Frank Murkowski

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Yes, the Senator is correct, the National Environmental Policy Act applies to this bill. Section 202 specifically provides that the President ``shall conduct and complete an appropriate environmental review'' of a proposed exportation. In addition he must consider appropriate measures to mitigate any potential adverse effect on the environment. There is no waiver, repeal, or change to any Federal, State, or local environmental law, rule or regulation, including the National Environmental Policy Act. There will be full compliance with all applicable environmental provisions.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. I believe it is the intention of the Senator from Washington to propose an amendment to the Murkowski amendment. Is that the intention of the Senator from Washington?

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I would ask unanimous consent that amendment 1105 previously adopted by the Senate be modified to conform to the language which I now send to the desk.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask that the bill be read for the third time.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. In testimony before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, on November 10, 1993, the chief executives representing the three major owners of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System [TAPS] made specific commitments to correct the problems identified by the various audits of TAPS. Richard Olver of BP stated, ``. . . I commit to you today to provide the necessary human resources that are required to put this plan into place and to back that up about [sic] all the necessary and appropriate financial resources.'' The owners have reaffirmed this commitment on several occasions as demonstrated by the number of human and financial resources they have provided Alyeska since those hearings. This commitment was reaffirmed again in meetings that Alyeska and the TAPS owners had just last week with various Congressmen, Senators, and staff in Washington, DC. The most apparent example of the owners commitment is the $220 million spent to address audit findings in 1994 with an additional $80 million being spent on findings this year. By the end of 1995, 85 to 90 percent of the audit findings will have been addressed. By December 1996 all but a handful of the audit items will have been resolved. Plans are in hand to address outstanding long lead issues, that is, control systems. Furthermore BLM has continual and direct oversight of TAPS as a condition of the right-of-way. BLM can in fact shut down the pipeline if the oil producers violate the right-of-way agreement and the violations lead to an imminent threat to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. When these repairs required by the audit are completed at the end of 1996, as the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources, I will request the BLM to report to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on whether the concerns raised by the audit have been adequately addressed.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, it is my intent to advise Senators that we will be calling for a rollcall vote and I will be calling for third reading. I do want to thank my friend from the State of Washington, Senator Murray, for her concern over the aspects affecting her State with regard to the oil that comes down from my State of Alaska. I also want to thank Senator Boxer for her questions and concerns reflected in colloquy. I want to thank Senator Johnston for his contribution and concern, and particularly with reference to the inclusion of deep water royalty, which is part of this legislation which I think will benefit--certainly lessening our dependence on imported oil and, as a consequence, relieve substantially our balance of payments by developing our own domestic supply which is so well supported in the Gulf of Mexico and the State of Louisiana and others. I want to thank my senior colleague, Senator Stevens. Certainly Senator Hatfield has been most cooperative. I am also very sensitive to his concern regarding his shipyard, as well as concern for the shipyards in California. Senator Feinstein has also been very cooperative. I want to recognize the staff of Senator Johnston, our own staff, Gregg Renkes, Andrew Lundquist, Gary Ellsworth, Jim Beirne, Howard Useem, Mike Poling, and others. If I may just for a moment reflect on a little bit of how I look at this legislation as an Alaskan and how my constituents view it. I think it marks another advance in the policies made by the Federal Government to Alaska when we accepted the statehood compact back in 1959. Thirty- six years is a long time to wait for the action that is about to be taken today. I think it is certainly historically significant for Alaska, if this legislation carries. We have done some significant things. We have authorized the sale of the Alaska Power Administration, the Eklutna hydro project, to the municipality of Anchorage. That has been 40 years in the making. It was first proposed back in 1955. It has been 7 years under the stewardship of Senator Stevens and myself. The sale of the Snettisham hydro project to the State of Alaska, and the Alaska Power Administration, of course, is also authorized. That has been pending for over 10 years. It is my hope, Mr. President, that my colleagues will join me in acting favorably on this bill. This action by the Senate, if it is passed, will ultimately--assuming that it receives the support of the House of Representatives--allow the export of Alaskan oil. That is the oil that is excess currently on the west coast, oil that used to go through the Panama Canal. This action, I might add, is supported by the administration and the President and with the concurrence of this body and, hopefully, the House of Representatives. Now for the very first time Alaskan oil can look forward to a truly free market. While perhaps we Alaskans are still not free from the Federal yoke, some of the load has been lifted from the shoulders of Alaska, if this passes today. And perhaps this marks a favorable sign for the time.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. I am sure it will be more than a minute or a couple of minutes, but I will yield for that purpose.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. The Senator from Minnesota is correct. I anticipate that we are within 3 or 4 minutes of calling for third reading and a recorded vote.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. If I can respond to my friend from Oregon, his particular reference to patience is one that I have had an opportunity to observe, as the Senator from Oregon has displayed this as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, both as ranking member and as chairman, for as long as I have been in this body, some 15 years. And he has accumulated an extraordinary ability in negotiation, using both his historical interest of this body as well as a history of many of our Presidents and his patience and oftentimes humor in moving along problems and has led me to view him with admiration and respect. I am particularly appreciative of his comments today. Mr. President, I am not sure. If I may make an inquiry of the Senator from Washington, is it her intention to make another statement, or are we perhaps waiting? I did not hear the last reference.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I fully understand and appreciate the concern of the Senator from Washington in this area. I can assure you, based on information that I have from British Petroleum and others, a security of supply to the Northwest independent refiners will not be a problem. I can assure the Senator, if there are supply disruptions, I will personally work with her and other Members of the Washington delegation to address that problem to the very best of my ability.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, it is my understanding we had an opportunity to review the amendment and, indeed, the amendment is in order, as suggested by the Senator from Washington. I am well aware of her concern for her own economic activity associated with Alaskan oil. We find the amendment satisfactory. I am pleased to accept it at this time. It does meet with satisfaction the terms and conditions which we agreed to mutually.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Yes, I have reviewed the language and agree.

Mr. MURKOWSKI. I appreciate the cooperative effort as evidenced by the Senator from Washington. It has been a pleasure working with her staff, and we do accept the amendment. I think it is a tribute to the Senator from the State of Washington for addressing obviously an environmental need, and I feel confident that her contribution by this amendment will ensure a greater degree of safety associated with the movement of oil from my State to her refinery. As a consequence, we are pleased to accept the amendment.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. MURKOWSKI

Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I believe there has been a request for a brief period of morning business. I would so ask unanimous consent that Senators wishing to speak in morning business be allowed to do so.