SALT WATER DISTILLATION PLANT, ST. THOMAS Dr. BARTLETT. These funds are to provide for depreciated equipment and for expansion of the power distribution system throughout the islands. Chairman HAYDEN. What is the status of the salt water distillation plant at St. Thomas? When is it expected to be in operation and what is the expected cost of water per 1,000 gallons? Dr. BARTLETT. All of the major components for the plant have been purchased and many have been delivered. The contract for construction was awarded about 45 days ago, and the contractor is on the job. He has 265 days to complete, which will come in about mid-October, and at that time we should be in operation if everything goes on schedule. The estimated cost of the water is now placed at $1.75 per thousand. Bechtel Corp. bid the engineering for the job. Chairman HAYDEN. My recollection is that when this matter was first brought to the attention of the committee it was suggested that certain experimental work was being undertaken-in Texas, I believe. Was it that same process that was adopted in the Virgin Islands? Dr. BARTLETT. I don't know the particular Texas process. There are five of these experimental plants and ours is based on what they call the long-tube type under a vacuum process of distillation. Chairman HAYDEN. It is based on one of plants somewhere in the United States? Dr. BARTLETT. When we went out on bids for the plant, we offered the prospective bidders to bid on any type of equipment, and it was interesting that all five bidders bid on the same type of equipment for this plant as being the most tested. Chairman HAYDEN. Could that have been due to the fact that there were certain specifications? Dr. BARTLETT. No; there was no specification with the type of plant that could have been constructed. It was just for a plant to produce some thousands of gallons of water per year. Chairman HAYDEN. That is all that we have to inquire about. 68806-61-22 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES Dr. BARTLETT. In connection with the $180,000, Mrs. Halpin said it is in connection with our administration funds, an increase of $8,000 over the $172,000 current year limitation on administrative expenses. Chairman HAYDEN. Thank you very much for your appearance. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY STATEMENTS OF THOMAS B. NOLAN, DIRECTOR; ARTHUR A. BAKER, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR; ROBERT H. LYDDAN, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR; GEORGE D. WHITMORE, CHIEF TOPOGRAPHIC ENGINEER; CHARLES A. ANDERSON, CHIEF GEOLOGIST; LUNA B. LEOPOLD, CHIEF HYDRAULIC ENGINEER; HAROLD J. DUNCAN, CHIEF, CONSERVATION DIVISION; ROBERT L. MORAVETZ, PUBLICATIONS OFFICER; PERRY B. SIMMS, ACTING EXECUTIVE OFFICER; AND FRED E. STEARNS, BUDGET OFFICER ESTIMATE, 1962, AND HOUSE ACTION Chairman HAYDEN. There will be placed in the record the 1962 budget estimate for the Geological Survey, which is $50,165,000, an increase of $4,209,000 over fiscal year 1961. The House of Representatives reduced your budget request by $665,000, declining to restore a portion of the pay act increases, which will have to be absorbed, and by not providing additional funds for general administration. You have asked that $329,000 of this amount be restored by the Senate. As I understand your appeal, $220,000 of the restoration will be used for water resources investigations, and $109,000 will be for general administration costs. What will you do about the remaining $336,000 for which you initially asked? (The justification follows:) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SURVEYS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT STATEMENT The long-range objectives of Geological Survey programs are to determine and evaluate the quantity, quality, and distribution of the mineral and water resources of the United States, its territories and possessions, to provide topographic map coverage of these areas at scales adequate to meet modern needs, to classify the public lands as to their mineral character and waterpower potential, and to supervise oil, gas, and mining leases on public lands. The economic growth of the United States has been due, in large part, to the combination of an original generous endowment of natural resources and the ingenuity of its peoples in recognizing, developing, and utilizing these resources. As new mineral and fuel deposits become more and more difficult to find and as increasing urbanization strains the limits of presently available water supplies in the more densely populated areas, the surveys, investigations, and research carried out by the Geological Survey assume greater and greater importance if the Nation is to continue to expand its economy and maintain the highest standard of living in the world. The importance of the Survey's programs and the need for the expansion of many of these programs to provide technical support to an expanding economy has been recognized and supported by such groups as the President's Cabinet Committee on Mineral Policy, the National Science Founda tion's Advisory Committee on Minerals Research, and the Senate Select Committee on National Water Resources. An important element in the objective of supporting and stimulating the Nation's growth is the ability to economically discover, and accurately appraise, new sources of minerals and water. Today, with unsettled conditions existing in many parts of the world, we find ourselves, for example, importing a large percentage of our beryllium ore from the Congo, appreciable chromite ore from Africa and Cuba, and tin ore from the Congo and the Far East. In contrast to the U.S.S.R., which has become one of the most self-sufficient nations in mineral raw materials of any of the world's leading industrial powers, the complete dependence of the United States on foreign sources for certain essential commodities could be disastrous. We are similarly faced with the need to provide new or better sources of water supply for a population that is progressively shifting from a rural to an urban environment, and in the process, degrading the water supplies of that new environment by industrial and human pollution. In the long run, we can meet these challenges to the future health of our economy by developing the ability to supplement existing supplies of such resources by continually improving our ability to find or utilize additional supplies efficiently. The programs of the Geological Survey are designed to provide the basic knowledge and understanding of our resources that will be needed if we are to achieve this goal. An appropriation of $50,165,000 is requested for fiscal year 1962, an increase of $4,209,000 over the current year as summarized on pages GS-2 through 4. The total program of the Geological Survey, estimated at $77,200,000 in 1962, is financed approximately 65 percent by direct appropriation, 16 percent by contributions from State and municipal agencies, and the balance by reimbursement from Federal agencies and sundry non-Federal entities. Financing of Geological Survey programs, fiscal years 1960, 1961, and 1962 (as of Jan. 1, 1961) Financing of Geological Survey programs, fiscal years 1960, 1961, and 1962 (as of Jan. 1, 1961)—Continued Surveys, investigations, and research Appropriations, 1960 (total amount available) – $42, 350, 000 $43, 650, 000 43, 950, 000 2, 006, 000 Adjustment for increased pay costs: Pay cost supplemental Total amount available, 1961.... SUMMARY OF INCREASES, 1962 Pay costs to provide for increased pay costs on full-year basis.__ Topographic surveys and mapping to provide for expanded program of standard quadrangle mapping so as to more nearly satisfy the increasing needs for maps.. Geologic and mineral resource surveys and mapping: To accelerate geologic mapping activities and acquisition of geologic data throughout the Nation, including $300,000 to match increased State offerings in Kentucky.... To provide for advancing and intensifying fundamental studies in theoretical and experimental geology, including geochronology and stable isotope studies and geology applied to medical and materials research.. Water resources investigations: To expand research in basic hydraulics and hydrology in order to keep pace with intensified water problems +$490,000 45, 956, 000 +687, 000 +1, 333, 000 +553, 000 +1,043, 000 +323, 000 To match anticipated increase in State offerings. Conservation of lands and minerals to provide for accelerated classification of Federal lands as to their mineral character, and to provide for normal increases in operating expenses. General administration to provide for normal increases in operating expenses, some long-deferred improvements in the administrative activity, and an expansion of the internal audit program.. Net change, 1962............. Budget estimate, 1962. --- + 869, 000 +168, 000 +109, 000 +4, 209, 000 50, 165, 000 |