Jim Inhofe: “I just found out that the distinguished Senator from New Mexico, Mr. Domenici, has filed an amendment that is a…”

“I just found out that the distinguished Senator from New Mexico, Mr. Domenici, has filed an amendment that is a slimmed-down version of the Energy bill. I just have to stake out a position early because it is my understanding that the safe harbor language that was in H.R. 6 that is so fair and so necessary is not a part of the slimmed-down version. If it is not in the bill, I am not going to be able to support the bill. I will do everything I can for the Senator from New Mexico, but this is very serious. The bill should permit that manufacturers, producers, marketers, traders and distributors of gasoline containing federally approved oxygenate MTBE cannot be sued under a claim that it is a defective product. The Federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 created the reformulated gas. The reformulated gas program said they had to use oxygenates. The most prevalent oxygenate to be used in these reformulated gases is MTBE. In fact, EPA specifically approved MTBE for this purpose.”