[Senate Report 109-159]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 255
109th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 109-159
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TO AMEND THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1996 TO MODIFY THE
GRANT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE SANITATION IN RURAL AND NATIVE VILLAGES IN THE
STATE OF ALASKA
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October 24, 2005.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Inhofe, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 1409]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was
referred a bill (S. 1409) to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act
Amendments of 1996, to modify the grant program to improve
sanitation in rural and Native villages in the State of Alaska,
having considered the same reports favorably thereon with an
amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
General Statement and Background
The water and sewer conditions in many Alaskan Native
villages rival the condition in rural communities in Third
World countries. Residents throughout many villages in Alaska
have to go to a central source, usually a well, to get fresh
water. Without adequate sewer systems, residents must dump raw
sewage, which contaminates the fresh groundwater. While Section
303 of the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 has
provided many communities with plumbing, nearly 33 percent of
rural Alaskan homes are still without indoor plumbing. The
program was authorized for $40 million per year for fiscal
years 2001 through 2005. The program received $35 million in
fiscal year 2001, $40 million in fiscal year 2002, $43 million
in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 and $45 million in fiscal year
2005. S. 1409 reauthorizes Section 303 of the Safe Drinking
Water Act Amendments by authorizing $45 million each year for
fiscal years 2006 through 2010. S. 1409 places certain
conditions upon the grant of funds to ensure that the goals of
the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 are met.
Objectives of the Legislation
To amend Section 303 of the Safe Drinking Water Act
Amendments of 1996 to improve sanitation in rural and Native
villages in the State of Alaska.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Grants to Alaska to improve sanitation in rural and native
villages.
Summary
S. 1409 requires that each applicant clearly identify the
scope and the goal of the project, and declare how the funds
will be used to meet the specific stated goals of the project.
It further requires the State of Alaska to establish long-term
goals for the program, including providing water and sewer
systems to Alaska Native villages and carry out regular reviews
of the approved applicants to determine if the stated scope and
goals of each grant are met. The bill also requires the State
of Alaska to submit a report to the Environmental Protection
Agency, describing the specific goals of each project; how the
funds were used to meet the goal; and whether the goals of the
project were met. It instructs the Environmental Protection
Agency to recommend to the State of Alaska ways to correct any
deficiencies identified in the report. It also reauthorizes the
program at $45 million per year for fiscal years 2006 through
2010.
Discussion
Each year the Indian Health Service conducts a survey, the
Sanitation Deficiency System Update which assesses the needs of
rural Alaska villages. The 2005 SDS found that the estimated
total need for these communities is $559 million. According to
the State of Alaska, approximately 77 percent of rural Alaska
homes have piped or community haul service and approximately 55
percent of rural Alaska communities are served by pipes or
community haul systems. Separately, the Office of Management
Budget (OMB) recently raised concerns about the management of
the Alaska Native Villages program by the State of Alaska and
the Environmental Protection Agency. OMB found that the program
did not have good performance data nor had it demonstrated
progress in achieving its long-term goals. OMB also found that
EPA does not collect timely and credible performance
information and because it does not collect such information,
cannot improve the programs performance. The committee included
several new accountability measures to ensure that the funds in
this program are efficiently spent to meet the needs of these
Alaska Native Villagers.
Legislative History
On July 14, 2005, Senator Murkowski introduced S. 1409,
which was received, read twice and referred to the Committee on
Environment and Public Works. The committee met on July 20,
2005 to consider the bill. S. 1409, as amended, was ordered
favorably reported by the committee.
Hearings
No committee hearings were held on this bill.
Rollcall Votes
The Committee on Environment and Public Works met to
consider S. 1409 on July 20, 2005. A substitute amendment
offered by Senators Inhofe and Jeffords was accepted by
unanimous consent. The bill was ordered reported favorably by
voice vote. No roll call votes were taken.
Regulatory Impact Statement
In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee makes evaluation of
the regulatory impact of the reported bill. The bill does not
create any additional regulatory burdens, nor will it cause any
adverse impact on the personal privacy of individuals.
Mandates Assessment
In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
(Public Law 104-4), the committee makes the following
evaluation of the Federal mandates contained in the reported
bill. S. 1409 imposes no Federal intergovernmental mandates on
State, local, or tribal governments.
Cost of Legislation
Section 403 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment
Control Act requires that a statement of the cost of the
reported bill, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, be
included in the report. That statement follows:
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S. 1409, A bill to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996
to modify the grant program to improve sanitation in rural and
Native villages in the state of Alaska, As ordered reported by
the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on July
20, 2005
Summary
S. 1409 would amend the grant program for rural and Native
Alaskan villages as provided under the Safe Drinking Water Act
Amendments of 1996. Current law authorize the appropriation of
$40 million each year through 2005 for the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to provide grants to the state of
Alaska to improve sanitation in rural and Native Alaskan
villages. S. 1409 would increase and extend this authority to
$45 million annually through 2010. (That level is equal to the
amount appropriated for the program in 2005.)
