Sen. Ken Salazar is blocking President Bush’s appointments to two federal agencies to protest what he considers delays in resolving an issue about mineral rights at the closed Rocky Flats bomb plant.
Salazar, D-Colo., put a hold Thursday on the nominations of two people – one for a job at the Department of Energy, which oversees Rocky Flats, and the other for the Department of the Interior, which is supposed to take it over as a wildlife refuge.
The federal government is spending $7 billion to close and clean up the plant northwest of Denver. But the government has never bought the mineral rights under the site. Officials say if they can’t get the mineral rights, gravel miners will dig up the unique tallgrass prairie.
Salazar said disagreements between Interior and Energy have stalled progress in resolving the mineral-rights issues.
“Sen. Salazar wants to impress upon the nominees the importance of resolving the issues between the two departments now, to avoid any further delay in the anticipated closure of Rocky Flats,” said Salazar spokesman Cody Wertz.
The hold is essentially a threat to filibuster a nominee. The tactic is often used by senators in both parties to pressure the administration and agencies, and is generally lifted once the issue is resolved.
But Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., said Salazar’s move may have upset delicate negotiations that he felt were moving rapidly toward a successful conclusion.
“I think Sen. Allard believes this makes it more difficult to get a deal done,” said Allard chief of staff Sean Conway.
