HOUSE PASSES WATER RESOURCES BILL

WASHINGTON- By a vote of 394-14, today the House of Representatives approved an amended version of S. 2796, the Water Resources Development Act and sent it back to the Senate for consideration. The bill contains a provision, offered by Congressman Jim Oberstar, to name a section of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in honor of Congressman Bruce Vento, who died last week following a battle with a rare form of lung cancer. The bill provides that the portion of the BWCAW north and east of the Gunflint Trail in Northern Minnesota the "Bruce F. Vento Unit of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness."

"Bruce Vento understood the great oration of Chief Seattle at the signing of the Treaty of 1854 when he said, 'The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth.' Bruce Vento dedicated his career man´s responsibility to the earth, and to environmental protection," Oberstar said on the House floor. "Cicero, the great Roman orator and Senator said, 'Gratitude is not only the greatest virtue, it is the parent of all others.' In gratitude for Bruce Vento's service to the enhancement of our environment, I am pleased that we are able to include this provision in this legislation."

The bill authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to undertake specific water projects, such as harbor dredging, flood control, and beach protection totaling $6.9 billion, of which $5.1 billion would be paid by the federal government. Oberstar said he is pleased that a recent review by the Clinton Administration has concluded that prevailing wage requirements under the Davis-Bacon Act would apply to projects funded by this bill.

"It has always been my belief and experience that Davis-Bacon applies to all aspects of federal public works projects regardless of whether the Corps is doing the work or a non-federal sponsor is contributing the work. These are federal public works projects. Davis-Bacon should apply. The Corps was not consistently applying Davis-Bacon wage protections to non-federal contributions for Corps projects," Oberstar said. "The Corps, Department of the Army, Department of Labor and the White House have come together, reviewed the matter and have come to an agreement that Davis-Bacon does apply. The wage provisions apply to non-federal contributions to Corps projects."

Other Minnesota-related projects in S. 2796 provide:

- Extending and modifying authorization for Alternative Technology Project, Duluth, MN

- Modifying a navigation project at Duluth Harbor, MN to include highway relocation

- Adding a project for Duluth, MN to Challenge 21 program

- Deauthorizing the 21^st Ave. West channel from Duluth-Superior Harbor navigation project

- Authorizing navigation project for East Two Rivers, Tower, MN

- Authorizing construction of clearing and snagging project for Little Falls, MN

- Authorizing beneficial use of dredged material project for St. Louis County, MN

- Authorizing environmental infrastructure project (Mille Lacs) for Garrison and Kathio,         MN

- Authorizing inventory and assessment of WPA dams

- Requiring Congressional action prior to construction of outlets from Devils Lake, ND