{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "rows": [["CREC-1994-12-20-pt1-PgE12", "1994-12-20", 103, 2, null, null, "REMARKS OF BUREAU OF RECLAMATION COMMISSIONER DAN BEARD", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "FRONTMATTER", "E", "E", "[{\"name\": \"George Miller\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "140 Cong. Rec. E", "Congressional Record, Volume 140 Issue 150 (Tuesday, December 20, 1994)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 150 (Tuesday, December 20, 1994)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n[Congressional Record: December 20, 1994]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]\n\n        REMARKS OF BUREAU OF RECLAMATION COMMISSIONER DAN BEARD\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. GEORGE MILLER\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 20, 1994\n\n  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, the Bureau of Reclamation was\ncreated over 90 years ago as the Government agency dedicated to the\ngoal of settling the West through the construction of dams, reservoirs,\nand canals for delivering irrigation water. This construction legacy on\nrivers throughout the Western United States will undoubtedly continue\nto produce reliable water supplies for many years.\n  The realities of the changing needs of the West must be reflected in\nthe mission of the resource development agencies that may have outlived\ntheir original purposes. In his 18 months as reclamation commissioner,\nDan Beard has recognized this challenge and successfully transformed\nthe Bureau of Reclamation into a water resource management agency and\nwill be fully equipped to adapt to the changing water needs of the\nWestern United States.\n\n Remarks of Daniel P. Beard, Commissioner, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation\n   Before the International Commission on Large Dams, Durban, South\n                        Africa, November 9, 1994\n\n       Thank you for giving me this opportunity to address the\n     18th Congress of the International Commission on Large Dams\n     (ICOLD).\n       As most of you know, the United States Bureau of\n     Reclamation, the agency I direct, was founded as a\n     construction agency.\n       The results of our work are well known.\n       Hoover Dam, Glen Canyon Dam, Grand Coulee Dam, and other\n     works were monumental undertakings that are a source of pride\n     to our nation and our employees.\n       In the last two years, however, we have come to the\n     realization that we must make significant changes in USBR's\n     program.\n       It is these changes I would like to discuss with you today.\n       There are several reasons why changes are taking place in\n     USRB.\n       A premise for our program was the project costs would be\n     repaid. We now realize the significant construction and\n     operating costs of large-scale projects cannot be repaid.\n       Our experience has shown that the actual costs of completed\n     projects substantially exceeded the original estimated costs,\n     and many project benefits were never realized. We lost our\n     credibility with the public and our political leadership\n     because we failed to accurately estimate project costs and\n     benefits.\n       The USBR generally served the needs of a few agricultural\n     water users. We generally did not serve the needs of\n     expanding urban populations. The result was that the base of\n     support for our program declined.\n       Over time, our operating experience has given us a more\n     clear appreciation for the secondary environmental impacts of\n     the large-scale water projects we developed. We were slow to\n     recognize those problems, and we are still learning how\n     severe they are and how to correct them.\n       We have also come to realize there are many alternatives to\n     solving water problems that do not involve dam construction.\n     Non-structural alternatives are often less costly to\n     implement and can have fewer environmental impacts.\n       What has been the result of these forces?\n       The result is that the dam building era in the United\n     States is now over. We can no longer count on public or\n     political support for large, traditional construction\n     projects. Those projects we have underway will be completed\n     as quickly as possible. Any new construction will take place\n     only in small increments, narrowly targeted to meet well-\n     defined, but limited, objectives. We now anticipate facing\n     the challenge of water management using the tools of the\n     ``Information Age''--improved data collection and modeling,\n     geographic information systems, and demand-side management\n     tools.\n       How have we in the USBR approached these turbulent times?\n       We have become realistic about our future. We recognize our\n     budget and our staffing levels will decline, not increase, as\n     our program changes.\n       In addition, we can't continue to do business the same old\n     way. President Clinton and Vice President Gore have initiated\n     a comprehensive program to reduce costs, eliminate\n     unnecessary paperwork, reduce personnel, and deliver a better\n     product in a shorter period of time. We have made a conscious\n     choice to be a leader in this effort.\n       In brief, we needed to change and change quickly. And we\n     have.\n       I initiated a top-to-bottom review of the agency which has\n     led to a significant restructuring last April.\n       We've embraced a new philosophy of delegating day-to-day\n     operating decisions to field personnel. We will give them the\n     responsibility and authority to make decisions, within\n     established general policy, without coming to headquarters\n     for approval. We've also undertaken an aggressive\n     restructuring designed to eliminate layers of unnecessary\n     management and unnecessary practices.\n       Although we've just begun, the results are impressive.\n       We have reduced our budget request for this year by 12\n     percent--a $93 million reduction.\n       Since May 1993, our staff level has been reduced by\n     approximately 1,000 positions, or 13 percent.\n       We have reduced the number of senior level managers.\n       Our field offices have been given significant new authority\n     and responsibility.\n       Our Denver office has been significantly altered. The new\n     organization, now called the Reclamation Service Center\n     (RSC), will be a customer service organization working for\n     other parts of USBR.\n       In Denver and our regional offices, we have reduced at\n     least two layers of management.\n       Finally, we have launched a series of new program\n     initiatives, including expanded efforts in wastewater\n     reclamation and resuse, an conservation.\n       One final note about the participation of the USBR in\n     international activities. My attendance at this conference is\n     not a coincidence. We have been an active participant in\n     ICOLD affairs since it was founded. Previous Commissioners\n     have been very supportive, and many USBR employees serve on\n     committees.\n       The USBR will remain an active participant in the affairs\n     of ICOLD. This organization offers all of us an opportunity\n     to discuss, debate, and consider new approaches to solving\n     the world's water resource problems. There is much we can\n     learn from one another, and we want to continue that\n     tradition.\n       As we seek to keep ourselves well informed, so should we\n     seek to maintain an open exchange of information and opinion\n     with all groups. USBR is committed to full disclosure of\n     information to the public. Open access to information will be\n     a hallmark of our operations, both domestic and\n     international.\n       To President Pircher, Secretary General Cotillon, and\n     Congress Chairman Val Robbroeck, thank you for giving me the\n     opportunity to be with you this morning.\n       I am enjoying participating in this Congress during my\n     first trip to South Africa. I look forward to meeting as many\n     of you as possible during the rest of the week.\n       Thank you.\n\n                          ____________________"]], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "primary_key_values": ["CREC-1994-12-20-pt1-PgE12"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 28.934761881828308, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}