EPA would use the funds to provide grants to improve public
water and wastewater systems and establish educational programs
for the management of sanitation services in Alaska. CBO
estimates that implementing S. 1409 would cost $192 million
over the 2006-2010 period, assuming appropriation of the
authorized amounts.
Enacting this bill would not affect direct spending or
receipts. S. 1409 contains no intergovernmental or new private-
sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
(UMRA). The bill would benefit local and tribal governments
within the state of Alaska; any costs they incur would result
from complying with conditions for receiving federal
assistance.
Estimated Cost to the Federal Government
The estimated budgetary impact of S. 1409 is shown in the
following table. The costs of this legislation fall within
budget function 300 (natural resources and environment). For
this estimate, CBO assumes the full amounts authorized will be
appropriated each year, and that spending will follow
historical costs for this program.
By Fiscal Year, in Millions of Dollars
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2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
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SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Spending Under Current Law for Rural and Native Alaskan Drinking
Water Grants...................................................
Budget Authority\1\......................................... 45 0 0 0 0 0
Estimated Outlays........................................... 44 22 9 2 0 0
Proposed Changes................................................
Authorization Level......................................... 0 45 45 45 45 45
Estimated Outlays........................................... 0 23 36 43 45 45
Spending Under S. 1409 for Rural and Native Alaskan Drinking
Water Grants...................................................
Authorization Level\1\...................................... 45 45 45 45 45 45
Estimated Outlays........................................... 44 45 45 45 45 45
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\1\The 2005 level is the amount appropriated that year to EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of
1996 for grants to improve sanitation in rural and Native Alaskan villages.
Intergovernmental and Private-Sector Impact
S. 1409 contains no intergovernmental or new private-sector
mandates as defined in UMRA. The bill would benefit local and
tribal governments within the state of Alaska by authorizing
grants to improve sanitation in rural communities and Native
villages. Any costs they incur, including matching funds, would
result from complying with conditions for receiving federal
assistance.
Estimate Prepared By: Federal Costs: Susanne Mehlman and
Jimin Chung; Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments:
Lisa Ramirez-Branum; Impact on the Private Sector: Alicia
Handy.
Estimate Approved By: Peter Fontaine, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill
as reported are shown as follows: Existing law proposed to be
omitted is enclosed in [black brackets], new matter is printed
in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown
in roman:
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[33 U.S.C. 1263A]
TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS
CHAPTER 26--WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL
Subchapter I--Research and Related Programs
SEC. 1263A. GRANTS TO ALASKA TO IMPROVE SANITATION IN RURAL AND NATIVE
VILLAGES
(a) In general.--The Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency may make grants to the State of Alaska for
the benefit of rural and Native villages in Alaska to pay the
Federal share of the cost of--
(1) the development and construction of public
water systems and wastewater systems to improve the
health and sanitation conditions in the villages; and
(2) training, technical assistance, and educational
programs relating to the operation and management of
sanitation services in rural and Native villages.
(b) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of the
activities described in subsection (a) of this section shall be
50 percent.
(c) Administrative expenses.--The State of Alaska may use
an amount not to exceed 4 percent of any grant made available
under this subsection for administrative expenses necessary to
carry out the activities described in subsection (a) of this
section.
(d) Consultation with State of Alaska.--The Administrator
shall consult with the State of Alaska on a method of
prioritizing the allocation of grants under subsection (a) of
this section according to the needs of, and relative health and
sanitation conditions in, each eligible village.
(e) Requirements.--As a condition of receiving a grant
under this section, the State of Alaska shall--
(1) require each applicant to clearly identify the
scope and the goal of the project for which funding is
sought and how the funds will be used to meet the
specific, stated goal of the project;
(2) establish long-term goals for the program,
including providing water and sewer systems to Alaska
Native villages; and
(3) carry out regular reviews of grantees to
determine if the stated scope and goals of each grant
are being met.
(f) Reporting.--The State of Alaska shall submit to the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency a report
describing the information obtained under subsection (e),
including--
(1) the specific goals of each project;
(2) how funds were used to meet the goal; and
(3) whether the goals were met.
(g) Recommendation.--The Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency shall recommend to the State of Alaska means
by which the State of Alaska can address any deficiencies
identified in the report under subsection (f).
[(e)] (h) Authorization of appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
[$40,000,000] $45,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through
[2005] 2010.
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