During a House Appropriations Committee hearing before the congressional recess, Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT) questioned Army Corps Officials about water supply management and infrastructure maintenance.
00:00I thank the ranking member. With that, I recognize Ms. Molloy.
00:04Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For the benefit of the people who are here to testify, I apologize that I missed the first round.
00:10I had another hearing at the same time, so I got here as quick as I could.
00:15Mr. Cameron, my constituents appreciate the funding and efforts reclamation provided earlier this year to complete the 12-mile slough modification work pursuant to the 2024 SEIS.
00:28Given that last year's bypass of Glen Canyon Dam's hydropower generators cost the Basin Fund nearly $20 million and deferred critical maintenance,
00:37can you assure this committee that you will seriously consider a non-bypass or no-action alternative in your summer 2025 operational decision-making
00:44to avoid further financial and grid reliability impacts?
00:49Ms. Molloy, coincidentally, I was just briefed on this topic yesterday.
00:53Oh, good.
00:53And we are looking at it. We're trying to be creative. We're trying to figure out ways that
00:58we cannot add to the financial burden of the power users, for instance, and WAPA.
01:06So, yeah, we are looking for options, but we also need to figure out a way to get rid of those smallmouth bass, as you're very much aware.
01:16Yeah, thank you.
01:17Anything you can do to help avoid the ratepayers, my constituents, bearing that cost directly, I would really appreciate it.
01:24And we're happy to work with you as you move forward.
01:28Okay, for either Ms. Colosimo, I don't know if I'm saying your name right.
01:33I'm sorry.
01:34I haven't been here.
01:35Colosimo.
01:35Colosimo, thank you.
01:36Or Lieutenant Graham.
01:39Panguich Lake Dam in my district, it's a small dam.
01:43It serves a small town.
01:45But the dam started to crack last year.
01:48And they've been working to try to repair the dam.
01:50And they keep running into delays.
01:53And one of, so they're trying to get a stream alteration permit.
01:56And they keep getting more requests for information requests for information. They don't feel like they're getting a lot of help just a lot of
02:04letting the clock run well, you know, it's spring and
02:09The lakes filling back up and the pressures back on the dam and what they need is a solution so that they don't lose that
02:15Lake will you work with us to make sure we can get them the help they need in a timely manner?
02:20So we we're not losing a dam and losing the water supply for a rural part of my district
02:25I'm absolutely this is a private dam and they're looking for assistance both probably with the permitting in the repair
02:31I think they're just looking for assistance with the permitting, but I will get you. Okay
02:36I will contact your office ma'am and get in contact with the the dam owner operator and see how we can help. Thank you
02:43I appreciate that
02:46Another one for the two of you
02:48In Tooele County, Utah the local government is trying to plan
02:54transportation and some of it requires
02:56Navigating a process to obtain transportation rights away across the Tooele Army Depot, which is DOD managed land
03:03recognizing the Army Corps of Engineers
03:06Engineering and environmental expertise. How can our local government somebody like Tooele County leverage the Corps assistance to assess feasibility impacts of new
03:13transportation corridors to improve regional mobility while maintaining national security interests and I know the national security interest is really important to them
03:21But that area is growing quickly and they've got to be able to have transportation infrastructure
03:28You have our absolute commitment that will meet with them to see if we can come in with a win-win solution that manages and balances out both of those needs the national security interests and the needs for improved transportation to a growing region
03:41Okay, thank you
03:45Last question. I'm moving quickly. This is one of those days where everything's happening fast
03:49How is reclamation working with Utah stakeholders to streamline permitting or NEPA compliance for our local water infrastructure projects?
03:57Particularly in rural counties that may lack capacity to navigate federal processes
04:04Thank you very much for that question. So we we work with our local
04:08water district partners on a regular basis to try to provide technical assistance one of the things that we are also exploring is
04:16Whether we can leverage the expertise and frankly the streamlined acquisition processes that our non-federal partners often have so that we can
04:27leverage their ability to get
04:29contracts issued faster and at a lower price and might be the case of
04:33Of our federal agencies that would stretch this committee's
04:37Dollars as well. So we're always open to
04:41creative thinking about how to
04:43work more effectively with our partners
04:45Please work closely with my staff and and we would love to be the bridge between our
04:51Utah partners and both of your offices to make sure we're getting that assistance to people in a timely manner
04:56The speed at which the federal government moves on these projects is a huge source of frustration
05:02We share that frustration will leave me
05:04Thank you with that. I yield back
05:07And I thank you miss Molloy at this time. I'd like to recognize my friend and colleague again from California. Mr. Levin for five minutes
