CERCLA Reauthorization

[Vicky Peters <hwpetevl@dolsmtp.dol.state.co.us>]

PLEASE POST

Tomorrow the Commerce Committee will mark up its superfund reform bill.
It contains many liability changes, and some remedy selection provisions,
along with brownfields language and other miscellaneous matters.  It does
not, however, include the clarification of sovereign immunity which states
have been fighting for over the past 10 years or so.

Mrs. DeGette of Colorado will introduce an amendment at the markup to
address this issue.  The language will be the same as that in HR 617,
which she introduced earlier in the year as a stand alone bill.  If you
believe that the federal government should be subject to environmental
laws to the same extent as private parties, please contact your
legislators on the Commerce Committee, and urge them to support and speak
in favor of the DeGette amendment.

I know a lot of you are from CA.  CA has several members on the committee:
Christopher Cox, Brian Bilbray,James Rogan,Henry Waxman,Anna Eshoo and
Lois Capps.

Although the subcommittee markup was from all accounts very partisan,
this issue has always been bipartisan.  We need to ensure that any
superfund legislation that makes its way through Congress includes a clear
waiver of sovereign immunity so we can hold federal agencies accountable
for their pollution.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Vicky Peters at
(303)866-5068.