News Releases for February 2003
February 11, 2003
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Hoeven Pushes For Restoration Of NAWS Funding
Governor Contacts Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman
Letter to Sen. Ted Stevens, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee 
(52kb pdf)
BISMARCK, N.D. - Governor John Hoeven today said he has sent a letter to Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, urging that the committee restore $6 million in funding in the 2004 budget for the Northwest Area Water Supply (NAWS) project. Work on the project is continuing this year.
Copies of the letter were sent to Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, and North Dakota’s congressional delegation. Hoeven met with Norton last month in Washington, D.C. to press for Interior Department support on securing a revised Missouri River Master Manual, continuation of NAWS and other water issues important to North Dakota.
“The state has worked for nearly 20 years for this project, which was approved by Secretary Norton two years ago,” Hoeven wrote. “The necessary environmental review has been completed. The Bush administration has approved the project, and construction has started.”
When completed, NAWS will supply treated Missouri River water to Minot and 14 other cities and three rural water systems in the area. Construction has begun with the main transmission pipeline between Lake Sakakawea and the Minot water treatment plant. Work will continue through 2003 using money under a measure that approves spending until Congress passes a new spending bill.
“The people of North Dakota have waited for two decades to get the NAWS project underway,” Hoeven said. “We will continue to work with the White House and Congress to make sure that this project isn’t delayed.”
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