CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

to oppose the provision in the Senate Bill S.1961 that requires communities to consider privatization to receive federal funding.



ACT NOW! The bill will be marked up within the next two weeks.



To Send a FAX: http://www.citizen.org/fax/background.cfm?ID=34&source=18

To Read More: http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1043



The water infrastructure bill introduced in the Senate in February 2002 makes federal assistance for water systems conditional on the recipient's consideration of privatization. This language jeopardizes public access to safe and affordable drinking water.



The bill requires communities to "consider" a public-private partnership before they could receive federal money to upgrade water systems or

create water conservation projects. However, it does not define the word "consider," which could mean anything from an informal meeting with a

consultant to going through a bidding process, which would be so costly that it would be difficult to justify not privatizing.



During its testimony, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency implied that Bush administration did not support additional funding to help the country's crumbling water systems, but instead believed that privatization

is a better solution.



If the United States lists water as a service that falls under the General Agreement on Trade in Services, the bill will provide multinational water giants, such as French-based Vivendi and Suez, yet another venue to challenge public ownership and operations of water systems.



If your Senator is a member of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, please, contact her or him to express your SUPPORT for additional

federal funding for water and sewer systems and your OPPOSITION to the pro-privatization language of Section 103, J (1) of the Senate Bill S.1961.



You can also call your senator's office to express your opposition to the privatization provision:



James Jeffords, Vermont, (202) 224-5141

Robert C. Smith, New Hampshire, (202) 224-2841

Harry Reid, Nevada, (202) 224- 3542

Max Baucus, Montana (202) 224-2651

Bob Graham, Florida, (202) 224-3041

Joseph I. Lieberman, Connecticut, (202) 224-4041

Barbara Boxer, California, (202) 224-3553

Ron Wyden, Oregon, (202) 224-5244

Thomas R. Carper, Delaware, (202) 224-2441

Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York, (202) 224- 4451

Jon Corzine, New Jersey, (202) 224-4744

John Warner, Virginia, (202) 224-2023

James M. Inhofe, Oklahoma, (202) 224-4721

Christopher "Kit" Bond, Missouri, (202) 224-5721

George V. Voinovich, Ohio (202) 224- 3353

Michael D. Crapo, Idaho, (202) 224-6142

Lincoln D. Chafee, Rhode Island, (202) 224-2921

Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania, (202) 224-4254

Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Colorado, (202) 224-5852



For more information on water privatization, please, visit

www.citizen.org/cmep/water



To Send a FAX: http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1043