While natural gas industry spokesmen hailed the nomination ofUnited Nations Ambassador Bill Richardson to be secretary ofenergy, a leading member of the Senate Energy Committee promisedroadblocks on the way to confirmation.

President Clinton last Thursday announced his intention tonominate Richardson to replace Federico Pena who leaves the post atthe end of this month.

On the same day Sen. Larry Craig, R-ID, said he would”aggressively oppose” the nomination even though he believesRichardson “is certainly qualified to serve as secretary ofenergy.” Craig said his opposition is aimed at drawing theadministration’s attention to its “unconscionable” failure to dealwith the problem of nuclear waste. Craig said he would oppose anycandidate for the job “until the Clinton administration gives thesecretary of energy the authority to negotiate a solution to theproblem of nuclear waste. So far, the administration’s refused togrant that authority. I’ll see to it that they face theconsequences of that refusal.” A staff assistant confirmed thesenator intended to put a hold on the nomination, keeping theSenate from voting, and would lobby his colleagues to join inefforts to keep the DOE post vacant until authority over nuclearwaste accompanied the job.

Craig stressed that he had no objection to the nominee himself,who also garnered industry-wide support.

Citing Richardson’s 14 years representing New Mexico in the U.S.Congress, George Yates, chairman of the Independent PetroleumAssoc. of America, said he was “confident that Ambassador BillRichardson understands the importance of America’s domestic oil andnatural gas industry to this nation.”

“We are excited to see that the president has appointed assecretary of energy a strong, knowledgeable individual whounderstands the significance of energy to the economies of theUnited States and of the world,” said David Parker, president ofthe American Gas Assoc.

Jerry Halvorsen, president of the Interstate Natural Gas Assoc.of America labeled Richardson “a friend of the natural gas industrywho brings a wide range of experience and expertise to the EnergyDepartment.”

The head of the Electric Power Supply Assoc., Lynne Church,credited the New Mexico native with “Knowledge of energy issues,credibility on the domestic and international fronts, and thepolitical savvy to contribute to the critical energy policy issuesfacing DOE, not the least of which is bringing competitive reformsto the electricity industry.”

As a representative of a producing state, Richardson was aninvolved member of the House Energy subcommittee and committeewhich went through years of machinations in the 1980s beforefinally passing a wellhead natural gas deregulation bill.

Senate Energy Committee Chairman Frank H. Murkowski said that assoon as the nomination is sent down from the White House “I intendto move this nomination with all deliberate speed.” He notedRichardson had been through the Senate confirmation process asrecently as last year when he was approved for the UN post.

Ellen Beswick

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