Corporados Attempt Massive Privatization of U.S. Water Supply

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
http://www.citizen.org/cmep/water

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