[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 56 (Monday, March 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S4656]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-51. A resolution adopted by the Assembly of the 
     Municipality of Florida, Puerto Rico relative to nuclear 
     devices; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
       POM-52. A resolution adopted by the Legislature of the 
     State of Nebraska; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources.

                      ``Legislative Resolution 49

       ``Whereas, the Clinton Administration and the Congress of 
     the United States are considering proposals to sell the five 
     federal power marketing administrations, including the 
     Western Area Power Administration, in order to fund a tax cut 
     for middle-income Americans; and
       ``Whereas, Nebraska's publicly-owned electric utilities 
     receive a low-cost hydroelectric power from federal dams 
     operated by the Western Area Power Administration, the 
     University of Nebraska receives approximately eighty percent 
     of its power from the Western Area Power Administration, and 
     the privatization of the Western Area Power Administration 
     will significantly increase wholesale power costs for 
     electric utilities statewide which will result in increased 
     rates for Nebraska ratepayers; and
       ``Whereas, Nebraska is the only all-public-power state in 
     the nation, with Nebraska's electric utilities offering rates 
     among the lowest ten percent in the nation, and selling the 
     Western Area Power Administration will lessen this rate 
     advantage which will detrimentally impact economic 
     development in Nebraska and will also burden the existing 
     agriculture and business industry in Nebraska, including the 
     fact that a portion of the federal hydropower allocated to 
     Nebraska is specifically designated for irrigation; and
       ``Whereas, the Nebraska Power Association has estimated 
     that this proposal could cost Nebraska ratepayers more than 
     fifty million dollars annually, the proposal is unnecessary 
     and burdensome, and the ratepayers purchasing electricity 
     through the Western Area Power Administration have repaid a 
     major part of the original investment with interest; now, 
     therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the members of the Ninety-fourth Legislature 
     of Nebraska, first session:
       ``1. That the Legislature opposes the sale, transfer, 
     exchange, lease, or other disposition of the Western Area 
     Power Administration due to the significant fiscal impact 
     such a sale would have on Nebraska ratepayers.
       ``2. That the Clerk of the Legislature transmit a copy of 
     this resolution to the President of the United States, the 
     President pro tempore of the United States Senate, the 
     Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and to 
     the members of the Nebraska delegation to the Congress of the 
     United States.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-53. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Wyoming; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources.

               ``Enrolled Joint Resolution No. 3, Senate

       ``Whereas, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has 
     prepared an environmental impact statement analysis for the 
     Altamont Natural Gas Pipeline; and
       ``Whereas, the Altamont Natural Gas Pipeline will have a 
     significant adverse economic impact upon the employment and 
     service-related sectors of certain areas of the state of 
     Wyoming; and
       ``Whereas, the adverse economic impact will affect local, 
     county and Wyoming state government; and
       ``Whereas, the Altamont Natural Gas Pipeline will also have 
     an adverse effect upon natural gas producers in this state 
     since the pipeline will carry natural gas produced in Canada 
     and will carry such gas into an already declining market; and
       ``Whereas, the pipeline may have adverse impacts upon 
     historical resources in South Pass; Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the members of the Legislature of the State 
     of Wyoming:
       ``Section 1. That Congress direct the Federal Energy 
     Regulatory Commission to reconsider in its final 
     environmental impact statement the socioeconomic impacts 
     arising from construction of the pipeline and the adverse 
     economic impacts and resultant effects upon the employment, 
     government and natural gas industry in this state caused by 
     importation of natural gas from Canada.
       ``Section 2. That Congress direct the Secretary of the 
     Interior to prevent issuance by the Bureau of Land management 
     of the required right-of-way grant across public lands in 
     Wyoming until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has 
     completed reconsideration of the socioeconomic impacts of the 
     project.
       ``Section 3. That the Secretary of State of Wyoming 
     transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the 
     United States, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker 
     of the House of Representatives of the United States 
     Congress, to the Secretary of the Interior and to the Wyoming 
     Congressional Delegation.''
     

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