Coburn Criticizes Spending Priorities On Water Projects Bill

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn called on Congress Thursday to address its spending priorities before passing a $20 billion water projects bill that would include funds to help buy out properties

Thursday, August 2nd 2007, 3:37 pm

By: News On 6


TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn called on Congress Thursday to address its spending priorities before passing a $20 billion water projects bill that would include funds to help buy out properties in the polluted Tar Creek Superfund site.

If the Water Resources Development Act passes, the Republican senator did not specify whether he would back a veto promised this week by President Bush. Among other concerns, Bush says the bill contains too many expensive pet projects.

Fellow Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe, the co-author of the bill, has said he would work to get enough votes to override a presidential veto.

``While I believe passage of a WRDA bill is long overdue and necessary, I am concerned Congress has been unable to figure out a way to deal with the nearly $60 billion backlog of more than 500 (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) projects already authorized and awaiting funding,'' Coburn said in a statement.

Coburn said the WRDA would likely pass with ``overwhelming support, but sooner or later, Congress must deal with this overwhelming backlog.''

Since the Senate hasn't been presented a final bill to vote on, Coburn is calling for Congress to address the concerns with the water projects bill so the president doesn't have to veto the legislation, spokesman Aaron Cooper said.

``Absent a serious effort to prioritize future spending, we will never be able to fund the new projects in this bill much less the projects previously promised by Congress,'' Coburn said.

Inhofe's office said the bill wasn't ``perfect,'' but that the WRDA, which should be enacted every two years, ``is now five years overdue, accounting for much of the size of the bill.'' Inhofe also noted the bill has bipartisan support.

In addition to funding other water projects throughout the state, the bill would provide $30 million to assist with relocating homes and businesses in the 40-square-mile Tar Creek Superfund site in northeastern Oklahoma.

Tar Creek has become one of the oldest and largest cleanup sites in the United States after decades of lead and zinc mining.

Last year, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study found more than 100 homes in the town of Picher were in danger of collapsing into old mines, and local children repeatedly have tested high for dangerous levels of lead in their blood.

Related Stories:

10/3/2006 Group Gets Buyout Requests From Tar Creek Area

10/15/2006 Residents Of Mine-Polluted Ottawa County Town Preparing For Buyout

11/13/2006 Officials To Give Tar Creek Buyout Information

12/19/2006 Appraisals Begin For Tar Creek Federal Buyout

2/12/2007 Voters Deciding Fate Of School District

2/12/2007 Tar Creek Trust Says Land Was Given Away

3/3/2007 Oklahoma Town Is A Toxic Waste Site

4/7/2007 Delay In Offers, Low Assessments Worry Some Tar Creek Residents

5/10/2007 Tar Creek Buyout Continues Amid Funding Concerns

5/18/2007 Tar Creek Pollution Called Regional Problem

6/30/2007 Former Lawmaker To Lead Tar Creek Trust
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