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Gannett News Service October 2, 1998, FINAL EDITION

Restoration plan for Salton Sea still possible, but may not be memorial to Bono JIM SPECHT, Gannett News Service WASHINGTON

Legislation calling on the fed- ing plan for the Environmental The House passed legislation eral government to come up with Protection Agency which will be July 30 that requires the Depart- a restoration plan for the Salton considered in the House and ment of Interior to select a re- Sea is still possible even though Senate next week . The bill, which covery plan within 18 months and Congress leaves in a week -- but contains $ 13 .4 million for Salton authorizes $ 380 million for stud- it may not be a memorial to Sonny Sea studies, is likely to pass and ies and construction . It renames Bono, Rep . Mary Bono said Fri- be signed by President Clinton, the wildlife preserve along the day. said Rep . Jerry Lewis, R-Calif ., sea the Memorial the co-chairman of the appropri- Salton Sea National Wildlife Pre- Members of the Salton Sea ations conference committee serve . Congressional Task Force con- that approved the spending bill . tinued to try to hammer out a Lewis said Friday he is frus- compromise with Sen . Jon Kyl, R- Lewis and Bono, R-Palm trated that the legislation has Ariz., who has opposed a House- Springs, said they feel they have been stalled in the Senate ever passed restoration bill because it made some progress toward ap- since, and criticized Boxer and contains an authorization to proval of a recovery plan for the Sen . , D-Calif ., spend $ 350 million for construc- sea, but both were disappointed for not making it more of a prior- tion. that the Senate would not go ity . along with requiring the plan to The compromise bill would move forward . "It was very apparent that we probably authorize federal agen- got little help from the senators -- cies to conduct a feasibility "I have asked that Sonny's the environmental community study and pick the best solution name be taken off the bill, be- that supports within the next 18 months . But no cause the last thing Sonny would never thought helping the Salton money would be authorized for have wanted to see is his name Sea was worth it," Lewis said . construction until Congress tacked onto yet another study," holds hearings on whether to pay Bono said. "I believe we will come Sandretti countered that Boxer for the plan and where to find the back in the next Congress and has won over all the Senate money, House and Senate staff get a bill that will do something, Democrats and convinced the members said . and that's the one that will have Clinton administration to back the Sonny's name ." House plan -- and will work with Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif ., Chafee "until the final day to get still believes it is possible to get Before his death in a skiing ac- this passed." more than that and is working cident last January, Sonny Bono with Sen . John Chafee, R-R .I., had made the Salton Sea recov- The spending bill approved by the chairman of the Senate Envi- ery plan one of his top priorities in the appropriations conference ronment and Public Works Com- Congress. House Speaker Newt committee late Thursday would mittee, on winning approval of Gingrich, R-Ga ., vowed to pass provide $ 8.5 million to the Salton legislation that would lead more the restoration bill as a tribute to Sea Authority for feasibility and directly to implementation of a Bono . Mary Bono was made design studies, $ 3 million to the recovery plan, said spokesman chairwoman of the Salton Sea Imperial Valley Irrigation District David Sandretti . task force when she won a spe- for pollution cleanup efforts on cial election to finish her hus- the New and Alamo Rivers, and $ Much of the funding for the band's term. 1 .9 million to the University of feasibility study is already in- Redlands to continue develop- cluded in a final 1998-99 spend- ing a plan to restore the sea .

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