Tar Creek Buyout: Inhofe Touts Bill That Would OK Rest of Funding
By Jim Myers, Tulsa World, Okla.
May 16–WASHINGTON — A major water resources bill that U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe is helping to steer through Congress would authorize enough money to fund the rest of a buyout program at the Tar Creek Superfund site.
The Oklahoma Republican said Tuesday that he did not know how much money actually would be requested to fund the buyout during the appropriations process later this year.
Inhofe again expressed confidence, however, that funds for the buyout would be available when needed.
"We are on target to complete it," he said. "Things are working well."
Authorization language for the Tar Creek buyout funding in the Water Resources Development Act, which is on the Senate floor this week, comes to $35 million.
Inhofe is not expected to request the full amount during the upcoming appropriations process.
"I can’t tell you (how much will be sought) right now because we haven’t been told by the state of Oklahoma how short they are going to be at about two different intervals," he said. "One is going to be in June, and the other the end
of the fiscal year."
A Senate aide who is familiar with the process said he expects that the request this year will come to about $10 million.
Inhofe, whose efforts already have put about $19 million in the pipeline, said he has spoken to key members of the appropriations panel about more funding.
"I feel very confident that we are going to be taken care of," he said.
Although the current water resources bill only authorizes funding and does not include any actual money, having the Tar Creek language in a bill signed into law by the president is significant.
"You can always get an appropriations without an authorization, but it’s going to be easi- er with an authorization," Inhofe said.
He said he feels good about the work already under way for the Tar Creek buyout.
"We are working with the governor, and I have to say working very well with the administration in Oklahoma," he said.
Oklahoma’s other U.S. senator, Republican Tom Coburn, has worked against the $13.9-billion water resources bill, criticizing it as yet another example of lawmakers’ inability to prioritize federal funding.
Coburn offered two amendments on a visitor center in Louisiana and a beach project in California.
Both amendments were rejected easily.
Asked about Coburn’s stance on the legislation, Inhofe conceded that it made his job "perhaps a little more difficult."
"These are authorization bills," he said. "If you don’t like the projects, you can vote for the authorization bill and then vote against the appropriation when it comes up.
"I might very well do that," he added.
A number of other Oklahoma projects would be authorized by passage of the water resources bill, including one to encourage development on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ lakes in the state.
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Jim Myers (202) 484-1424 jim.myers@tulsaworld.com
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Copyright (c) 2007, Tulsa World, Okla.
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