WSP09062

• File Number: 8030
• Description: Section "D" General Correspondence - Other Organizations/Agencies ‎(Alpha, not Basin Related)‎
• Date: 3/24/1972
• Author: US Senate
• Title: Senate Interior Committee - Passes Resolution Asking WRC to Forego Raising Discount Rate
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: News Article/Press Release

RECEIVED
MAR 3 1 1972

JOINT RELEASE
Seni'ltor Allo~t
Senator Jordan

COLD, WATER
CONSERVATION BOARD

. .
FOR RELEASE: March 24, 1972

The Senate Interior Committee has unanimously approved a resolution

asking the Water Resources Council to forego raising the .discountrate and

to make other improvements in its proposed Principles and Standards for Water.
, /'

Resource Planning. The resolution was co-sponsored by Senators Gordon

Allott (R-Colo) and Len B. Jordan (R-Idaho).

Public hearings on the new standards were completed March 22 and the

revis.ed regulations could be put into effect by executive order. any time after

the hearing record cl.oses on March 31, according to Senators Allott .and Jordan;

The resolution pointed out that the proposed standards provide for an

increase to 7. percent in the discount rate applied in the economic evaluation.

of Bureau of'Reclamation, SCS i Small Watershed, and Corps of Engineer projects.

"To propose such a high increase in the. discount rate simultaneously with

new principles and standards denies the Congress, the Council, the States, .

and the public the oppoft,unity to evaluate the validity and the impaqt of the

operation of tl1e principles and standards, by injecting a second major factor

of unknown impact into the process of water resource project analysis," the

resolution stated.

Four major recommendations to the Water Resources CouncJl were made by

the Senate Committee:

1. That the CouncJl give full conSideration in planning and project

evaluation to four objecth"es .ecommended in a report by a WRC task force:

National economic development, quality of environment, regional development,

and social well being. The latter criteria was eliminated in the published

proposal and the regionaL development factor was restricted to specific direction,

or a request by Congress.

/

2. That the new principles and standards not be made applicable to

projects which have been authorized for construction by Act of Congress.
/

-oVER-

- ...