Hill Heat

The House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water and Power, led by Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), will meet in an open markup session of the following bills: H.R. 487 (Herseth), “Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Amendments Act of 2007,” to amend the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Act to provide compensation to members of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe for damage resulting from the Oahe Dam and Reservoir Project, and for other purposes. H.R. 1114 (Young), “Alaska Water Resources Act of 2007,” to require the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey, to conduct a study on groundwater resources in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes. H.R. 1140 (Calvert), “South Orange County Recycled Water Enhancement Act,” 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. 1337 (Cole), To provide for a feasibility study of alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served by the District. H.R. 1662 (Napolitano), To amend the Reclamation Safety of Dams Act of 1978 to authorize improvements for the security of dams and other facilities.

Action: The Subcommittee on Water and Power met in open markup session on Thursday, April 19, 2007, and considered the following bills: H.R. 487 (Herseth) To amend the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Act to provide compensation to members of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe for damage resulting from the Oahe Dam and Reservoir Project, and for other purposes, the “Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Amendments Act of 2007.”

Forwarded to Full Committee by unanimous consent.

H.R. 1114 (Young) To require the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey, to conduct a study on groundwater resources in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes, the “Alaska Water Resources Act of 2007.”

Forwarded to Full Committee by unanimous consent.

H.R. 1140 (Calvert) 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, the “South Orange County Recycled Water Enhancement Act.”

Forwarded to Full Committee by unanimous consent.

H.R. 1337 (Cole) To provide for a feasibility study of alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served by the District.

Forwarded to Full Committee by unanimous consent.

H.R. 1662 (Napolitano) To amend the Reclamation Safety of Dams Act of 1978 to authorize improvements for the security of dams and other facilities.

Forwarded to Full Committee by unanimous consent.

Proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Department of Energy.

The House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans, led by Del. Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU), will hold an oversight hearing on “Wildlife and Oceans in a Changing Climate.” Witnesses: Panel 1 William McKibben, Author and Scholar in Residence, Middlebury College Joshua J. Lawler, Ph.D., College of Forest Resources, University of Washington Terry Root, Ph.D., Center for Environmental Science and Policy, Stanford University Monica Medina, Acting Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, United States Office J. Christopher Haney, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, Defenders of Wildlife

Panel 2 C. Mark Eakin, Ph.D., Coordinator, NOAA Coral Reef Watch, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Satellite Oceanography & Climate Ken Caldeira, Ph.D., Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution of Washington Joanie Kleypas, Ph.D., Institute for the Study of Society and Environment, National Center for Atmospheric Research Dr. Gary Sharp John Everett, Ph.D., Ocean Associates, Inc.

S.731, to develop a methodology for, and complete, a national assessment of geological storage capacity for carbon dioxide, and S.962, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to reauthorize and improve the carbon capture and storage research, development, and demonstration program of the Department of Energy.

The Committee will meet in OPEN SESSION to conduct a hearing on “An Examination of the Availability and Affordability of Property and Casualty Insurance in the Gulf Coast and Other Coastal Regions”.

Witnesses

Panel I

• Charlie Crist, Governor of Florida
• Bill Nelson (D-FL), United States Senator

Panel II

• Dr. Edward Lazear, Chairman, Council of Economic Advisors

Oversight field hearing on “Sustainable Water Supplies for the West: Part 1 – Protecting Groundwater Resources”.

Kellogg West Conference Center, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Witnesses

Panel I Overview of Regional Perchlorate Contamination and Regional Water Supply Outlook

• Joe Baca, Jr., Councilman, City of Rialto, CA
• Celeste Cantu’, Executive Director, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, Riverside, CA
• Robert DeLoach, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, Cucamonga Valley Water District, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
• Penny Newman, Executive Director, Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, Riverside, CA
• Phil Wyels, Assistant Chief Counsel State Water Resources Control Board, Sacramento, CA

Panel II Local Water Supply Impacts from Perchlorate; Options for Treatment; and Long-Term Outlook for the Water Supply

• Brad Coffey, Water Treatment Section Manager, Metropolitan Water District, Los Angeles, CA
• Anthony W. Araiza, General Manager-Secretary, West Valley Water District, Rialto, CA
• Bob Martin, General Manager, East Valley Water District, Highland, CA
• Michael Whitehead, Board Member, San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority, West Covina, CA