House Republicans on Friday proposed an $11.4 billion fund, with the oil industry providing about one-third of it, to pay for cleaning water systems contaminated by the gasoline additive MTBE.
The Republicans hope the proposal can help clear the way for passage of a broad energy bill.
The plan would give makers of MTBE, which has been found to contaminate drinking water supplies in at least 36 states, protection against product liability lawsuits brought by communities facing billions of dollars in cleanup costs.
But the cleanup fund proposal immediately drew criticism from all sides in the MTBE dispute, from the oil industry to community water agencies that say they are facing billions of dollars in cleanup costs.
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) presented the proposal to Senate leaders involved in energy bill negotiations. They reserved comment on the plan, saying it needed closer examination.
