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WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pete Domenici today
announced that he has introduced legislation designed to
facilitate the title transfer of Bureau of Reclamation water
facilities, a reform that could reduce management costs for the
Bureau and project beneficiaries.
The Reclamation Facility Title Transfer Act of 2006 would
build on existing Bureau guidelines to transfer titles to some
of its facilities. The measure was introduced Thursday by
Domenici, and is cosponsored by Senator Jeff Bingaman.
Domenici and Bingaman are, respectively, chairman and ranking
member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
“I have become increasingly concerned that Reclamation lacks
adequate resources to fulfill its current mission, particularly
in light of increasing non-reimbursable expenditures required
for operations, maintenance, and rehabilitation of Reclamation
facilities. For this reason, we need to investigate
opportunities, including title transfers, to make more money
available to Reclamation,” Domenici said. “While
Reclamation currently has an administrative process for
determining which uncomplicated transfers should be pursued by
Congress, it is my belief that the process is not as aggressive
or comprehensive as it should be.”
“Transferring title of Reclamation facilities to water users
can be a very complicated process. This bill will provide
clarity to the title transferring process and a sound basis for
transfers to be negotiated,” Bingaman said.
The bill would:
- Direct the Secretary of the Interior to
promulgate criteria for the transfer of title to Reclamation
facilities and lands, including multi-purpose and
multi-beneficiary projects; and,
- Direct the Secretary of the Interior to
undertake a study to identify which Reclamation facilities may
be appropriate for transfer.
The Bureau currently owns 673 facilities that are part of 178
major projects. These include facilities constructed for
the storage, diversion, distribution, or conveyance of water.
Communities, organizations and others who benefit from a
Reclamation project frequently claim that Reclamation services
passed on to customers are far more expensive than comparable
services in the private sector, and that Reclamation ownership
of these facilities imposes an unnecessary administrative burden
on project beneficiaries.
Many project beneficiaries who have fulfilled their construction
repayment obligations would like to pursue the transfer of title
to Reclamation facilities and land.
Domenici said that in addition to benefiting project
beneficiaries, transfer of title to Reclamation facilities would
also divest the federal government of the liability, operation,
maintenance, management and regulation associated with these
facilities.
“In its framework for transfer of title to Reclamation
facilities, Reclamation acknowledged its commitment to a Federal
Government that ‘works better and costs less.’ I
believe that pursuing title transfers on a widespread basis is
consistent with this policy,” Domenici said.
Since its creation in 1902, the Bureau’s responsibilities have
shifted from planning, designing and construction of large water
projects to primarily managing existing projects. As a
result, federal appropriations for the Bureau have declined
over the past 40 years.
Domenici is also chairman of the Senate Energy and Water
Development Appropriations Subcommittee that has funding
jurisdiction over the Bureau.
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