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Congress passes A-LP Page 3 of 4 Herald Staff Writer Congress' passage of a spending bill that includes the long-delayed Animas-La Plata Project drew predictable reactions from both sides of the local A-LP battleground, with all parties bracing for potential lawsuits. Frederick Kroeger, a board member ofthe A-LP Water Conservancy District, said the bill's passage is good news for Durango because it settles Indian water rights and the project will supply the town with water during the dry times of the year. "I spent 52 years working on this thing and I have to be pretty delighted," Kroeger said. The project will also require millions offederal dollars to be spent in the region to build the reservoir, he said. There will probably be lawsuits by opponents to stop the project, but $40 million has already been spent on environmental studies, Kroeger said, adding that he doesn't anticipate any suits being successful. "I think they don't have a very good chance," he said. "I think it won't be as easy this time as it was last time for them to stop it. They no doubt will try." Dylan Norton, chairman of the Rivers Task Force of the San Juan Citizens Alliance, said he was displeased by the bill's approval, but not surprised. "We pretty much knew it was a certainty," Norton said. Most of all, Norton said he was disappointed A - LP was attached to a huge spending bill, and Congress didn't have a chance to consider the bill on its merits. He said he is sure there will be lawsuits initiated to stop the project. "I think we have good ground to challenge the project on numerous aspects," such as compliance with national environmental laws, Norton said. Mike Griswold, president of the Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District, said he had not heard about the A-LP bill winning House approval, but was pleased because the passage of the bill into law will remove the threat of potential lawsuits by Ute Indian tribes over water in the Animas River. If, by 2005, construction on the project has reached the point that there is no doubt of its completion, the Utes would waive their right to sue under 1988 Colorado Ute Water Right Settlement Act, Griswold said. "There have been some people who have given up an awful lot to try to move this project ahead so we can get out from under this cloud of the Indian water rights," Griswold said. Kent Ford, a member ofthe San Juan Citizens Alliance and part-owner of Four Corners River Sports, said it is a sad day for Durango and every person in the Animas River http://www.durangoherald.com/lnews3658.htm 3/612001