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PUBLIC LAW 8 7 - 2 9 5 - S E P T. 22, 1961

[75

STAT.

Public Law 87-295 AN ACT September 22, 1961

[H. R. 7916]

Saline water c o n v e r s i o n program. E x p a n sion and extension.

" S a l i n e water. "United States."

Administration.

Research development.

and

To expand and extend the saline water conversion program being conducted by the Secretary of the Interior.

Be it enacted by the Senate and. House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Act of July 3, 1952 (66 Stat. 328), as amended (42 U.S.C. 1951-1958), is further amended to read as follows: "SECTION 1. I n view of the increasing shortage of usable surface and ground water in many parts of the Nation and the importance of finding new sources of supply to meet its present and future water needs, it is the policy of the Congress to provide for the development of practicable low-cost means for the large-scale production of water of a quality suitable for municipal, industrial, agricultural, and other beneficial consumptive uses from saline water, and for studies and research related thereto. As used in this Act, the term 'saline water' includes sea water, brackish water, and other mineralized or chemically charged water, and the term 'United States' extends to and includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories and possessions of the United States. "SEC. 2. In order to accomplish the purposes of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall— " (a) conduct, encourage, and promote fundamental scientific research and basic studies to develop the best and most economical processes and methods for converting saline water into water suitable for beneficial consumptive purposes; "(b) conduct engineering research and technical development work to determine, by laboratory and pilot plant testing, the results of the research and studies aforesaid in order to develop processes and plant designs to the point where they can be demonstrated on a large and practical scale; "(c) recommend to the Congress from time to time authorization for construction and operation, or for participation in the construction and operation, of a demonstration plant for any process which he determines, on the basis of subsections (a) and (b) above, has great promise of accomplishing the purposes of this Act, such recommendation to be accompanied by a report on the size, location, and cost of the proposed plant and the engineering and economic details with respect thereto; " (d) study methods for the recovery and marketing of commercially valuable byproducts resulting from the conversion of saline water; and " (e) undertake economic studies and surveys to determine present and prospective costs of producing water for beneficial consumptive purposes in various parts of the United States by the leading saline water processes as compared with other standard methods. "SEC. 3. In carrying out his functions under section 2 of this Act, the Secretary may— " (a) acquire the services of chemists, physicists, engineers, and other personnel by contract or otherwise; "(b) enter into contracts with educational institutions, scientific organizations, and industrial and engineering firms; "(c) make research and training grants; " (d) utilize the facilities of Federal scientific laboratories; "(e) establish and operate necessary facilities and test sites at which to carry on the continuous research, testing, development, and programing necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Act;

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