characteristics of rocks, 

soils, stream sediments, and water; long-term groundwater level and stream flows; and water-use and well inventories. 

The USGS also has a number of on-going studies that 

relate to ground water in Vermont. USGS, through the 

Mineral Resources Program and in cooperation with the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is determining the 

water quality effects of three abandoned mines on local 

streams and ground water. Another USGS study, in cooperation with the Vermont Geological Survey, is looking 

at the radionuclide content of wells in the Barre West and 

Montpelier quadrangles. USGS is also analyzing the presence of arsenic in bedrock wells throughout New England 

as part of a project with the National Institutes of Health. 

This work will identify the probability of bedrock wells 

having detectable levels of arsenic. In addition, through 

the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Program, 

we are evaluating how radon and uranium vary from aquiVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:59 Aug 02, 2006 Jkt 049010 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6969 E:\HR\OC\SR305.XXX SR305

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fer to aquifer in the northern portions of the United 

States, including Vermont. 

In New Hampshire, USGS has already performed statewide surficial and bedrock aquifer mapping and characterization. This work, conducted through the USGS Cooperative Water Program, occurred in the 1980s and 90s and 

now serves as the benchmark for ground-water characterization in the State and is the basis for State and local 

planning and resource protection programs. We envision 

that a statewide aquifer mapping and ground-water characterization effort in Vermont would be similar in many 

respects to the New Hampshire effort. 

Ground water is the source of water for two-thirds of 

Vermont’s residents. From 1950 to 2000, the amount of 

ground water used in the State is estimated to have increased by at least 60 percent. While Vermont is blessed 

with a major surface-water supply source in Lake Champlain to serve its largest cities, most communities, businesses, and homes away from the Lake rely on ground 

water for their water supply. 

The proposed legislation also requires an assessment of 

how ground water recharges and interacts with surface 

water. This is critical because ground water can be a major 

source of water for streams, especially in headwater areas. 

Vermont’s rivers and streams are an important natural resource—providing habitat for its trout and other fisheries 

and supplying flows to its many lakes and ponds. As stated previously, USGS is currently working with the States 

to provide a better understanding of ground-water 

aquifers, the areas that contribute to both ground- and 

surface-water systems, and how current and future water 

demands could influence these systems, will help decision 

makers ensure that sufficient supplies are present for the 

multiple uses of Vermont’s water resources. 

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the USGS concurs with the goals of the 

bill to meet Vermont’s need for a detailed ground-water assessment and aquifer mapping program, but notes that 

there are already ongoing efforts to address these goals. 

Such an effort would help ensure long-term water supplies 

for its citizens, businesses, industry, and natural features. 

However, we feel that such a proposed study would take 

5 or more years to complete and that the 2-year time 

frame for completing the study would not yield comprehensive results. We recommend that studies of this type be 

conducted under the USGS Cooperative Water Program, 

through a cost-share arrangement. The USGS looks forward to working with the State of Vermont, particularly 

the Vermont Geological Survey, in future ground-water resource and aquifer studies. 

Thank you, Madam Chairman, for the opportunity to 

present this testimony. I will be pleased to respond to 

questions you and other Members of the Subcommittee 

may have. 


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CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 2054, as ordered reported. 

Æ 


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