Topic: Public Lands — Water Resources
Subject: Economics and public finance
Date: 2007-06-11 00:00:00

Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 - Title I: Corps of Engineers-Civil - Makes FY 2008 appropriations for: (1) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for civil functions pertaining to rivers and harbors, flood and storm damage reduction, and aquatic ecosystem restoration; (2) general investigations and construction (including rescissions of funds); (3) flood damage reduction for the Mississippi River alluvial valley below Cape Girardeau, Missouri; (4) operation, maintenance, and administration of laws pertaining to regulation of navigable waters and wetlands; (5) clean up of contamination from sites resulting from work performed as part of the early atomic energy program; (6) flood control, hurricane, and natural disasters emergency operations; (7) general administration and related civil works functions in the headquarters of the Corps; and (8) the Office of Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works). (Sec. 101) Sets forth limitations upon reprogramming of funds and certain continuing contracts.(Sec. 103) Prohibits expenditure of funds under this Act for operation and maritime maintenance of the hopper dredge McFarland.(Sec. 104) Instructs the Secretary of the Army to reduce by 35% the full-time employees at the Sacramento District Regulatory Division office of the Corps of Engineers.(Sec. 105) Prohibits the use of funds to conduct a public-private competition or direct conversion under the OMB Circular A-76 or any other administrative regulation, directive, or policy for any Corps of Engineers program, project or activity. Title II: Department of the Interior - Makes FY2008 appropriations to the Department of the Interior for: (1) the Central Utah Project Completion Account; (2) the Bureau of Reclamation; (3) management, development, and restoration of water and related natural resources; (4) the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund; (5) California Bay-Delta restoration; and (6) policy and administration in the Office of the Commissioner, the Denver office, and offices in the five regions of the Bureau of Reclamation. (Sec. 201) Prohibits the use of funds to determine the final point of discharge for the interceptor drain for the San Luis Unit until development by the Secretary of the Interior and the state of California of a plan, conforming to California water quality standards, to minimize any detrimental effect of the San Luis drainage waters. Declares that the costs of the Kesterson Reservoir Cleanup Program and the San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program shall be classified as reimbursable or nonreimbursable and collected until fully repaid. Makes any future US obligations relating to drainage for that Unit fully reimbursable by Unit beneficiaries.Title III: Department of Energy - Makes FY2008 appropriations to the Department of Energy (DOE) for expenses related to: (1) energy efficiency and renewable energy; (2) electricity delivery and energy reliability; and (3) nuclear energy.Rescinds specified amounts previously designated for clean coal technology.Makes FY2008 appropriations for: (1) fossil energy research and development; (2) naval petroleum and oil shale reserve activities, (3) the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; (4) the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve; (5) the Energy Information Administration; (6) non-defense environmental cleanup; (7) the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund; (8) science activities; and (9) nuclear waste disposal, including specified funds designated for the state of Nevada. Makes FY2008 appropriations for: (1) DOE expenses for Environment, Safety, and Health activities; (2) the Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee program; (3) salaries and expenses for departmental administration; (4) the Office of Inspector General; (5) atomic energy defense weapons activities (designating certain amounts for nuclear weapons dismantlement, including the Pit Disassembly and Conversion Facility Project, Savannah River Site, South Carolina); (6) defense nuclear nonproliferation activities; (7) naval reactors; (8) the Office of the Administrator in the National Nuclear Security Administration; (9) atomic energy defense environmental cleanup; (10) plant and capital equipment necessary for atomic energy defense, other defense, and classified activities; and (11) nuclear waste disposal activities. Approves specified expenditures from the Bonneville Power Administration Fund for official reception and representation expenses. Prohibits new direct loan obligations from being made during FY2008.Makes FY2008 appropriations for operation and maintenance of: (1) the Southeastern, Southwestern, and Western Area Power Administrations; (2) the Falcon and Amistad Dams; and (3) the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).(Sec. 301) Prohibits the use of funds to award any other management and operating contract, or a significant extension or expansion to an existing management and operating contract, unless such contract is awarded using competitive procedures, or the Secretary of Energy grants a waiver (on a case-by-case basis) to allow for such a deviation. Prohibits the Secretary from delegating such waiver authority.(Sec. 302) Prohibits the use of appropriations to prepare or initiate requests for proposals for unfunded programs.(Sec. 304) Prohibits the use of Bonneville Power Administration funds to enter into any agreement to perform energy efficiency services outside the legally defined Bonneville service territory, with the exception of services provided internationally, including services provided on a reimbursable basis, unless the Administrator certifies in advance that such services are not available from private sector businesses.(Sec. 305) Requires DOE: (1) when it makes a user facility available to universities or other potential users, or seeks their input on significant user facility characteristics or equipment, to ensure broad public notice of such availability or input need; and (2) employ full and open competition in selecting a university or other potential user as a formal partner in the establishment or operation of a user facility.(Sec. 306) Deems any funds appropriated by this or any other Act, or made available by the transfer of funds in this Act, for intelligence activities to be specifically authorized by Congress for purposes of the National Security Act of 1947 during FY2008, until the enactment of the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY2008.(Sec. 307) Authorizes the use of specified funds by: (1) government-owned, contractor-operator operated laboratories for laboratory-directed research and development; and (2) the plant manager of a covered nuclear weapons production plant or the manager of the Nevada Site Office for plant or site-directed research and development.(Sec. 308) Prohibits implementation of a specified DOE Order modifying contractor employee pension and medical benefits policy.(Sec. 309) Makes specified funds available until expended for the US contribution to create a low-enriched uranium stockpile for an International Nuclear Fuel Bank supply of nuclear fuel for peaceful means under the International Atomic Energy Agency.Title IV: Independent Agencies - Makes FY2008 appropriations to: (1) the Appalachian Regional Commission; (2) the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board; (3) the Delta Regional Authority; (4) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; (5) the Office of Inspector General; (6) the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board; and (7) Office of the Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects.Title V: General Provisions - (Sec. 501) Prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to influence congressional action on legislation or appropriation matters pending before Congress.(Sec. 502) Prohibits the transfer of funds made available by this Act to any federal department, agency, or instrumentality, except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer authority provided in, this Act or any other appropriation Act.(Sec. 503) Designates certain funds for hydrogen technologies. (Sec. 504) Prohibits use of funds made available in this Act: (1) to purchase light bulbs without an "ENERGY STAR" designation; (2) to administer the "Yucca Mountain Youth Zone" website; (3) to send or otherwise pay for the attendance of more than 50 employees from a federal department or agency at any single conference occurring outside the United States; or (4) for the Green Maintenance Building in North Bergen, New Jersey.