Tahoe bill becomes bipartisan

Wednesday, Nov. 17, 1999 | 11:09 a.m.

Matching Tahoe bills were introduced this week in the Senate by California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and by Nevada Sens. Harry Reid and Richard Bryan, all Democrats, and in the House by Reps. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and John Doolittle, R-Calif.

The legislation revises an earlier Senate measure to provide $300 million over 10 years for Tahoe environmental restoration projects.

The new legislation retains the $300 million, and includes another $1 million to clean up MTBE and other contaminants at Tahoe.

Gone is a provision that would have changed the U.S. Forest Service's designation at Tahoe from a management unit to the Lake Tahoe National Scenic Forest and Recreation Area. Opponents claimed that would have resulted in more rules for the heavily regulated basin.

"We were glad to see companion bills in both the House and the Senate," said Steve Teshara of the Lake Tahoe Gaming Alliance and the Lake Tahoe Transportation and Water Quality Coalition.

"This does represent a significant step forward in our ultimate ability to be successful with the federal legislation," he added Tuesday.

Sue Yang, chairwoman of the Meyers Community Roundtable, said the group's concerns about the earlier bill's impact on private property rights apparently have been met.

"I can't speak for anybody else, but if what (Feinstein's representative) told me is true and all our demands have been met ... I can't imagine why anybody would be unhappy about it," Yang added.

Dennis Cocking of the South Tahoe Public Utility District said the district is pleased funds for MTBE cleanup have been added to the bill.

The funding would go to the district, which has lost more than a third of its wells because of MTBE contamination, and to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to establish a plan to prevent and clean up contamination of ground and surface water.