Construction can begin on A

Construction can begin on A-LP

Nov 10, 2001

DURANGO, Colo. (AP) — The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation authorized construction to begin Friday on the Animas-La Plata water project, although digging is at least a year away.

With the designation, the bureau can begin "irreversible construction," which would make stopping the project much more difficult.

"It’s a huge step forward," lawyer Sam Maynes said. "If the environmental groups are going to file, they’ll have to do so before any irreversible construction."

The Animas-La Plata project was designed to supply water to tribes to settle century-old water rights disputes.

A lawsuit by a coalition of environmental groups derailed the project’s first official start date in 1992. That resulted in an injunction against "irreversible construction," nine years of project revision, new environmental impact studies and funding cutbacks.

Now the groups are considering whether to file another lawsuit to delay the project before irreversible construction begins, their lawyer Lori Potter said.

The watchdog group Citizens Progressive Alliance filed a lawsuit last month accusing the Department of Interior of violating the federal Freedom of Information Act.

It contends the department did not provide a report evaluating the Ute tribes water rights.

"We think the documents we are likely to get will expose so many violations of law and federal policy that it would be sufficient evidence to call for a grand jury investigation," said group spokeswoman Jeanne Englert.

The $343.8 million Animas-La Plata project was authorized last year by Congress after the Clinton administration supported a scaled-back version.

The legislation spells out a seven-year time frame for completion, with funds approved year by year.

Also, Congress has approved $17 million for the project so far.

"This will be enough to give us a good start," said Pat Schumacher of the Bureau of Reclamation.

The funding fell short of the $21 million originally requested. It will pay for some key initial elements of the project:.