In a time of drought and increasing water scarcity throughout the West, a key step to protect the water supply for more than 40 million residents is to control the salinity of the Colorado River to ensure its continued functionality.
Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, pushed forward legislation successfully on Tuesday to boost efforts to combat that challenge and step up states’ and the federal government’s response.
“High salinity levels in the Colorado River have far-reaching consequences. They threaten the beauty and integrity of Utah’s national parks, impact our ranchers and farmers, and jeopardize drinking water for millions of Americans,” he said.
Decades ago, Congress recognized the urgency of this issue. In 1974, the Colorado River Salinity Control Program was established to combat the harmful effects of salt discharged into the river from natural saline rock formations,” Curtis pointed out.
But a lot has changed since 1974.
“However, we now face new challenges,” Curtis noted, “including reduced water flows and increasing pressures on the federal budget. The Colorado River Salinity Control Act makes vital adjustments to this program, ensuring its continued effectiveness while adapting to modern realities.”
Curtis emphasized the importance of the legislation.
“I am pleased to see this important bill before us today. It represents a significant step forward in preserving Utah’s iconic landscapes, safeguarding our water resources, and ensuring a clean and reliable water supply for Utahns and all who depend on the Colorado River.”
The legislation incorporates work from the seven Colorado River Basin states, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
In another example of successful legislation by Curtis that received passage Tuesday, he proposed a substantial overhaul on how the federal government controls and treats critical minerals.
“This legislation addresses a critical gap in the process for identifying minerals essential to our nation. Under current law, the U.S. Geological Survey collaborates with various government agencies to assess and designate ‘critical minerals’ vital to our national security,” Curtis said. “However, one key agency is glaringly absent from this process: the Department of Health and Human Services.”
While Curtis said the federal agency plays a key role in the nation’s healthcare system, it has been excluded from decisions about minerals critical to the medical technologies and treatments that Americans rely on every day.
One example? Helium, which is critical for medical imaging.
“MRIs require nearly 2,000 liters of helium to maintain the magnets that make them functional. Despite a growing helium shortage, this essential resource was recently removed from the critical minerals list — a decision that underscores the need for better interagency coordination,” he said.
To protect public health, Curtis said decision making on critical minerals should ignore the nation’s health agency when it comes to vital medical technology.
“By ensuring the healthcare implications of critical mineral decisions are fully considered, this legislation will help safeguard public health and our medical infrastructure,” Curtis said. “Whether it’s helium or other minerals essential to producing life-saving medical devices, we must ensure that our decision-making process reflects the needs of the healthcare system.”