Angie Craig: “I rise to address a specific provision of the Murkowski substitute amendment to Senate bill 104, the Nuclear Waste…”

“I rise to address a specific provision of the Murkowski substitute amendment to Senate bill 104, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1997. This provision is also in the bill as introduced, and was in similar legislation passed by this body in the last session of Congress. This provision is of special importance to my State and I wish, therefore, to clarify its appearance in this important legislation. I refer specifically to section 101, entitled ``Obligations of the Secretary of Energy,'' paragraph (f), which states, ``Nothing in this act is intended to or shall be construed to modify . . . obligations imposed upon the Federal Government by the U.S. District Court of Idaho in an order entered on October 17, 1995, in United States v. Batt (No. 91-0054-S-EJL).'' Mr. President, the consent order referred to in section 101 of S. 104 binds the State of Idaho, through the Attorney General, and Gov. Philip E. Batt in his official capacity; the Department of Energy, through the general counsel and assistant secretary for environmental management; and the Department of the Navy, through the general counsel and director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program to certain terms and conditions to fully resolve all issues in the actions Public Service Co. of Colorado versus Batt and United States versus Batt.”