Home > 105th Congressional Bills > H.R. 412 (rh) To approve a settlement agreement between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation District. ...H.R. 412 (rh) To approve a settlement agreement between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation District. ...
105th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 412
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 19, 1997
Received
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To approve a settlement agreement between the Bureau of Reclamation and
the Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation District.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Oroville-Tonasket Claim Settlement
and Conveyance Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to implement the provisions of the negotiated Settlement
Agreement including conveyance of the Project Irrigation Works,
identified as not having national importance, to the District, and for
other purposes.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act:
(1) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the
Interior.
(2) The term ``Reclamation'' means the United States Bureau
of Reclamation.
(3) The term ``District'' or ``Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation
District'' means the project beneficiary organized and
operating under the laws of the State of Washington, which is
the operating and repayment entity for the Project.
(4) The term ``Project'' means the Oroville-Tonasket unit
extension, Okanogan-Similkameen division, Chief Joseph Dam
Project, Washington, constructed and rehabilitated by the
United States under the Act of September 28, 1976 (Public Law
94-423, 90 Stat. 1324), previously authorized and constructed
under the Act of October 9, 1962 (Public Law 87-762, 76 Stat.
761), under the Federal reclamation laws (including the Act of
June 17, 1902 (ch. 1093, 32 Stat. 388), and Acts supplementary
thereto or amendatory thereof).
(5) The term ``Project Irrigation Works'' means--
(A) those works actually in existence and described
in subarticle 3(a) of the Repayment Contract, excluding
Wildlife Mitigation Facilities, and depicted on the
maps held by the District and Reclamation, consisting
of the realty with improvements and real estate
interests;
(B) all equipment, parts, inventories, and tools
associated with the Project Irrigation Works realty and
improvements and currently in the District's
possession; and
(C) all third party agreements.
(6)(A) The term ``Basic Contract'' means Repayment Contract
No. 14-06-100-4442, dated December 26, 1964, as amended and
supplemented, between the United States and the District;
(B) the term ``Repayment Contract'' means Repayment
Contract No. 00-7-10-W0242, dated November 28, 1979, as amended
and supplemented, between the United States and the District;
and
(C) the term ``third party agreements'' means existing
contractual duties, obligations, and responsibilities that
exist because of all leases, licenses, and easements with
third-parties related to the Project Irrigation Works, or the
lands or rights-of-way for the Project Irrigation Works, but
excepting power arrangements with the Bonneville Power
Administration.
(7) The term ``Wildlife Mitigation Facilities'' means--
(A) land, improvements, or easements, or any
combination thereof, secured for access to such lands,
acquired by the United States under the Fish and
Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661-667e); and
(B) all third party agreements associated with the
land, improvements, or easements referred to in
subparagraph (A).
(8) The term ``Indian Trust Lands'' means approximately 61
acres of lands identified on land classification maps on file
with the District and Reclamation beneficially owned by the
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (Colville
Tribes) or by individual Indians, and held in trust by the
United States for the benefit of the Colville Tribes in
accordance with the Executive Order of April 9, 1872.
(9) The term ``Settlement Agreement'' means the Agreement
made and entered on April 15, 1996, between the United States
of America acting through the Regional Director, Pacific
Northwest Region, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Oroville-
Tonasket Irrigation District.
(10) The term ``operations and maintenance'' means normal
and reasonable care, control, operation, repair, replacement,
and maintenance.
SEC. 4. AGREEMENT AUTHORIZATION.
The Settlement Agreement is approved and the Secretary of the
Interior is authorized to conduct all necessary and appropriate
investigations, studies, and required Federal actions to implement the
Settlement Agreement.
SEC. 5. CONSIDERATION AND SATISFACTION OF OUTSTANDING OBLIGATIONS.
(a) Consideration to United States.--Consideration by the District
to the United States in accordance with the Settlement Agreement
approved by this Act shall be--
(1) payment of $350,000 by the District to the United
States;
(2) assumption by the District of full liability and
responsibility and release of the United States of all further
responsibility, obligations, and liability for removing
irrigation facilities constructed and rehabilitated by the
United States under the Act of October 9, 1962 (Public Law 87-
762, 76 Stat. 761), or referenced in section 201 of the Act of
September 28, 1976 (Public Law 94-423, 90 Stat. 1324), and
identified in Article 3(a)(8) of the Repayment Contract;
(3) assumption by the District of sole and absolute
responsibility for the operations and maintenance of the
Project Irrigation Works;
(4) release and discharge by the District as to the United
States from all past and future claims, whether now known or
unknown, arising from or in any way related to the Project,
including any arising from the Project Irrigation Works
constructed pursuant to the 1964 Basic Contract or the 1979
Repayment Contract;
(5) assumption by the District of full responsibility to
indemnify and defend the United States against any third party
claims associated with any aspect of the Project, except for
that claim known as the Grillo Claim, government contractor
construction claims accruing at any time, and any other suits
or claims filed as of the date of the Settlement Agreement; and
(6) continued obligation by the District to deliver water
to and provide for operations and maintenance of the Wildlife
Mitigation Facilities at its own expense in accordance with the
Settlement Agreement.
