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12/20/05
UDALL LAUDS LAWMAKERS FOR DROPPING OIL SHALE LANGUAGE FROM FINAL BUDGET BILL
(Washington, DC) – Congressman Mark Udall (D-Eldorado Springs), member of the House Resources Committee who led the fight against controversial oil shale language in the budget reconciliation bill, released the following statement regarding the language being dropped from the final bill:
“I am pleased that budget negotiators dropped language that would have reversed a compromise over oil shale development. A crash development program would have had significant effects on local communities in terms of growth and strain on services--similar to that experienced in the past boom and busts. It also would have hurt air quality and the quality and quantity of our very limited water supplies. Many Coloradans remember the mistaken crash-development policy of the Carter Administration. It was a mistake then and it would be a mistake now.
“I support responsible oil and gas development, but we should not do it in a way that sacrifices Western lands and our quality of life. We must take full advantage of alternative fuels and other renewable energy resources and put our nation on a path to energy independence.”
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