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<br />STATEMENT BY SENATOR ANDERSON OF NEW MEXICO ON <br />STATUS OF COLORADO RIVER STORAGE PROJECT AND <br />PARTICIPATING PROJECTS, WITH RESPECT TO THE <br />FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT <br /> <br />In the printing of the past four annual reports on the Colorado <br />River project it has been my custom to supplement the Department <br />statement with pertinent material that has developed between publi- <br />cations, The material follows. <br /> <br />APPROPRIA'l'IONS <br /> <br />As of June 30, 1962, the report shows that $201,830,555 has been <br />invested in the project, <br />The appropriation for fiscal 1962 was in the sum of $55,468,000, <br />while the budget, request for fiscal 1963 is $116,660,000, <br /> <br />'l'RANSMISSION LINES <br /> <br />The legislation establishing the project, which I had the honor of <br />sponsoring, had been considered by the Interior Committee in the <br />84th Congress, .md in my measnre, S. 500, 84th Congress, there was <br />authorization for the Secretary of the Interior to build the transmis- <br />sion lines at his diseretion. <br />The private utility companies operating in the upper Colorado <br />River Basin wished to build the lines and carry the Federal hydro- <br />electric power, at a price, Secretary Udall, and his predecessor in <br />the Eisenhower administration, Fred Seaton, were convinced that the <br />utilities offer was too high, and sought an appropriation of funds from <br />the Appropi'iations Committee for Federal construction, The utili- <br />ties opposed this appropriation, and it was in an effort to clarify the <br />issues that I, as chairman of the Interior Committee, held, first, <br />informal discussions, and then formal open hearings in July 1961. <br />These hearings were published under the title "Statement of <br />Positions on the Upper Colorado River Storage Project." Subse- <br />quently the appropriation for Federal construction was authorized, <br />but, with the directive that the Secretary of the Interior attempt to <br />work out satisfactory terms and conditions for construction by the <br />private utilities prior to the spending of any of the appropriated funds. <br />The Secretary has been able to negotiate satisfactory agreements <br />for private construction that will substantially reduce the cost to <br />thc Government, protect the rights of the power preference customers, <br />and produce maximum savings for the Upper Colorado Storage Basin <br />Fund. <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />