07/06/06 Hearing on salmon and electricity costs

Washington Ag July 6, 2006 The U.S. House Water and Power Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow in Pasco on Electricity Costs and Salmon: Finding a Balance. Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris, who is vice-chair of the subcommittee, says the hearing will help provide answers and solutions in helping to keep energy rates low and maintaining the multi-purpose use of our river system. McMorris recently introduced the Endangered Species Compliance and Transparency Cost Act, which would give consumers the right to know how much of the federal government's ESA costs are being passed on to consumers of electricity. Only those invited to speak will be testifying at the hearing, which begins at 9 a.m. Friday morning at Columbia Basin College in Pasco. The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee last week approved a fiscal year 2007 Energy and Water bill that includes the 15-million dollars requested by the Bush Administration for Columbia River channel deepening. Washington Senator Patty Murray says the bill also includes new funding to maintain the new channel depth of 43 feet in areas that have already been dredged. The spending bill also includes 600-thousand for the Odessa Subarea Special Study and two-million dollars for the Bureau of Reclamation to continue the Yakima Basin Storage Study. I'm Bob Hoff.