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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-06-13 - AGENDA REPORTS - FEDERAL LEGISLATION: HOUSE RESOLUTION 2116 (2)0 Agenda Item: 7 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA Q) AGENDA REPORT CONSENT CALENDAR CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: 1 P441) DATE: June 13, 2017 SUBJECT: FEDERAL LEGISLATION: HOUSE RESOLUTION 2116 DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office PRESENTER: Masis Hagobian RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council adopt the Legislative Committee's recommendation to support House Resolution 2116 (Knight) and transmit position statements to Representative Steve Knight; Senator Dianne Feinstein; Senator Kamala Harris; the House Subcommittee on Water, Power, and Oceans; and other Members of Congress and committees, as appropriate. BACKGROUND Authored by Congressman Steve Knight (R -25 -CA), House Resolution 2116 proposes to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in a series of water reclamation projects to provide a new water supply to communities previously impacted by perchlorate contamination plumes. It is estimated that more than half a dozen drinking -water wells in the Santa Clarita Valley have gone unused because they are contaminated with perchlorate, a potentially harmful chemical byproduct of munitions manufacturing. The contamination is believed to come from the Whittaker-Bermite site, where treatment for perchlorate contamination began in February 2016. House Resolution 2116 would provide grant opportunities to local agencies, authorizing the Bureau of Reclamation to fund new water supply programs to offset the loss of groundwater due to perchlorate contamination. Congressman Knight proposed similar legislation last year, House Resolution 4610 (2015-16), which was referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans on February 25, 2016, and no further action was taken on the bill. House Resolution 2116 was introduced in the House of Representatives on April 25, 2017, and referred to the House Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans on April 27, 2017. The City Council Legislative Committee met on May 19, 2017, and recommends that the City Page 1 PacketPg. 65 Council adopt a "support" position for House Resolution 2116. ALTERNATIVE ACTION 1. Adopt a "neutral" position on House Resolution 2116 2. Adopt an "oppose" position on House Resolution 2116 3. Take no action on House Resolution 2116 4. Refer House Resolution 2116 back to the Legislative Committee 5. Other action, as determined by the City Council FISCAL IMPACT The resources required to implement the recommended action are contained within the City of Santa Clarita's adopted 2016/17 budget. ATTACHMENTS House Resolution 2116 (Knight) Page 2 0 u6.cWETN ED INFORMAT10N0 CPO I 115TH CONGRESS H • R• 2116 IST SESSION 7.a To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in a series N of water reclamation projects to provide a new water supply to commu- o nities previously impacted by perchlorate contamination plumes. 0 0 w a w m 0 0 x IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES c Y APRIL 25, 2017 Mr. KNIGHT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources R w a w LL r f0 r A BILL To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Y Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of N the Interior to participate in a series of water reclama- c tion projects to provide a new water supply to commu- 0 nities previously impacted by perchlorate contamination plumes. 0 x 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- w 2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, E R Y Y 3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. a 4 This Act may be cited as the "Perchlorate Reclama- 5 tion and Water Replenishment Act" 2 1 SEC. 2. WATER PROJECTS FOR COMMUNITIES IMPACTED 2 BY PERCHLORATE CONTAMINATION PLUMES. 3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Reclamation Wastewater and 4 Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (Public Law 102- 5 5757 title XVI; 43 U.S.C. 390h et seq.) is amended by 6 adding at the end the following new section: 7 "SEC. 163 . PERCHLORATE WATER REPLENISHMENT 8 PROJECTS. 9 "(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 10 the Bureau of Reclamation, is authorized to provide finan- 11 cial assistance to local water authorities for projects asso- 12 ciated with perchlorate remediation efforts in eligible areas 13 to - 14 "(1) design and construct water replenishment 15 and reclamation projects that are owned and oper- 16 ated by the local water authority; or 17 "(2) to operate and maintain such projects. 18 "(b) ELIGIBLE AREA.—The term `eligible area' 19 means an area that has been identified by the Bureau of 20 Reclamation, the Army Corps of Engineers, or a State 21 designating agency as having experienced an impact from 22 perchlorate contamination. 23 "(c) ELIGIBLE PROJECT.—The term `eligible project' 24 means a project that enhances the resilience of domestic 25 water supplies through one or more of the following: 26 "(1) Onsite and offsite treatment facilities. -HR 2116 IH 7.a acket Pg. 68 7.a 3 1 "(2) Onsite and offsite reclamation facilities. 2 "(3) Recycled water facilities and associated 3 distribution facilities. 4 "(4) Groundwater wells and associated distribu- 5 tion facilities. 6 "(d) PRIORITY PROJECTS.—The Secretary shall give 7 priority to eligible projects that serve an eligible area - 8 "(1) that has received Federal authorization for 9 projects associated with perchlorate contamination 10 remediation programs under the Bureau of Reclama- 11 tion or the Army Corps of Engineers; 12 "(2) for which a feasibility study for perchlorate 13 remediation efforts that is acceptable to the Bureau 14 of Reclamation or the Army Corps of Engineers has 15 been completed; or 16 "(3) where the regional water agency that im- 17 ports out -of -basin water supplies has a wholesale 18 area that includes a population of not more than 19 3507000. 20 "(e) COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT.—The Federal 21 share of the cost of a project described in subsection (a) 22 shall not exceed 25 percent of the total cost of the project. 23 "(f) COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAw.—Activi- 24 ties undertaken for projects funded under this section 25 shall comply with any applicable Federal and State laws. •HR 2116 IH 7.a 4 1 "(g) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER ACTIVITIES.—Noth- 2 ing in this section shall be construed to affect other Fed - 3 eral and State authorities that are being used or may be 4 used to facilitate the cleanup and protection of ground 5 water basins. Activities undertaken for projects funded 6 under this section shall be integrated with ongoing Federal 7 and State projects to the extent practicable.". 8 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec - 9 tions in section 2 of Public Law 102-575 is amended by 10 inserting after the last item relating to title XVI the fol - 11 lowing: 11163 . Perchlorate Water Replenishment Projects.". O -HR 2116 IH Packet Pg. 70