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Environment

As a member of the Committee on Natural Resources, I have the opportunity to protect one of the most treasured jewels of America, our land.  The committee oversees the natural and historic heritage of our National Parks and forests including our oceans and wilderness areas.  Here, we oversee the Department of the Interior.  It is our responsibility to critically analyze how the administration protects our prize possession and when the administration falters in its responsibility, the Natural Resources Committee forces positive change...a change that will benefit you and your families.

The Committee on Natural Resources has the exclusive jurisdiction on Native American issues.  Here, I focus on Native American sovereignty, health and public safety issues.  I am dedicated to help preserve Native American traditions and customs because doing so protects the American culture that is rich with diversity.

In addition, I have the unique opportunity to serve on the Subcommittee on Water & Power, where I can make sure that the unique needs of our district are considered and protected.  This subcommittee focuses on water resources development, including irrigation and water recycling projects and the Bureau of Reclamation, among other areas.  Here, I get to take care of two major priorities for constituents of the 43rd District.  First, I ensure that residents have access to water that is safe to drink and second, I fight to guarantee that we maintain an adequate water supply for our growing population despite projected droughts due to severe weather.

Some of the accomplishments for the Committee on Natural Resources during this first session of the 111th Congress include:

  • Numerous oversight hearings of the Department of the Interior;
  • Hearings to address energy development on federal lands and offshore waters to include supporting Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in his evaluation of the Royalty-in-Kind (RIK) program;
  • Legislative victories for the committee in the form of passing legislation addressing wilderness land designations, historic areas, Western water concerns, and Native American tribal recognitions, among others;
  • Passage of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 [Public Law 111-11] – historic legislation that combines over 160 widely supported individual measures – introduced in the previous session of Congress by both Democrats and Republicans in both chambers of the Congress. Among its many provisions, the bill designates more than two million acres as wilderness and adds 1,000 miles of rivers to the wild and scenic river system;

As a Member of this committee, I will continue to protect our treasured resources during the second half of the 111th.

Water

The world water crisis is one of the largest public health issues of our time. Nearly 1.1 billion people (roughly 20% of the world's population) lack access to safe drinking water. Ensuring clean, safe drinking water is a top priority of mine in Congress, as is working to find realistic solutions to the drought cycle that plagues California and many of our western states. Access to clean and plentiful water is a right all families deserve. I will continue to ensure all residents of the Inland Empire have access to safe drinking water. Below are a few key water initiatives that I have supported:

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:

  • Funding Critical Water Infrastructure Projects – I supported the Recovery Act, which provides significant funding for states to finance high priority infrastructure projects needed to ensure clean water and safe drinking water. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund program, in place since 1987, received $4 billion, including funds for Water Quality Management Planning Grants. The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program, in place since 1997, received $2 billion.
  • Funding for Tribal Water Projects - A total of $215 million in Recovery Act water infrastructure investments through the Bureau of Reclamation will provide a direct or indirect benefit to multiple tribal water users.
  • Funding for Rural Water Projects - In response to the water crisis, across the West, Reclamation will spend $200 million on construction of rural water projects for tribal and non-tribal rural water system construction with an emphasis on water intakes and water treatment plants.
  • Funding for California Water Projects - $134.3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funding was designated for water recycling and reuse projects in the West. California water agencies received $131.8 million of this funding.

Funding for Regional Water Projects:

This Congress, I worked with my colleagues in the Inland delegation to secure critical federal appropriation funding for necessary regional water projects. Projects that I secured funding for include:

  • $1 Million to the Western Municipal Water District for the Riverside-Corona Feeder project to capture and store water. [requested in conjunction with Rep. Ken Calvert]
  • $1 Million to the City of San Bernardino Municipal Water Department for the establishment of the San Bernardino Basin Clean Water Factory. [requested in conjunction with Rep. Jerry Lewis]
  • $1 Million to the Hi Desert Water District for the Wastewater Collection and Reuse Project. [requested in conjunction with Rep. Jerry Lewis]
  • $672,000 to the Western Municipal Water District for the Seven Oaks Water Conservation Project. [requested in conjunction with Reps. Jerry Lewis and Ken Calvert]
  • $39,000 for the Prado Basin Ecosystem Restoration Project on the Santa Ana River.

Perchlorate:

The water contaminate, perchlorate, is still a huge issue in the Inland Empire. I have regularly obtained federal funding to help with water treatment, and have hosted numerous meetings to bring major players to the table to come up with a viable solution that will benefit all affected cities.

This Congress, I secured $1.6 Million for the treatment of perchlorate contaminated wells in the cities of Rialto and Colton, and for the West Valley Water District and the Fontana Water Company. I also sponsored the Inland Empire Perchlorate Ground Water Plume Assessment Act of 2009 (H.R. 4252), legislation to direct the Secretary of the Interior to have the USGS conduct a study of water resources and perchlorate contamination in the Inland Empire. A hearing in the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power was held to examine the bill – which may soon pass out of the Committee process.

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