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<br />002881 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />that we wanted to come back with some sort of a position that would <br />not be fragmented so we could be constructive to Secretary Andrus <br />in trying to help him address these questions. For this has been <br />one of the complaints of the states -- that is that although there <br />is interest in having us participate, the time allowed is extremely <br />limiting. And John said with 19 task forces meeting in Washington, <br />D.C., to address 19 or so different issues, I don't think,that the <br />State of Nevada or the State of New Mexico or the State of Arizona <br />can send 19 people back there. The Western States Water Council <br />will be represented back there and that individual will come back <br />and report to us. In that way we will be provided something that <br />will help us to develop a position. This again is really not in- <br />tended as criticism, but it is just a practical consideration. <br /> <br />To get down to some specifics. You know I said at the outset that <br />there are a lot of positive things about the National Water Policy. <br />One of the more positive things that we see is the concept of cost <br />sharing. I know that not all of the states share this feeling. We <br />felt that the principle of some participation in the financing of <br />these water projects by the states, with the intent being that the <br />states would then help establish some priori ties on the construction <br />of projects, is a very meritorious concept. The details of how much <br />participation is going to have to be worked out -- what percentages, <br />the capacity to pay, the ability to pay -- all these things are <br />going to have to be considered. I don't think you can penalize <br />some state that doesn't have the revenue, and say o.k., you have to <br />come up with the bucks for your share or therefore you are going to <br />go clear to the end of the line. There are going to have to be some <br />adjustments there. One of the other dangers I see in it is that we <br />don't want to get into a bidding process where better equipped <br />states, as far as money is concerned, outbid some of the other <br />states. We do think that the concept of cost sharing, particularly <br />if it is going to result in some state determination of priori ties <br />on projects, has some real merit. <br /> <br />A thing that really concerns the State of Nevada is the idea of <br />another level of review at the Water Resources Council of proposed <br />federal projects. It just makes no sense at all to me personally, <br />and I think that view is shared by most of the state people. By the <br />time a project gets through the development, the design, the review, <br />the environmental impact statement, certainly the OMS reviews, and <br />the congressional reviews, and everything else, we just don't see, <br />and have not really been convinced, of the necessity of another <br />review by the Water Resources Council. <br /> <br />Another very critical item and probably the most critical at this <br />time, is the question the National Water Policy raises in connection <br />with federal reserve claims on water. The thrust of the national <br />policy seems to be that this is a problem, and we are glad that that's <br />finally recognized. There seems to be a real willingness to try to <br /> <br />C-17 <br /> <br />