To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the City of Hermiston, Oregon, water recycling and reuse project, and for other purposes.

I want to thank my colleagues from Utah and Guam, as well as the chairwoman of the subcommittee, Grace Napolitano from California, and the ranking member, Tom McClintock from California, and their staffs for working with me and the folks from the city of Hermiston, Oregon, to move this bill through the committee process in a rather expedited way where it was unanimously approved and now awaits floor action today.

As the author of the bill, I stand in strong support of H.R. 2741, which authorizes the Bureau of Reclamation to work with the city in the planning, design, and construction of the city of Hermiston's new water recycling and reuse project.

In short, this is one of those bills that is good for farmers and it is good for fish. It helps meet the Endangered Species Act, a requirement for a listed salmon species in the Umatilla River, and addresses long-term community growth in the process. It has strong local support from very diverse interests and is exactly the type of partnership and project that deserves investment from the Federal Government.

The existing wastewater facilities in Hermiston are 30 years old; and after 30 years, those facilities have served the community well and outlived their usefulness. With new environmental requirements and needs, the community has come together with many parties to come up with this proposal, and this legislation will help move that forward with a nice cost share between the Federal Government at 25 percent and the local community at 75 percent.

This project will achieve a list of objectives important to both the local community and Federal environmental obligations.

First, it will enable the city to reliably meet new pollution reduction requirements for the next 20-plus years.

Second, it will increase wastewater treatment capacity to match the growth in the region's economy and the human population.

Third, 3,400 acre feet of top quality, class A water will return to the Umatilla River and provide additional protections for threatened salmon species. This is one of the key reasons that the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation support the legislation. I thank them for that and would like to enter into the Record their letter of support for H.R. 2741.

Confederated Tribes of the

Umatilla Indian Reservation,

Pendleton, OR, July 15, 2009.

Ed Brookshier,

City Manager, City of Hermiston, Hermiston, OR.

Dear Mr. Brookshier: the Confederated Tribes of the

Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) thank you for the

opportunity to review the proposed improvements to the

Hermiston waste water treatment plant. We understand that in

addition to upgrades at the plant itself this project

includes moving the location of effluent discharge to the

Umatilla River and a new discharge to the West Extension

Irrigation District. We appreciate the City's coordination

with us on this important project that will improve the water

quality of the Umatilla River over time.

As you know the CTUIR has treaty fishing rights in the

Umatilla River. The Tribes value the health of Umatilla

fisheries and the Umatilla River that is enjoyed by all

residents of the Umatilla Basin. We are aware that Hermiston

is working with the Oregon Department of Environmental

Quality and other resource protection agencies to minimize

negative impacts to the river and maximize the benefits of

the project. We also understand that the Oregon Department of

Environmental Quality has requested a priority pollutant scan

of the facility's effluent and that the new discharge

locations be characterized for toxic contaminants. We ask

that you share the results of those studies with the

Confederated Tribes so that we can advance our mutual

interest in better understanding the conditions of the

Umatilla River.

We understand that the City of Hermiston is also seeking to

obtain federal funding that might offset the costs of this

substantial project. We support the City's efforts and hope

your request will be successful.

While the new summer discharge to the West Extension

Irrigation District will result in a decrease in summer

Umatilla River flows, the Tribes are working with Umatilla

basin partners including the City of Hermiston to restore

Umatilla River stream flows to natural levels. The CTUIR

appreciates your consultation with us and looks forward to

the successful completion of the improvements to Hermiston's

waste water treatment plant.

Sincerely,

Antone C. Minthorn,

Chairman, Board of Trustees.

The final component of the project is the drought-resistant water delivery of recycled water to the diverse agriculture community in the west extension irrigation district. This water will supplement current allocations. We all know a little extra water in a dry climate can help our farmers and their crops in a big way.

The proposed project will comply with all applicable laws and regulations, and the city has already completed the required supporting environmental and biological assessments.

The Federal partnership in the local investment will be of enormous assistance as the project moves forward from drawing board to construction.

I thank you for your support and the opportunity to speak in favor of H.R. 2741, and I look forward to continuing to work with you and the city of Hermiston to ensure that this project of great importance becomes a reality.

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, April 27, 2010, at 3 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 745/H.R. 2265, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Magna Water District water reuse and groundwater recharge project, and for other purposes; S. 1138/H.R. 2442, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to expand the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program, and for other purposes; S. 1573/H.R. 2741, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the city of Hermiston, Oregon, water recycling and reuse project, and for other purposes; S. 3099, to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving the American Falls Reservoir; S. 3100, to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving the Little Wood River Ranch; H.R. 325, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Avra/Black Wash Reclamation and Riparian Restoration Project; H.R. 637, to authorize the Secretary, in cooperation with the City of San Juan Capistrano, California, to participate in the design, planning, and construction of an advanced water treatment plant facility and recycled water system, and for other purposes; H.R. 1120, To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Central Texas Water Recycling and Reuse Project, and for other purposes; H.R. 1219, to make amendments to the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992; H.R. 1393, to amend the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize additional projects and activities under that Act, and for other purposes; and H.R. 2522, to raise the ceiling on the Federal share of the cost of the Calleguas Municipal Water District Recycling Project, and for other purposes.

Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by email to [email protected] .gov.

For further information, please contact Tanya Trujillo at (202) 224- 5479 or Gina Weinstock at (202) 224-5684.

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

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 National Parks. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 5, 2010, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to review the National Park Service's implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by email to [email protected] .gov.

For further information, please contact David Brooks at (202) 224- 9863 or Allison Seyferth at (202) 224-4905.

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has scheduled a hearing entitled, ``Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: The Role of Credit Rating Agencies.'' This hearing will be the third in a series of Subcommittee hearings examining some of the causes and consequences of the recent financial crisis. This third hearing will focus on the role of credit rating agencies in the financial crisis, using as case histories the credit rating agencies of Standard and Poor's and Moody's. A witness list will be available Monday, April 19, 2010.

The Subcommittee hearing has been scheduled for Friday, April 23, 2010, at 9:30 a.m., in Room G-50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information, please contact Elise Bean of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations at 202-224-9505.

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has scheduled a hearing entitled, ``Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: The Role of Investment Banks.'' This hearing will be the fourth in a series of Subcommittee hearings examining some of the causes and consequences of the recent financial crisis. The fourth hearing will focus on the role of investment banks in the securitization of residential mortgage related products, and the development, marketing, and trading of residential mortgage related structured financial products such as collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and credit default swaps (CDS). The hearing will also review certain investment and trading activities of investment banks that involve residential mortgage based securities and related products. A witness list will be available Thursday, April 22, 2010.

The Subcommittee hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 27, 2010, at 11 a.m., in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information, please contact Elise Bean of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations at 202-224-9505.

committee on indian affairs

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2741) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the City of Hermiston, Oregon, water recycling and reuse project, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2741, introduced by our colleague, Representative Greg Walden, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Reclamation, to participate in the planning, the design, and the construction of the city of Hermiston water recycling and reuse project.

This legislation is a good example of how the Title 16 water recycling program can be used in a predominantly agriculture community to meet water quality standards, create a new water supply for irrigation, and help endangered species in the Umatilla River.

I ask my colleagues to support passage of this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time and would inquire of the minority whether they have any additional speakers.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise to support legislation offered by our colleague, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden). This bill authorizes limited Federal participation in a water recycling project for the city of Hermiston, Oregon. The goal of the bill is to help the city recycle wastewater, to provide extra water for endangered salmon, and deliver water for irrigated crops. It also helps the city meet unfunded Federal mandates.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden).

Mr. Speaker, we have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.