FUNDING BILL AWAITS BUSH'S SIGNATURE JPL MARS SURVEYOR INCLUDED.

Byline: Bill Hillburg Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - House and Senate conferees on Thursday gave final approval to a major 2001-02 budget bill that includes full funding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Mars Surveyor Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.

Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, and David Dreier, R-Covina, said the Mars Program will receive $430.9 million, the amount sought by NASA and JPL officials. In addition, conferees agreed that JPL should remain the project site for the Europa probe of a moon of Jupiter and for NASA's Telecommunications and Missions Operations Directorate.

The original Senate version of the $85.4 billion Department of Veterans Services-Department of Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill, which includes funding for NASA, had called for a $50 million cut in the Mars program budget and for relocating the Europa mission and the directorate to other facilities. JPL officials had estimated the moves would result in the loss of 1,200 jobs.

The spending bill, expected to be signed into law by President George W. Bush, also includes Schiff's request for $750,000 to develop a Glendale treatment facility that will remove toxic chromium 6 and other heavy metals from the city's drinking water.

The measure also includes the following outlays for local projects:

--$750,000 requested by Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Oxnard, to complete and implement a Calleguas Creek watershed management plan in eastern Ventura County.

--$740,000 to the city of Lancaster for the Lancaster National Soccer Center.

--$485,000 to the Metropolitan Water District for desalination studies.

--$190,000 to the city of Simi Valley to expand the Simi Valley Senior Center.

--$100,000 to the American Film Institute for a training program for public school teachers.