WASHINGTON — After months of battling, Colorado’s two senators agreed Tuesday on how to divide money from energy drilling on part of the Roan Plateau, potentially bringing more than $44 million to the state.
Republican Wayne Allard and Democrat Ken Salazar introduced a bill that would force the federal government to give Colorado half the $88 million in revenue from drilling leases at the former Navy Oil Shale Reserve.
Held in a trust fund, the cache is growing by about $1.5 million a month.
“We’ve worked out our differences, and we’re ready to go,” Allard said. “All we’ve got to do is figure out how to get it passed.”
But that might not be easy.
The Bush administration disagrees that Colorado has a right to half the money and in its 2009 budget proposes taking $25 million of it.
The Interior Department believes the law provides for Colorado to share money in the fund only after cleanup of the Anvil Points Research Facility in Rifle is certified, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne told Allard on Tuesday at an Appropriations subcommittee hearing.
“If you look at the intent of the legislation (that set up the fund), I think the intent of the interpretation is pretty clear” that the state should share it, Allard told Kempthorne.
The fund was set up when the land was transferred to the Bureau of Land Management, with the intent that part of it would pay for the Anvil Points cleanup.
In Salazar and Allard’s bill, the $23 million cleanup would come out of the federal share.
Of the state’s share, 80 percent would be split equally between Garfield County and Rio Blanco County. Moffat and Mesa counties would each get half of the remaining 20 percent.
The money is to help pay for environmental and other damage from the drilling, Salazar has said.
“This bill ensures that our West Slope communities can use those funds to maintain the natural habitat, infrastructure and quality of life that make Colorado the best state in the nation,” Salazar said.
Salazar had earlier offered a bill giving the money to Garfield and Rio Blanco counties, arguing that those are the places most affected by the energy development.
Allard had offered a separate bill earlier. He said he wanted the money to help Western Slope communities, but his bill didn’t specify which ones.
Salazar proposed the new split. Allard agreed after conferring with leaders from Western Slope counties.
Rep. John Salazar, a Manassa Democrat, will offer the same bill in the House.
Anne C. Mulkern: 202-662-8907 or amulkern@denverpost.com
