Senator Kay Hagan Airport Traffic Control Tower
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. DAINES. Madam President, water is the most basic element of human life. In Montana, we depend on a steady supply of water to drink, to irrigate our crops, to water our livestock, and to provide energy through hydropower. Water is a precious resource, but there are still rural communities in Montana that face challenges to access and that are in dire need of Federal assistance. The health and economic risks associated with the lack of reliable water have increased because of the current pandemic.
I stand here today to highlight three bills that would ensure rural Montana communities have access to water.
S. 1882 would allow the 130 family farms in the Kinsey Irrigation Company and Sidney Water Users Irrigation District to continue the use of Pick-Sloan power, which they have reasonably relied on for more than 74 years. Thankfully, this bill has been passed out of the U.S. Senate and now awaits House consideration. I thank both Senate and House leadership for getting this bill to the finish line, and I urge my colleagues in the House to pass it.
Another Montana water priority is the bipartisan St. Mary's Reinvestment Act, which supports the St. Mary and Milk River Project by allowing the reconstruction and restoration of the over 100-year-old infrastructure. I am proud to be working with the entire Montana delegation on this important bill that supplies over 18,000 water users and municipalities along the Hi-Line, including the Blackfeet Reservation and Fort Belknap.
The catastrophic failure of a drop structure this past summer is proof that Congress must pass this bipartisan legislation. I spent time out there in July and saw firsthand the catastrophic failure of that drop and why it is so important to get this legislation passed. This bill is critical for Montana's families and Montana's farmers and ranchers along the Hi-Line.
I would also like to highlight my bipartisan bill, the Clean Water for Rural Communities Act. It is hard to believe that there are approximately 40,000 Americans across 12 counties in both Montana and North Dakota who currently do not have access to water that is safe to drink. In fact, I have brought with me today some examples of the drinking water that Montanans in the central and eastern parts of our State have shared with me.
Here is a sample that literally came from the tap of the Arnesons. It is hard to believe we are in 2020 and that a Montanan can open up a tap and see water like this.
This example came from the Good family. Again, it is yellow water, and this is black water. This is water that has literally come from the taps of Montanans who live in the eastern part of our State.
You see, iron content in these impacted areas is nearly five times the Safe Drinking Water Act's standard, and nearly all residents must rely on bottled water. This water is so contaminated that it is corrosive to appliances, which requires residents to operate water softeners to avoid damage.
My bill would allow two regional, rural water systems to be rebuilt in order to provide Montanans access to reliable, safe water in central and eastern Montana. I don't think that is asking for too much. All we are asking for is reliable and safe water for thousands of Montanans. Both of these rural drinking water projects have been working with the Bureau of Reclamation for over 15 years to gain Federal authorization, and they can't wait any longer.
I rise on behalf of the 40,000 Montanans who lack access to clean water, and I urge the swift passage of the Clean Water for Rural Communities Act as well as the St.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source