Washington, DC - House-Senate negotiators have given approval for hundreds of millions of dollars to improve California water resources as part of the FY 04 Energy and Water Appropriations conference report, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today announced.

At the same time, negotiators also approved $13.5 million for the study and development of new nuclear weapons, including a 100 kiloton bunker buster as well as tactical battlefield weapons. The conference report now goes to the House and Senate for final approval.

"This funding will allow the Administration to begin the research and development of new nuclear weapons - let there be no doubt," Senator Feinstein said "By taking these steps, the Administration is lowering the threshold for the possible use of nuclear weapons and could well be encouraging the very proliferation all our policies aim to prevent. Clearly, the nuclear door is being reopened, and I oppose this mightily."

While the conference report provides hundreds of millions of dollars for California water, only $9 million was designated for CALFED, the joint State-Federal partnership to provide for California's future water needs and the environmental restoration of the San Francisco Bay-Delta.

"This level of funding underscores the urgent need for Congress to approve the CALFED authorization bill that I have introduced with Senator Boxer," Senator Feinstein said. "Until that is done, it is unlikely that Congress will provide adequate funding to develop the water storage and environmental protection projects that California so desperately needs."

"The good news is that we just had a hearing on CALFED in the Energy Subcommittee on Water and Power, and I am hopeful that the will be voted on in committee soon. But this is why it is so critical that all those who have a stake in California water come together in support of a CALFED bill. This is critical for the future of California."

Funding for CALFED projects includes:

• $2 million for the environmental water account;
• $500,000 for Delta division oversight;
• $1 million for planning for enlarging Los Vaqueros Reservoir;
• $1.5 million for planning for Upper San Joaquin Watershed;
• $1.25 million for planning for Sites Reservoir;
• $750,000 for planning for increasing the height of Shasta Dam;
• $1 million for storage feasibility studies for the State; and
• $1 million for conveyance.

In addition to the funding for CALFED, the FY '04 Energy and Water Appropriations Conference

Report includes:

• $20 million for construction of the 50-foot dredging project for the Port of Oakland;
• $15 million for construction of the Los Angeles Channel Deepening;
• $10 million for Napa Flood Plain Construction;
• $1 million for Petaluma River Flood Control Project ;
• $3 million for Hamilton Wetlands Restoration;
• $22.5 million for improvements to protect development along Santa Ana River;
• $3.5 million for flood control projects along South Sacramento Streams;
• $4 million for the American River Common Elements;
• $4 million for the American River Plan/Folsom Dam Mini-Raise;
• $4 million for the Folsom Dam Outlet Modification;
• $4 million for the American River Watershed;
• $600,000 for the Matilija Dam Removal;
• $300,000 for the Inglewood Transmission Pipelines (planning and design);
• $500,000 for the Coast of California Storm and Tidal Wave study;
• $4.5 million for the Harbor/South Bay Recycling project to develop up to 48,000 acre-feet of recycled water for use in the Los Angeles Area;
• $700,000 for the Long Beach Desalination Project;
• $1 million for the USC Center for Genomics;
• $1.9 million for Bodega Bay Dredging;
• $100,000 for the Humboldt Bay Navigation Improvement Study;
• $300,000 for th Imperial Beach-Silver Stand Restoration;
• $900,000 for the Solano/Encinatas Beach Environmental and Coastline Restoration Project;
• $150,000 for the San Clemente Shore Protection Study;
• $8.4 million for the Kaweah River/Terminus Dam Enlargement Project;
• $5.172 million for the Suisan Bay Channel/New York Slough Dredging;
• $39.6 million for the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund;
• $500,000 for Cambria Seawater Desalinization infrastructure; and
• $1 million for the Decontamination/Decommissioning of the 88-inch cyclotron at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
  

Additionally, the conference report includes language:

• Authorizing Folsom Dam Modifications;
• Authorizing Joint State/Federal Permitting Office for Hetch-Hetchy Upgrade; and
• Directing the Department of Energy to Establish and Employee Resource Center in the Bay Area for outreach to people eligible for compensation under the Energy Employees Occupation Illness Compensation Act (Report Language).

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