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Wednesday, May 7, 2003
US Bill Will Tighten Security At Water Treatment Plants
WASHINGTON (AP)--The House passed a bill Wednesday that would authorize $200 million in grants for wastewater treatment plants to improve security against terrorist attacks.
The bill, which passed by a 413-2 vote, would make the money
available for
water treatment plants to assess their vulnerabilities and adjust security if
needed. The U.S.'s 16,000 publicly owned wastewater treatment plants would be
eligible to apply for the grants.
The bill also authorizes $15 million to help small publicly owned water
treatment plants pay for technical assistance.
Congress still would have to appropriate funds authorized under the bill.
Republicans Jeff Flake of Arizona and Ron Paul of Texas voted against the
bill, sponsored by House Transportation Committee Chairman Don Young, R-Alaska,
and Rep. James Oberstar of Minnesota, the committee's senior Democrat.
A similar bill passed the House last year but died awaiting Senate action.
The Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies, a trade group representing
nearly 300 of the U.S.'s public wastewater utilities, said it welcomed passage
and was hopeful a companion bill would be introduced soon in the Senate by Sen.
James Inhofe, R-Okla., who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee.
The bill is H.R. 866