Mayors Decry Multi-Billion Dollar MTBE Unfunded Mandate Approved by the Ho

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http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=46243

WASHINGTON, April 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The nation's mayors express their extreme disappointment that the U.S. House of Representatives chose to impose a significant financial burden upon local budgets and local taxpayers rather than require the responsible parties -- MTBE manufacturers -- to pay the cost of cleaning up polluted local drinking water supplies.

The House has imposed another unfunded federal mandate on the backs of local governments, and missed a real opportunity to reaffirm the full intent and spirit of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, which is now enjoying its 10th anniversary.

We thank the many members in the House who supported the amendment to strike a provision in the Energy Bill that grants immunity to the manufactures of MTBE, which despite bi-partisan support narrowly lost by a mere 6-vote margin of 213 to 219.

We are hopeful that the U.S. Senate will reject this unwarranted cost shift to local governments and their taxpayers