A bill to authorize the construction of the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System and to authorize assistance to the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, for the planning and construction of the water supply system, and for other purposes.
Prohibits the Secretary from obligating project funds until: (1) National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 requirements are met; and (2) a final engineering report and a plan for a water conservation program are submitted to Congress.
Requires the Secretary to make grants and other funds available to the System and other private, State, and Federal entities for the initial development of the environmental enhancement component.
Specifies that mitigation for fish and wildlife losses incurred as a result of the construction and operation of the water supply project shall be on an acre-for-acre basis, based on ecological equivalency, concurrent with project construction.
Requires the Western Area Power Administration to make available the capacity and energy required to meet the pumping and incidental operational requirements of the water supply project during the period beginning May 1, and ending October 31, of each year from power designated for future irrigation and drainage pumping for the Pick-Sloan Missouri River Basin program, on specified conditions, including that: (1) the water supply system is operated on a not-for-profit basis; (2) the water supply system contracts to purchase the entire electric service requirements of the project from a qualified preference power supplier that itself purchases power from the Administration; and (3) the rate schedule applicable to the capacity and energy made available is the firm power rate schedule of the Pick-Sloan Eastern Division of the Administration.
Specifies an 80 percent Federal share of planning, construction, and development costs of the project. Requires the Secretary to provide funds for the city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, equal to 50 percent of the incremental cost of its participation in the project.
Authorizes the Secretary to allow the Bureau of Reclamation to provide project construction oversight to the water supply project and environmental enhancement component.
Makes the System responsible for the annual operation and maintenance of such project.
Authorizes appropriations.
Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 571.
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S696)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Referred to Subcommittee on Water and Power.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources requested executive comment from Department of the Interior, OMB.
Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 106-208.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported to Senate by Senator Murkowski with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 106-130.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported to Senate by Senator Murkowski with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 106-130.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 242.
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S15156-15157)
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Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S15156-15157)
Received in the House.
Held at the desk.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water and Power.