[House Report 107-492]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
107th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 107-492
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COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE RATHDRUM PRAIRIE SPOKANE VALLEY AQUIFER
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June 5, 2002.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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Mr. Hansen, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 4609]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(H.R. 4609) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct
a comprehensive study of the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley
Aquifer, located in Idaho and Washington, having considered the
same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend
that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 4609 is to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a comprehensive study of the Rathdrum
Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer, located in Idaho and
Washington.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
About one third of the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley
Aquifer lies under Spokane County, Washington, and the
remaining two thirds lies under Kootenai County, Idaho. Even
though the two States share the aquifer, they manage the
resource differently. For example, requests for new water
permits are treated differently in the two States. It takes up
to 10 years for permit consideration in Washington while a
similar permit in Idaho would be considered within months.
This legislation will provide authorization for the funding
of tools to better coordinate and understand the various
factors that influence the quantity and quality of the aquifer.
The information gathered and the modeling capability will help
provide better management of this shared resource.
This legislation directs the Secretary of the Interior to
work with the State of Idaho and the State of Washington to
conduct a comprehensive study of the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane
Valley Aquifer by preparing a groundwater model to help
establish a mutually acceptable understanding of the aquifer as
a ground water resource.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 4609 was introduced on April 25, 2002, by Congressman
George Nethercutt (R-WA). The bill was referred to the
Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on Water and Power. On May 22, 2002, the Full
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee
on Water and Power was discharged from further consideration of
the bill by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered and
the bill was ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by unanimous consent.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Resources' oversight findings and recommendations
are reflected in the body of this report.
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT
Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United
States grants Congress the authority to enact this bill.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII
1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B)
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2)
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this
bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures.
3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or
objective of this bill is to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a comprehensive study of the Rathdrum
Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer, located in Idaho and
Washington.
4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause
3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives and section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate
for this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, May 31, 2002.
Hon. James V. Hansen,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 4609, a bill to
direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a comprehensive
study of the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer, located
in Idaho and Washington.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Julie
Middleton.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
H.R. 4609--A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
comprehensive study of the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley
Aquifer, located in Idaho and Washington
H.R. 4609 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct a study in conjunction with the states of Idaho and
Washington of the Rathdrum Prairie/Spokane Valley Aquifer, a
groundwater source for both states. This bill would authorize
the appropriation of funds to develop a model of the aquifer so
that the resource could be better managed.
Based on information from the Bureau of Reclamation, CBO
estimates that implementing H.R. 4609 would cost $3.5 million
over the 2003-2005 period, assuming the availability of
appropriated funds. H.R. 4609 would not affect direct spending
or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not
apply. H.R. 4609 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 Julie Middleton.
This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or
tribal law.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.