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Wastewater and dam security, transit funding bills head to
markup
HOMELAND SECURITY/WATER RESOURCES
E&E Daily
07/24/2002
Darren Samuelsohn and J.L. Laws, Environment & Energy Daily staff writers
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday will mark
up a series of bills that deal with wastewater security, public transportation
funding and dam safety.
The so-called Wastewater Treatment Works Security Act (H.R. 5169) is expected to
see smooth sailing through the committee, according to a panel spokesman. The
bill authorizes $200 million in grants to the Environmental Protection Agency
for vulnerability assessments and security enhancements at publicly owned
treatment facilities. The bill's cosponsors include Committee Chairman Don Young
(R-Alaska), Committee ranking member James Oberstar (D-Minn.), Water Resources
and Environment Subcommittee Chairman John Duncan (R-Tenn.) and Subcommittee
ranking member Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.).
H.R. 5169 also would provide $15 million in technical assistance on security
measures to small, publicly owned treatment works and $5 million to guide
improvements in vulnerability self-assessment methodologies and tools.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, most vulnerability assessment attention has focused
on drinking water utilities. Congress appropriated $90 million in the FY '01
emergency supplemental (P.L. 107-117) while the bioterrorism legislation (P.L.
107-188) signed earlier this year by President Bush authorized another $160
million for FY '02 and beyond.
The Senate had sought to include the wastewater security items in the
bioterrorism legislation. House conferees, however, rejected the request and the
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee vowed to move legislation
separately.
Despite the great amount of security planning underway or complete, a
Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee hearing in October still revealed
wastewater infrastructure vulnerabilities had not received much attention,
particularly as sewer pipes serve as a potential means of access to almost all
public buildings. Treatment plant failures, the committee found, could lead to
significant environment and public health effects.
Adam Krantz, a spokesman for the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies,
said his organization is a backer of H.R. 5169. "We are very supportive of this
bill," he said. "We believe it is an important part of making our critical
infrastructure more secure and hope it passes quickly through the committee and
ultimately both bodies."
Dam safety bill clears subcommittee markup
Clearing the way for Wednesday's committee action, the House Transportation and
Infrastructure Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
Subcommittee signed of Monday on H.R. 4727, a bill to reauthorize the national
dam safety program.
The bill, from Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), would require the director of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency to prepare a strategic plan to establish
national goals, priorities and target dates to improve dam safety. Language also
calls for cooperation and coordination with state government departments.
The FEMA director would also be required to assist states in their dam safety
programs and establish a review board to monitor state implementation of new
procedures. Federal and state agency representatives would be allowed to
participate in board meetings as nonvoting members.
Big picture, FEMA is among a number of government agencies that would be folded
into the new Department of Homeland Security under the Bush administration's
legislative proposal, as well as language adopted by House and Senate leaders.
Also involved in hydropower security is the Army Corp of Engineers, which
estimated that it will spend $65 million out of its FY '02 budget on guards and
law enforcement, with all of those funds coming out of the agency's operations
and maintenance account. Following the Sept. 11 attacks, the corps asked the
White House Office of Management and Budget for $268 million for additional
infrastructure security needs through the FY '01 emergency supplemental.
Congress ultimately approved $139 million.
Community transit bill aims to ease growing pains
The committee will also mark up H.R. 5157, the Transit Operating Flexibility
Act, introduced earlier this month by Young to ensure some communities that
crossed the 200,000-population threshold under the latest census can still use
certain federal funds for transit expenses through FY '03.
Under federal law, communities with more than 200,000 people cannot use certain
federal grants to pay for transit operating expenses. Young argues the law could
force several communities that didn't anticipate the change to shut down their
transit services. By giving such communities another year to use matching
federal transit grants for operating expenses for another year, they'll have a
chance to adjust to their new urban status -- by planning not to use the federal
grants for operating expenses after FY '03 -- without interrupting their transit
services, Young said.
The bill does not change the amount of money affected communities would receive
through the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century's federal transit
grant program in FY '03, Young said.
Schedule: The markup is at 11 a.m., Wednesday, July 24, in 2167 Rayburn.