Irvine Basin Surface and Groundwater Improvement Act of 2003

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, be authorized to meeting during the session of the Senate on May 13, 2003, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing the nominations of Mr. Nicholas Gregory Mankiw, of Massachusetts, to be a member of the Council of Economic Advisors, Executive Office of the President; Mr. Steven B. Nesmith, of Pennsylvania, to be Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and Mr. Jose Teran, of Florida, Mr. James Broaddus, of Texas, Mr. Lane Carson, of Louisiana, and Mr. Paul Pate, of Iowa, to be members of the Board of Directors, National Institute of Building Sciences.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Tuesday, May 13, 2003, at 9:30 a.m., on Media Ownership in SR- 253.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Tuesday, May 13, 2003, at 2 p.m., to hear testimony on Status of the Free Miami Ministerial.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet in open Executive Session during the session on Tuesday, May 13, 2003, at 7 p.m., to mark up an original bill, the

text of which was reported by the Committee on Finance on May 8, 2003, for the purpose of meeting Finance Committee reconciliation instructions.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``Project Safe Neighborhoods: America's Network Against Gun Violence'' on Tuesday, May 13, 2003, at 9:30 a.m., in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 226.

Panel I: The Honorable Paul M. Warner, United States Attorney for the District of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; The Honorable Paul J. McNulty, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria, VA; The Honorable Todd P. Graves, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, Kansas City, MO; The Honorable Patrick L. Meehan, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Panel II: Mr. Russell Edward Spann, Captain, West Valley Police Department, Utah, West Valley, UT; Mr. Dennis A. Mook, Chief of Police, Newport News Police Department, Newport News, VA; The Honorable Donald R. Totaro, District Attorney, Lancaster County, Lancaster, PA; Mr. Charles L. Curtis, President, Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission, Kansas City, MO; Professor Jens Ludwig, Georgetown Public Policy Institute, Georgetown University, Washington, DC; Professor Alfred Blumstein, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on National Parks of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 13, at 10:00 a.m., to receive testimony regarding S. 452, to require that the Secretary of the Interior conduct a study to identify sites and resources, to recommend alternatives for commemorating and interpreting the Cold War, and for other purposes; S. 500, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to study certain sites in the Historic District of Beaufort, South Carolina, relating to the Reconstruction Era; S. 601, to authorize the Secretary to acquire the McLoughlin House National Historic Site in Oregon City, Oregon, for inclusion in the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, and for other purposes; S. 612, and H.R. 788, to revise the boundary of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in the States of Utah and Arizona; and S. 630, and H.R. 519, to authorize the Secretary to conduct a study of the San Gabriel River Watershed and for other purposes.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 13, at 2:30 p.m., to receive testimony regarding S. 520, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain facilities to the Fremont-Madison Irrigation District in the State of Idaho; S. 625, a bill to authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct certain feasibility studies in the Tualatin River Basin in Oregon, and for other purposes; S. 960, a bill to amend the Reclamation Wasterwater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize certain projects in the State of Hawaii and to amend the Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2000 to modify the Water Resources Study; S. 649, a bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in projects within the San Diego Creek Watershed, California, and for other purposes; and S. 993, a bill to amend the Small Reclamation Projects Act of 1956, and for other purposes.

Mr. President, I rise to introduce legislation to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to fund projects within the Irvine Basin.

This bill will authorize up to $19 million in funds in order to cover up to 25 percent of the costs of constructing three water projects in Southern California. Water is an issue of paramount importance in California, and these projects provide innovative examples of ways that we can improve our water quality and increase our water supply.

The first project, called the Natural Treatment System, will build a network of wetlands to filter surface water and urban runoff in the San Diego Creek Watershed and Upper Newport Bay. Based on the performance of a single constructed wetland in the area, we expect the Natural Treatment System to filter out 126,000 pounds of nitrogen and 21,000 pounds of phosphorus from the watershed each year and reduce levels of harmful bacteria such as fecal coliform by as much as 26 percent.

The second project, the Irvine Desalter, will clean brackish groundwater and provide drinking water for between 40,000 and 50,000 people. By allowing the Irvine Basin to access another water source, the desalter will reduce our dependence on imported water and take considerable pressure off of our other water resources.

The final project will construct a regional brine line to dispose of brine directly into the ocean. Like much of California, the Irvine Ranch Water District is a leader in water reclamation and recycling efforts. Buildup of too much salt in the system can hamper these reclamation efforts. The brine line will allow the District to continue its innovative efforts to ensure that water is used more than once while increasing use of brackish water resources.

These projects shows us how California and the West can improve our water situation. Projects like these show us the way forward. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The hearing will be held on Tuesday, May 13, at 2:30 p.m. in Room SD- 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 520, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain facilities to the Fremont-Madison Irrigation District in the State of Idaho; S. 625, a bill to authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct certain feasibility studies in the Tualatin River Basin in Oregon, and for other purposes; S. 960, a bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize certain projects in the State of Hawaii and to amend the Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2000 to modify the water resources study; S. 649, a bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in projects within the San Diego Creek Watershed, California, and for other purposes; and S. 993, a bill to amend the Small Reclamation Projects Act of 1956, and for other purposes. (Contact: Shelly Randel 202-224- 7933, Kellie Donnelly 202-224-9360 or Jared Stubbs at 202-224-7556).

Because of the limited time available for the hearings, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Subcommittee on Water and Power, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150.