DORGAN SAYS HE'LL PUSH FOR FEDERAL FUNDING TO MOVE QUICKLY ON 'REASONABLE COMPROMISE' ON NAWS

Senator chairs appropriations panel that funds nation's water projects

Monday, December 8, 2008

CONTACT: Justin Kitsch
or  Brenden Timpe
PHONE: 202-224-2551

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) --- U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) said the decision by the Department of Interior on the Northwest Area Water Supply (NAWS) project is a solution that will work and one that he hopes will unlock the opportunity to continue building the NAWS project. He said he’ll use his position as Chairman of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee to make sure the effort has sufficient funding to move quickly to deliver a safe, reliable water supply to North Dakota families.

The Department of Interior released an environmental impact statement Friday calling for construction of a $17.5 million water treatment plant to treat water from Lake Sakakawea before it enters the pipe to be delivered to residents of northwestern North Dakota. The Department said the plan will ensure the project can move forward while protecting the environment.

Since taking over the chairmanship of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, Dorgan has significantly boosted funding for NAWS – allowing construction of the necessary infrastructure to move forward even as the state waits for bureaucratic and legal hurdles to be cleared. He secured $9.84 million in federal funding in last year’s appropriations process, and has included another $8 million in this year’s bill, which is pending.

“The decision to build a water treatment plant for $17.5 million is a reasonable compromise that will provide all the protections that are necessary to make sure our country meets the requirements of the Boundary Waters Treaty with Canada,” Dorgan said.

“This project is a part of what the federal government promised when it asked North Dakota if it would accept a permanent flood behind the Garrison Dam. It’s my hope that this environmental impact statement will allow us to move forward with construction so North Dakotans can finally see that promise fulfilled. A safe, reliable supply of water is one of the most critical investments we can make in the future of our state.”

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