Senate subcommittee approves Interior-EPA spending bill

Acting swiftly, a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday boosted President Bush's request to fund land, air and water programs in a $26.1 billion fiscal 2007 spending bill for the Interior Department and conservation agencies.

The Interior Appropriations Subcommittee approved its $26.1 billion measure by voice vote. Members complied with the request of Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Conrad Burns, R-Mont., to hold off amendments until the full committee meets. The bill compares with $26.3 billion enacted for fiscal 2006, $25.5 billion Bush requested and $25.9 billion proposed by the House last month.

The House also adopted an amendment to stop giving oil and gas companies relief from paying royalties while fuel prices are at record highs. Senate said a similar proposal is expected in the full committee.

It has been estimated that energy firms have saved about $10 billion in royalties. The fuel companies had been allowed to forgive royalties as an encouragement to drill offshore in the Gulf of Mexico at a time when fuel prices were much lower.

Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, said he would propose in full committee a one-year moratorium on the EPA for enforcing fines on small water districts that cannot meet new arsenic standards. A committee staffer said small communities do not have the money to upgrade their systems and fines would place a bigger burden on them.

The measure includes $9.87 billion for the Interior Department, including $1.8 billion for the Bureau of Land Management, which is $50.2 million over the current year. The Superfund program received $1.26 billion, which is $19.2 million over this year. Most of the Superfund money, $833 million goes toward cleanup of toxic areas, $10.1 million more than the Bush budget.