Senator Harry Reid Hails Passage of Appropriations Bill

December 19, 2007 -- Washington, DC — U.S. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada commended the passage of the omnibus appropriations bill, which included millions of dollars in funding for Nevada priorities. In addition to funding key projects, the omnibus cuts funding to the proposed nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain by more than $108 million, a 22 percent reduction.

“This bill contains funding for important Nevada projects. Transportation, military, education, affordable housing, and health care are just some of the Nevada priorities that received funding from this legislation,” said Reid. “Unlike spending bills passed during the previous Republican Congress that increase the nation’s debt, this legislation is fiscally responsible and ensures the government does what every Nevada family has to: live within a budget.”

Below is a list of Nevada projects that received funding.

ENERGY

$1,476,000 to the Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization, a multi-institution effort to encourage the development and deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies across the state

$984,000 for the Truckee Meadows Water Methane Reclamation Project to convert methane gas from wastewater sludge to electricity for Washoe County

$492,000 for a Renewable Energy Feasibility Study for Nye County

$3,960,000 to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for research into solar thermal production of hydrogen

$492,000 for the UNLV National Center for Energy Management to improve the energy efficiency, productivity, and security of buildings in the U.S.

$738,000 to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for research into solar nanotechnology

$590,400 to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for research into energy efficient light emitting diodes

MILITARY AND VETERANS

$341,400,000 for the construction of the Las Vegas Veterans Affairs Hospital/Medical Center to improve the quality of life for veterans throughout southern Nevada and its surrounding rural communities

$4,950,000 for Nellis Air Force Base to install three Joint Terminal Air Control Virtual training simulators and three Indirect Fire Forward Air Control Trainer (I-FACT) virtual training simulators at Nellis to support the Joint Air Ground Operations Group (JAGOG) missions at Nellis

$5,200,000 for the Nevada Air National Guard to replace the existing Vehicle Maintenance Complex with an adequately sized and properly configured facility

$11,460,000 to construct two new towers at the Fallon Naval Air Station to support air to ground scoring on the Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain target area at B-20

$11,800,000 to construct a ground water treatment system that is critical to the safe and healthy operation of Hawthorne Army Depot and the support of the Defense Department’s munitions mission

$1,400,000 to support the construction of a Rail Siding at Wabuska, Nevada to increase the infrastructure capabilities of the Hawthorne Army Depot (HWAD). The HWAD has provided rail service over a single rail line that connects the main Union Pacific line at Hazen, Nevada, approximately 120 miles north of Hawthorne

HOMELAND SECURITY

Funding for the Las Vegas Emergency Operations Center (EOC) – The homeland security appropriations bill provides $15 million in a competitive grants for construction expenses of EOC’s

$40 million to improve Customs and Border Protections procedures at various airports, including McCarran International Airport, helping to streamline travel while also making it more secure

$22 million for the Nevada Test Site to continue its vital research of new security measures and operations

EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

$344,400 for In-situ Nanomechanics and Nanostructure system to improve measurement of nano-scale material properties in a high resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM) and nano-device manufacturing

$267,900 to the Nevada Immigrant Resource Project (NIRP) at Boyd Law School to educate Nevada’s future lawyers by directly exposing them to a variety of immigration issues

$478,721 to the Charter School Development Fund to provide technology upgrades for the Agassi Charter School

$238,869 to the Clark County School District to fund a smaller learning community for English-language learners at Del Sol High School

$383,370 to the Clark County School District for a leadership training academy to train the next generation of school principals

$1,968,000 for an Earthquake Laboratory at UNR to expand the Earthquake Engineering Program, increasing the size and number of experiments performed by the program, and providing facilities to install four earthquake simulators

$178,500 to the University of Nevada, Reno Grant Sawyer Center for scholarships and operating costs to provide judicial personnel with continuing education opportunities

$738,000 for the UNR Technology Transfer Initiative to identify and patent UNR/DRI technologies and then license those technologies to private industry

$383,370 to the Washoe County School District to fund the classroom on wheels program for low-income preschool students

$335,203 to the Washoe County School District for a parent notification and attendance tracking system

$335,203 to the Lander County School District for a high school math and science remediation program

$230,022 to Save the Children, a non-profit organization focused on literacy, to expand their rural literacy programs into Nevada

$195,685 to the Esmeralda County School District for an accelerated math and reading program aimed at high-achieving K-6 students

$718,573 to the Community College of Southern Nevada to expand internet course offerings

$310,628 to the Nevada State College to improve math and science education in partnership with the College of Southern Nevada and the Clark County School District

$162,195 to Best Buddies to develop a program that provides mentoring and employment opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in Nevada

$378,000 to the Trade and Convention Training Center for the construction of a facility in Las Vegas to provide trade training for the convention industry to students who are unemployed, underemployed, or in transition

$300,000 to the Employment and Training Center to construct a third Opportunity Village facility to assist those with intellectual disabilities with employment services

$590,400 to the Atomic Testing Museum to fund daily operations and to perform maintenance

$143,518 to the Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow in Las Vegas to expand job training and support services

$369,000 to the Nevada Biodiversity Research and Conservation Initiative to enhance biodiversity in our state

$200,000 to the City of Las Vegas to design and construct exhibit content for a Las Vegas history museum

HEALTH

$492,000 to the Nevada Cancer Institute for cellular antigen research

$191,685 to the Henderson Senior Center for a demonstration project to help seniors with diabetes

$95,351 to Positively Kids in Las Vegas for home, respite and medical day care for severely-disabled children

$575,055 to Touro University in Henderson for equipment or construction for the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders

$492,000 for St. Rose Dominican Hospital to upgrade nurseries to accommodate complex deliveries, which currently must be performed at other hospitals

$263,614 to the Huntridge Teen Center and the Nevada Dental Association to purchase equipment and coordinate care for poor and at-risk teenagers at the Huntridge Dental Clinic in Las Vegas

$430,554 to the Nevada Rural Hospital Partners in Reno to expand a rural telemedicine project

$575,055 to the Las Vegas Jewish Federation to fund the Las Vegas Senior Lifeline Program, a program that provides social services to seniors over 60

$958,425 to the University of Nevada Health Sciences System for the construction and equipment for nursing clinical skills labs

$670,406 to the University of Nevada Las Vegas for the construction of an Emerging Disease Research Unit at the School of Public Health

$1,437,146 to the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine for construction and the purchase of equipment

WATER

$12,792,000 to the Army Corps of Engineers to finish work on the Tropicana-Flamingo Washes

$18,696,000 to continue the Rural Nevada water program authorized by the 1999 Water Resources Development Act for design and construction assistance for public water supply, wastewater treatment, environmental restoration and surface water protection projects

$2,337,000 for the Las Vegas Wash Improvement Project for the development and implementation of projects for restoration, habitat enhancement, and water quality improvement of the Las Vegas Wash, which flows into Lake Mead

$1,968,000 for the North Las Vegas Water Reuse Facility for land acquisition costs for a 25 million gallon per day wastewater reclamation facility on 40 acres to provide an alternative to using potable water for irrigation and industrial uses

$1,750,000 for Desert Research Institute (DRI) to continue Nevada portion of “Water 2025 – Resolving Water Conflicts in the West,” a program to develop knowledge and tools to aid in resolution of conflicts surrounding water resource use in the West, specifically in the lower Colorado River and Nevada

$394,000 to the City of Reno Water Quality Improvement Program to improve the quality of water for the people of Reno

$295,000 to Carson City Infrastructure Improvement to make improvements to the Marlette/Hobart Water System

$295,000 for a Moapa Valley Arsenic Treatment Facility in Moapa Valley, Clark County

$98,000 for the Silver Peak Drinking Water System in Esmeralda County

$492,000 for the Fallon Sewer System in Churchill County

$4,920,000 to the Truckee Meadows Authority to fund flood control projects and general investigations

$209,000 for the Overton Infiltration Study to help locate where high salinity groundwater and runoff is entering the system

American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AwwwaRF) received $1,698,000, shared between Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, and California, continued funding for research on providing safe and reliable drinking water

$984,000 for UNLV Water in the 21st Century to enhance capabilities of the Center for Urban Horticulture and Water Conservation

PUBLIC SAFETY/JUSTICE

$446,500 to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) for a Mobile Command Center to assist first responders in a crisis

$89,300 to the LVMPD for gun range improvements that will allow our law enforcement officers to train more efficiently and effectively

$580,450 to the Identity Theft and Financial Fraud Research Center, a partnership between the LVMPD and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) to develop technology to combat identity theft

$223,250 to the North Las Vegas Police Department for the Computer Aided Dispatch System to allow police to respond to incidents faster

$399,500 to purchase a new Department Records Management System for the North Las Vegas Police Department

