[Senate Report 110-487]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 1058
110th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 110-487
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CLIMATE CHANGE DRINKING WATER ADAPTATION RESEARCH ACT
_______
September 24 (legislative day, September 17), 2008.--Ordered to be
printed
_______
Mrs. Boxer, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 2970]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was
referred a bill (S. 2970) to enhance the ability of drinking
water utilities in the United States to develop and implement
climate change adaptation programs and policies, and for other
purposes, reports, favorably thereon, and recommends that the
bill do pass.
PURPOSES OF THE LEGISLATION
S. 2970, the Climate Change Drinking Water Adaptation
Research Act, would require the Environmental Protection
Agency, in consultation with the Departments of Commerce,
Energy, and Interior, to establish a research program to assist
suppliers of drinking water in adapting to the effects of
climate change.
GENERAL STATEMENT AND BACKGROUND
According to scientific experts including the U.S. Climate
Change Science Program conclude that climate change threatens
our water supplies due to a variety of hydrologic cycle
changes, including increasingly severe extreme weather events,
decreased snow pack, decreased runoff, and increased saltwater
intrusion. According to a report from the U.S. Climate Change
Science Program under President Bush, ``likely reductions in
snowmelt, river flows, and groundwater levels, along with
increases in saline intrusion into coastal rivers and
groundwater, will reduce fresh water supplies.''\1\ S. 2970
provides for a 10-year research program on water supply impacts
and adaptation strategies.
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\1\U.S. Climate Change Science Program, ``Analyses of the effects
of global change on human health and welfare and human systems,''
Executive Summary, p. 8, http://downloads.climatescience.gov/sap/sap4-
6/sap4-6-final-all.pdf.
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SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. Short title
Section 1 would provide that the Act may be cited as the
``Climate Change Drinking Water Adaptation Research Act.''
Section 2. Findings
The central findings of the Act are: (1) the consensus
among climate scientists is overwhelming that climate change is
occurring more rapidly than can be occurred to natural causes,
and significant impacts to the water supply are already
occurring, (2) among the first and most critical of those
impacts will be change to patterns of precipitation around the
world, which will affect water availability for the most basic
drinking water and domestic water needs of populations in many
areas of the United States, and supplying water is highly
energy-intensive and will become more so and energy production
consumes a significant percentage of the fresh water resources
of the United States. Additional findings highlight the
worldwide extent of the problem, the relationships between
water use and production and energy use and production, the
usefulness and findings of ongoing studies by research
institutions and foundations, and the need for water utilities
to prepare for a wider range of possibilities in managing and
delivering water.
Section 3. Research on the effects of climate change on drinking water
utilities
The Environmental Protection Agency, in cooperation with
the Departments of Commerce, Energy, and Interior, shall
establish and provide funding for a research program to be
conducted through a nonprofit water research foundation, to
assist suppliers of drinking water in adapting to the effects
of climate change. Water utilities are also expected to sponsor
such research working with such a nonprofit foundation. It is
expected that the federally-funded research plans will be
developed through an open public process involving drinking
water utilities, government experts, and others.
Areas of research shall include:
(1) Water quality impacts and solutions, including
pathogens and algae and mitigating increasing damage to
watersheds and water quality from extreme events, such
as wildfire and hurricanes;
(2) Impacts on ground water supply from carbon
sequestration;
(3) Water quantity impacts and solutions, including
hydrological basin research, improvement of regional
climate change models, and improved aboveground and
underground storage;
(4) Infrastructure impacts and solutions for water
treatment facilities and underground pipelines,
including sea-level rise impacts and ways to increase
resilience of existing infrastructure;
(5) Desalination, water reuse and alternative water
supply technologies;
(6) Energy efficiency and greenhouse gas minimization
in water supply and improving water efficiency in
energy production;
(7) Regional and hydrological basin cooperative
management solutions;
(8) Utility management, decision support systems, and
water management models;
(9) Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy
demand management in the provision, transmission, and
treatment of drinking water;
(10) Water conservation and demand management;
(11) Communications, education, and public acceptance
for improved strategies and communication with
customers, decisionmakers, and stakeholders.
The Act authorizes appropriations of $25,000,000 per year
from 2009-2019.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND VOTES
On September 17, 2008, the Committee on Environment and
Public Works held a business meeting at which the Committee
considered S. 2970. The Committee favorably adopted the
legislation by voice vote.
REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT
In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee finds that the
legislation would not have any regulatory impact. The
Congressional Budget Office found that the bill imposes no
private sector mandates.
MANDATES ASSESSMENT
In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
(Public Law 104-4), the Committee finds that the legislation
establishes no intergovernmental or private sector mandates.
The CBO found that ``S. 2970 contains no intergovernmental or
private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA and would not affect
the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.''
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
September 19, 2008.
Hon. Barbara Boxer,
Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Madam Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2970, the Climate
Change Drinking Water Adaptation Research Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Susanne S.
Mehlman.
Sincerely,
Peter R. Orszag.
Enclosure.
S. 2970--Climate Change Drinking Water Adaptation Research Act
Summary: S. 1933 would require the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), in cooperation with the Secretaries of Commerce,
Energy, and the Interior, to establish a research program to
help drinking water suppliers adapt to the effects of climate
change. This legislation would authorize the appropriation of
$25 million annually over the 2009-2019 period.
Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO
estimates that implementing S. 2970 would cost $106 million
over the 2009-2013 period and $169 million after 2013. Enacting
S. 1933 would not affect direct spending or revenues.
S. 2970 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal
governments.
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated
budgetary impact of S. 2970 is shown in the following table.
The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 300
(natural resources and environment). For this estimate, CBO
assumes that S. 2970 will be enacted near the start of fiscal
year 2009 and that the amounts authorized by the bill will be
appropriated each year. Estimated outlays are based on
historical spending patterns for similar programs.
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By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
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2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2009-2013
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CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Authorization Level.......................................... 25 25 25 25 25 125
Estimated Outlays............................................ 10 21 25 25 25 106
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Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 2970
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in UMRA and would not affect the budgets of state,
local, or tribal governments.
Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Susanne S. Mehlman.
Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Burke Doherty.
Impact on the Private Sector: Amy Petz.
Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
Section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate
requires the committee to publish changes in existing law made
by the bill as reported. Passage of this bill will make no
changes to existing law.