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Rep. LaMalfa Supports Water Resources Reforms; Bill Streamlines Studies & Caps Costs

October 24, 2013

Washington, DC – Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) today voted in favor of a water resources reform measure that streamlines environmental regulations, puts hard deadlines on studies and caps project review costs. The measure, H.R. 3080, passed on a 417-3 vote and will now be considered in a conference committee with the Senate.

"California and our nation have vital needs, particularly in the area of flood control, that this bill will help address," said Rep. LaMalfa. "Looking around California, how many good, solid projects have been studied to death while our state's needs go unmet? Limiting interminable and expensive studies will go a long way toward ensuring that crucial projects are actually completed on a timely basis."

Known as the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, key components of H.R. 3080 include the following:

· Standardizes across the nation the three-year, $3 million cap on project studies that was successfully used on the Feather River West Levee upgrade, which broke ground in August.

· Authorizes several projects that have been recommended by the Army Corp of Engineers with a "Chief's Report", including the Natomas Basin levee improvements.

· Consolidates or eliminates duplicative review processes at the Army Corp.

· Deauthorizes $12 billion in old, inactive projects across the nation; all new projects are offset with deauthorizations of old projects.

Congressman Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing California's First Congressional District including, Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama Counties.