$410,780 to the Henderson Police Department for crime lab equipment to address a serious backlog of DNA and other evidence processing

$432,400 Henderson Police Department to purchase In-Car video systems and a license plate recognition system

$178,600 to Nye County for a Remote Surveillance System, used in conjunction with the Amber Alert system, to detect wanted or stolen vehicles

$893,000 to the Mills B. Lane Justice Complex for security upgrades after the tragic shooting of Judge Chuck Weller

$223,250 to the City of Reno to fund the Reno Interoperability Project, an effort to create a communications network between various agencies so that they can better communicate in the event of an emergency

$89,300 to the Washoe County Jail Diversion Initiative to create a program designed to help the community deal with non-violent mentally-ill offenders

$44,650 for the Carson and Rural Elderly Program (CARE) Law to provide low-income seniors, including those residing in convalescent homes, assisted living facilities and visiting senior centers, access to legal services and representation

$312,550 to the Partnership Carson City Anti-Meth Coalition to support several anti-methamphetamine task forces and to conduct treatment and counseling programs for adults and juvenile offenders

$893,000 to the National Judicial College to support the new Master of Justice Management degree program and provide scholarships for judges to pursue continuing education opportunities

$3,243,000 to the National Council Juvenile and Family Court Judges to support the new Master of Justice Management degree program and to give Family Court personnel continuing education opportunities

TRANSPORTATION

$750,000 to construct the Sunset Maintenance Facility to service Citizen’s Area Transit (CAT) Busses servicing the north valley

$1,100,000 to construct four Southern Nevada Beltway Interchanges on the Las Vegas Beltway south

$750,000 to the City of Las Vegas to study the environmental impacts of Mountain’s Edge Parkway

$1,000,000 for widening of I-15 from the I-15 and Sahara Avenue interchange North to Apex

$750,000 to perform environmental studies and design improvements to I-80 between McCarran Blvd and Vista Blvd in an effort to reduce congestion and increase capacity in the City of Sparks

$200,000 to improve Henderson Lake Mead Parkway between Boulder Highway and the entrance to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area

$300,000 to acquire land and design the City Center Intermodal Transfer Terminal in Las Vegas, Nevada

$500,000 for the construction of the I-15 / Starr Road Interchange in Henderson, NV

$1,500,000 to design and construct the Rainbow Blvd to Mountain Springs Corridor and widen Rainbow Blvd (SR 160) from two to four lanes over a distance of approximately 46 miles to the Nye County line

$500,000 to construct the Meadowood Interchange Complex in Washoe County to mitigate sever traffic congestion occurring on I-580/US 395 and adjacent surface streets in the Reno/Sparks area

$750,000 for improvements to the Statewide Bus Mark Program throughout Nevada to improve access to public transportation for elderly, disabled, and rural Nevadans

$784,000 to purchase the Wind Tracer, a sophisticated system that will use lasers to detect wind hazards at McCarran International Airport

$2,100,000 to the Carson City Airport Project to remove a hill obstruction, reconstruct the runway and taxiway to enhance safe operation, construct a parallel taxiway; install an automated Weather Observation System; reconstruct aprons and replace automatic gates

$100,000 for two Transit Vehicles for seniors

$500,000 to the City of Reno to continue revitalization and improvement of the Reno Rail Access Corridor (ReTRAC)

$750,000 to complete replacement intermodal transportation facilities in downtown Sparks and Reno. The new facilities will help meet long-term transportation demands and community needs

$14,918,540 for Air Traffic Control Facilities Replacement at the Reno Airport - funds will be used for the construction of a new Air Traffic Control tower

$250,000 for the Boulder City Bypass project to divert heavy vehicle traffic away from Boulder City, Nevada

HOUSING

$600,000 to the City of Reno’s Oliver-Montello Affordable Housing Project to purchase vacant buildings in an effort to revitalize an area of northeast Reno and transition it from a commercial to a residential area

$357,200 H.O.P.E. Center of Shade Tree. The Shade Tree provides shelter to homeless women and victims of domestic abuse. These funds will equip an infirmary, an arts and crafts room, and a job development/life skills center for women
$150,000 for design and construction of a senior center in Las Vegas, NV

DISASTER RELIEF / PREVENTION

$107,000 to the Wildfire Support Group, a non-profit volunteer firefighter organization based out of Winnemucca, to assist in fuel management on private lands

$143,000 to the Nevada Fire Safe Council to expand fuel reduction efforts in high risk communities across Nevada

