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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Bob Carretta
October
6, 2004
PHONE: 202.225.1986
House sends Calvert’s H.R. 2828 CALFED Bill to President
Today the House of Representatives
passed H.R. 2828, also known as CALFED, the Water Supply,
Reliability, and Environmental Improvement Act.
“This bill will help
California develop a reliable and independent water
supply for the 21st century.” Said Calvert, who introduced
the bill in July 2003. “I have worked closely with Senator Feinstein
to bring this bill through the House and Senate and to the President’s
desk. We could not have gotten where we are today without her help and
the willingness of all of California’s water stakeholders to work
together to meet our state’s water needs.”
Calvert, who chairs the House Resources
Subcommittee on Water and Power is known for his success in advancing
innovative legislation to wean California
from its reliance on out of state water suppliers. His leadership has
enabled bills dealing with desalinization, groundwater reclamation,
and storage to clear the House in the 108th Congress.
CALFED is his most ambitious legislation to date. The bill encompasses
a ten year Record of Decision
Passage of the bill brought immediate
praise from leaders in California and the
Bush administration.
Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger said "Water & Power Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert
and Ranking Member Grace Napolitano of the Water & Power Subcommittee
played key roles in crafting this bill and should be praised for their
tireless efforts."
Department of the
Interior Secretary Gale Norton remarked,
"I commend Chairman Calvert for his accomplishment in
working to pass this important piece of legislation. CALFED has
played an important role in expanding the water system and improving
the environment in California. CALFED is a model of collaboration and
conservation from which the rest of the West can learn as we struggle
with unmet needs and ever-growing
demands."
The CALFED Bay-Delta Program was
established in 1994 to improve
California’s water supply while protecting the environment. It is a
joint federal-state program designed to balance the various demands
for California's limited water supply. CALFED is charged with ensuring
that water is available for urban and rural uses as well as for
environmental protection. It also encompasses a complex infrastructure
to store, convey and improve the quality California’s water. The
federal authorization for the program expired in 2000 and federal
funding since its expiration has been minimal. H.R. 2828 includes two
Titles, and has a four year authorization for appropriations that
total $395 million.
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