Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today reported that President Obama has signed a spending bill that contains funding for Albuquerque area projects.

The FY 2009 Omnibus Spending Bill, which funds the work of most federal agencies through September, contains $3.8 million Bingaman secured to begin construction of the Southwest Valley flood reduction project in Bernalillo County.  The area is subject to flooding from west mesa runoff. Storm waters flood developed areas in the southwest valley because the valley property is lower than the river. 

“Families in the southwest valley are suffering because of a lack of flood protection.  This $3.8 million is an extremely important investment in the community,” Bingaman said.

Bingaman worked to set aside funding for Albuquerque area projects.  They include:

LAW ENFORCEMENT
$500,000 New Mexico Attorney General, Anti-Methamphetamine Campaign: Funding would be used by the Office of the Attorney General to implement a state-wide campaign to combat meth, including public education efforts, media messaging, and community and law enforcement participation.  The initiative would be focused on preventing meth use by mid and high school students, and in addressing use in Native American communities where the problem is particularly severe.

$300,000 New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), Pilot Juvenile Crime Prevention Program:  Funding would be used for CYFD to implement a pilot program aimed at preventing juvenile crime through a collaborative effort of courts, probation offices, schools, local governments, support groups, and community volunteers.

$400,000 New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts, Drug Court Program:  As part of a 5-year plan to place a drug court in every county, the State has established over 35 drug courts in 24 of New Mexico’s 33 counties.  Drug courts have been very effective in New Mexico—the average drug court recidivism rate is 13.4 percent, compared with 27.5 percent nationwide.

$250,000 City of Albuquerque Police Department (APD), Family Advocacy Center:The APD recently opened the Family Advocacy Center, which co-locates law enforcement, domestic violence and child abuse advocates, and basic medical facilities, in order to provide comprehensive investigative, prosecutorial, and support services to victims of violence and sexual assault.

$1 million New Mexico Department of Public Safety (DPS), Meth Enforcement Activities:Funding would be used to enhance the DPS Narcotic Section’s ability to conduct proactive undercover operations and reduce the supply of meth in New Mexico. 

$500,000 City of Albuquerque Police Department (APD), Comprehensive Information Project: Funding would be used for APD to design, implement, and support a state-of-the-art information system.  

WATER/WASTEWATER/FLOOD CONTROL
$800,000 for USDA to contract with the Albuquerque-based National Tribal Environmental Council to continue a Native American circuit rider program to provide technical assistance for rural water systems.

$1.1 million to Bernalillo County for the North and South Valley Utilities water and wastewater project.  Since 2000, Bingaman has helped secure over $25 million for this project.

$1.1 million to continue construction of arsenic treatment systems for drinking water in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.

$3 million to continue environmental restoration work to address endangered species issues in the Middle Rio Grande pursuant to the 2003 ESA Biological Opinion and the Program’s long-term plan.  Activities to be supported with the funding include (1) species management (2) water acquisition; (3) habitat restoration; (4) water management improvements; and (5) scientific studies.

PUBLIC LANDS
$2.6 million for land acquisition of private inholdings in the Cibola National Forest

TRANSPORTATION
$617,500 for the Northwest Loop Access Road in Sandoval County

$950,000 for the City of Albuquerque to purchases buses   

$950,000 for design and construction of an Intermodal Transportation Center for Los Lunas

$313,500 for the City of Rio Rancho’s Transit Program

$92,625 for the Albuquerque Transit Facility Rehabilitation           

$95,000 for the extension of Sunport Blvd in Albuquerque to Broadway.

OTHER DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FUNDING:
$15 million to support operations at Sandia’s Z machine to continue stockpile stewardship

$6.1 million for the Sandia Ion Beam Laboratory

Bingaman helped negotiate a proposal that was signed into law last year, which fully funds the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program for the next five years.  PILT pays counties for federal lands within their borders that cannot be made part of their tax base.  The bill sets the funding level at $376 million in fiscal year 2009.