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.- i '6 'j . .~/ f: 4'B Region- Garrison - project fllot :dead, official says 0007[)'~ Upl ca Argus-LfI8der Sioux Falls, S.D. Cir.D NOV 22 1981 UNIVERSAL ~ressClipping Bureau "':--" r.I'~ --l-. -..:-. -.-...-.-".................... By The Assoclaled Press : North Dakota's beleagured Gar. :rison Diversion irrigation project : is not dead, despite overwhelming . rejection in the U.S. House, said :Rep. Tom Bevil!, D-Ala., chairman : of the House appropriations sub- : committee on energy and water de- :velopmlmt. : Bevill's comments Saturday fol. : lowed Friday's defeat of legislation : in the 1I0use 10 a1l0w part of Ihe : water projeclto proceed. : The House voled 31H;7 to uphold : a 1977 federal court order halting : construction on Garrison, putting it : at odds with Senate action, . A House,Senate conference com- : mittee, in fashioning a compromise : version of the bm,had supported the Senate-passed provision to set aside the cOllrt order. It was this . provision the 1I0use rejected. . Out of a1l the prol'osed water ,projects, the dispute smgled out - because of a House rule that dif- . fered from the Senale's - the $4 million appropriation for Garrison, , Bevill satd. . "Every environmental organiza- : tion in America and the National : Taxpayers' Union opposed it," Be- : vm saId, "We a1l knew if the issue . came to a seflarate vote, it would . face a very dIfficult time." . The $4 million was apparently to : complete work on Garrison's Oakes ~'<.... pumping unit. Bevill's remarks were telephoned by an aide, Ed Nolan. "When the language in the Senate bill was accepted by HOllse confer- ees, it singled out Garrison as the only water project in the United States sllbjected to a special vote during debate on this bill," Bevill said. "The special language inserted in the Senate exceed the rules of the House and guaranteed opponents in the House a separate vote on the issue." "The Senate language on Garri. son a1l0wed national environmental groups to focus their opposition on one project. It just never had a chance." . The appropriations bill couldn't have been delayed from coming to the floor of the House "because it was a $12 billion bill which includes $4.7 billion in nuclear arm~ments and over WO water projects," Bevill said. '. "The debate wasn't beca'lse of i the lack of effort by the appropria- tions'committee or by Dorgan," Be- vill said. "The Garrison project is not dead and the $4 million appf()- priation still remains." The bill as arproved by the House contains fisca year 1982 funds for more than 200 energy and water projects around the nation. __' - -- --~..--......_~.-