(b) Responsibilities of United States.--In return the United States
shall--
(1) release and discharge the District's obligation,
including any delinquent or accrued payments, or assessments of
any nature under the 1979 Repayment Contract, including the
unpaid obligation of the 1964 Basic Contract;
(2) transfer title of the Project Irrigation Works to the
District;
(3) assign to the District all third party agreements
associated with the Project Irrigation Works;
(4) continue power deliveries provided under section 6 of
this Act; and
(5) assume full responsibility to indemnify and defend the
District against any claim known as the Grillo Claim,
government contractor construction claims accruing at any time,
and any other suits or claims filed against the United States
as of the date of the Settlement Agreement.
(c) Project Construction Costs.--The transfer of title authorized
by this Act shall not affect the timing or amount of the obligation of
the Bonneville Power Administration for the repayment of construction
costs incurred by the Federal government under section 202 of the Act
of September 28, 1976 (90 Stat. 1324, 1326) that the Secretary of the
Interior has determined to be beyond the ability of the irrigators to
pay. The obligation shall remain charged to, and be returned to the
Reclamation Fund as provided for in section 2 of the Act of June 14,
1966 (80 Stat. 200) as amended by section 6 of the Act of September 7,
1966 (80 Stat. 707, 714).
SEC. 6. POWER.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as having any affect on
power arrangements under Public Law 94-423 (90 Stat. 1324). The United
States shall continue to provide to the District power and energy for
irrigation water pumping for the Project, including Dairy Point Pumping
Plant. However, the amount and term of reserved power shall not exceed,
respectively--
(1) 27,100,000 kilowatt hours per year; and
(2) 50 years commencing October 18, 1990.
The rate that the District shall pay the Secretary for such reserved
power shall continue to reflect full recovery of Bonneville Power
Administration transmission costs.
SEC. 7. CONVEYANCE.
(a) Conveyance of Interests of United States.--Subject to valid
existing rights, the Secretary is authorized to convey all right,
title, and interest, without warranties, of the United States in and to
all Project Irrigation Works to the District. In the event a
significant cultural resource or hazardous waste site is identified,
the Secretary is authorized to defer or delay transfer of title to any
parcel until required Federal action is completed.
(b) Retention of Title to Wildlife Mitigation Facilities.--The
Secretary will retain title to the Wildlife Mitigation Facilities. The
District shall remain obligated to deliver water to and provide for the
operations and maintenance of the Wildlife Mitigation Facilities at its
own expense in accordance with the Settlement Agreement.
(c) Reservation.--The transfer of rights and interests pursuant to
subsection (a) shall reserve to the United States all oil, gas, and
other mineral deposits and a perpetual right to existing public access
open to public fishing, hunting, and other outdoor recreation purposes,
and such other existing public uses.
SEC. 8. REPAYMENT CONTRACT.
Upon conveyance of title to the Project Irrigation Works
notwithstanding any parcels delayed in accordance with section 7(a),
the 1964 Basic Contract, and the 1979 Repayment Contract between the
District and Reclamation, shall be terminated and of no further force
or effect.
SEC. 9. INDIAN TRUST RESPONSIBILITIES.
The District shall remain obligated to deliver water under
appropriate water service contracts to Indian Trust Lands upon request
from the owners or lessees of such land.
SEC. 10. LIABILITY.
Upon completion of the conveyance of Project Irrigation Works under
this Act, the District shall--
(1) be liable for all acts or omissions relating to the
operation and use of the Project Irrigation Works that occur
before or after the conveyance except for the Grillo Claim,
government contractor construction claims accruing at any time,
and any other suits or claims filed as of the date of the
Settlement Agreement;
(2) absolve the United States and its officers and agents
of responsibility and liability for the design and construction
including latent defects associated with the Project; and
(3) assume responsibility to indemnify and defend the
United States against all claims whether now known or unknown
and including those of third party claims associated with,
arising from, or in any way related to, the Project except for
the Grillo Claim, government contractor construction claims
accruing at any time, and any other suits or claims filed as of
the date of the Settlement Agreement.
SEC. 11. CERTAIN ACTS NOT APPLICABLE AND TERMINATION OF MANDATES.
(a) Reclamation Laws.--All mandates imposed by the Reclamation Act
of 1902, and all Acts supplementary thereto or amendatory thereof,
including the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982, upon the Project
Irrigation Works shall be terminated upon the completion of the
transfers as provided by this Act and the Settlement Agreement.
(b) Relationship to Other Laws.--The transfer of title authorized
by this Act shall not--
(1) be subject to the provisions of chapter 5 of title 5,
United States Code (commonly known as the ``Administrative
Procedure Act''); or
(2) be considered a disposal of surplus property under the
Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40
U.S.C. 471 et seq.) and the Surplus Property Act of 1944 (50
U.S.C. App. 1601 et seq.).
(c) Deauthorization.--Effective upon transfer of title to the
District under this Act, that portion of the Oroville-Tonasket Unit
Extension, Okanogan-Similkameen Division, Chief Joseph Dam Project,
Washington, referred to in section 7(a) as the Project Irrigation Works
is hereby deauthorized. After transfer of title, the District shall not
be entitled to receive any further Reclamation benefits pursuant to the
Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902, and Act supplementary thereto or
amendatory thereof.
Passed the House of Representatives March 18, 1997.
Attest:
ROBIN H. CARLE,
Clerk.
Pages: 1 Other Popular 105th Congressional Bills Documents:
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