George Miller: “I hope that this debate does not get redundant, because I think there is a point at which, obviously, both parties to…”

“I hope that this debate does not get redundant, because I think there is a point at which, obviously, both parties to this debate believe that these studies should, in fact, be conducted so that we can make some determinations about how to clean up the Salton Sea, if in fact that is possible to do. But we have already heard some suggestions about how we are going to do that, and the suggestions are being made here in advance of those studies, and that is a problem we have. In 1992, we tried to step up those studies and we passed legislation to step up those studies but, unfortunately, the appropriations for those studies have not been forthcoming. So here we are again now asking the Secretary of the Interior to engage in these studies and to report back to us in 18 months. The substitute that the gentleman from California (Mr. George Brown) and I will offer to this legislation later in the debate does exactly that. It coordinates a project, scientific studies, for 18 months, some of which the Secretary of the Interior has already started to undertake, and it requires an interim report after 9 months delineating what they think some of the alternatives will be and what the status of those alternatives and the studies are, and to have oversight hearings and to identify additional authorities if they need it. This puts the studies on the same timetable.”