Bill proposes dredging funds

Committee suggests $5 million for Upper Bay; House, Senate still must pass the spending measure.A House-Senate conference committee recommended Monday that $5 million be allocated for the Upper Newport Bay dredging project during the current fiscal year.

The recommendation is part of more than $30 billion in allocations put forward by the conference committee in the fiscal year 2006 energy and water appropriations bill. The $5-million amount for dredging represents a middle course between proposed allocations in different versions of the bill.

In Congress, conference committees resolve differences between bills passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Former Rep. Chris Cox obtained a $2-million dredging allocation in the House version of the bill, whereas Sen. Dianne Feinstein secured a $7-million allocation in the Senate version.

The conference committee’s revised version of the spending bill must be passed by both the House and Senate before being sent to President George W. Bush for final approval.

Feinstein urged support for dredging funds during an October visit to the Upper Newport Bay. The bay and the nature preserve that surrounds the water serve as a recreation spot for people and a habitat for wild animals and plants.

Under a spending plan for dredging that the Orange County Board of Supervisors endorsed in August, the project would cost more than $39 million over three years. More than $25 million in dredging-related funds would come from the Army Corps of Engineers, the federal agency in charge of the work.

The $5-million allocation proposed by the conference committee would be applied to the Army Corps’ share of the dredging expenses.

Officials have advocated dredging for the bay to prevent the estuary from filling with sediments that flow into the water.

Feinstein’s representatives said they were “very pleased” with the recommendation. Local city and county officials could not be reached for comment late Monday.

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers business and the environment. He can be reached at (714) 966-4624 or by e-mail at andrew.edwards@latimes.com.