Tom Harkin: “The Grain Standards Act contains the Small Watershed Rehabilitation Amendments of 2000, legislation that enables the…”

“The Grain Standards Act contains the Small Watershed Rehabilitation Amendments of 2000, legislation that enables the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to provide cost-share money for local sponsors to rehabilitate dams that were built with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Before approving a project, NRCS will examine all options, including correcting damage or deterioration of the structure, upgrading the structural measure to meet changed land use conditions or safety needs within the watershed, and decommissioning the structure. Let me ask you, Mr. Chairman, is it your understanding that even though NRCS must fully evaluate every reasonable option, if a local sponsor does not wish to choose decommissioning the local sponsor can reject that option if NRCS presents it?”