$287,000 to Carson City Erosion Control to aide in wildfire recovery and to develop emergency plans for future wildfires on the magnitude of the Waterfall Fire in 2004

$1,722,000 for the Urban Floodwater Initiative for DRI to develop innovative cost-effective technologies for reducing flooding and restoring channels in urban environments, focusing on the Las Vegas area and the Lower Truckee River

$1,117,000 to address the infestation of Mormon Crickets on Nevada’s rangeland through swift and effective means
$984,000 for the UNR Fire Science Academy in Elko to support the mission of providing first responder training, firefighter scholarships, and infrastructure development

Biomass Resource Removal in the State of Nevada and Lake Tahoe Area: The bill includes language which strongly encourages the Forest Service to expedite the removal of hazardous fuels in the Humboldt-Toiyabe Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin area. This language compliments the funding that was established for hazardous fuels reduction for the Spring Mountains and Lake Tahoe Basin in the White Pine County land bill

ENVIRONMENT

$68,250,000 for Walker Lake conservation projects, authorized by bill language to spend remaining 2002 Farm Bill funding

$1,968,000 for Lake Tahoe Regional Wetlands Development/Restoration to be implemented by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA)

$246,000 for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to implement the Environmental Improvement Program, using funds for programmatic tools, guidance, and expertise for the wastewater infrastructure partnership and watershed sustainability indices

$4,428,000 for Lake Tahoe Basin Restoration under Section 108 to design and construct storm water and watershed improvements in and around Lake Tahoe

$37,000 to the Cooperative Weed Management Areas Program for an on-going effort to reduce the impact of invasive plant species

$246,000 to bolster Lahontan Cutthroat Trout populations in Northern Nevada

$2,681,400 to the University of Nevada, Reno to fund defense cleanup research at the university’s Center for Materials Reliability

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

$205,000 for Lake Tahoe Regional Planning by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency under the Lake Tahoe Basin Implementation Plan

$148,000 to support grants and general operations for the Great Basin National Heritage Route in White Pine County

$295,000 to restore key historic buildings in the develop a Goldfield National Historic District in Goldfield, Nevada

$250,000 to the City of Sparks to complete construction of a multi-purpose community center
$368,000 to University of Nevada Reno’s Rangeland Initiative for research and education addressing the preservation of Nevada’s arid rangeland

$95,351 to the Nevada Rural Retired Senior Volunteer Program to recruit and retain volunteers to serve low-income seniors in fifteen rural counties in Nevada

$200,000 to Storey County to complete construction on a multi-purpose community resource center

$246,000 to complete boundary demarcation for wilderness areas established in the 1989 Nevada Wilderness Bill

$150,000 to University of Nevada Reno’s Initiative on Western Crops and Livestock for economic analyses of Western agriculture in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Policy Research Center

Nevada Rural Education Transportation Program, which gives preference to this project within a competitive grants program. Funding is used to replace dilapidated school buses in rural school districts in Nevada.

$335,203 to the Western Folklife Center to develop exhibits and educational programs

$738,000 for exhibits at California Trail Interpretive Center in Elko County

PUBLIC LAND
Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) will be funded at $229 million, $39 million over the President’s request

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro program directs the BLM to maintain funding levels for its wild horse and burro program at current levels

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA): allows the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to purchase in-holdings in the NCA, including the 80-acre Pine Creek State Park

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Indian Health Board of Nevada, Operating Funds: The Indian Health Service was directed to provide technical assistance to the Indian Health Board of Nevada (IHBN) so that it can adequately address health issues of Nevada tribes

$295,000 to the Western Shoshone Tribe to fund commitments made under the Distribution Act

$89,300 to the National Institute of Corrections for the study of a regional tribal detention facility servicing Nevada’s 27 tribes and 15 tribal police departments

Johnson O’Malley Program - This bill authorizes an estimated $14 million in the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to restore the Johnson O’Malley Program, which provides structured after-school tutoring, needed school supplies, transportation for extracurricular activities, hosted field trips, cultural educational opportunities, and programs that encourage parental and community involvement in their children’s education for Nevada’s tribes and hundreds across the country

Native American Programs – Administration for Children and Families - $1.98 million set-aside to implement the Esther Martinez Native Languages Act. At the request of Nevada’s tribes, Senator Reid led the effort to pass this legislation during the last Congress and advocated for the program’s initial funding for Native language immersion and other language revitalization programs

Source: Senator Harry Reid