SENATE STRIPS EARMARKS FROM 'BRIDGES TO NOWHERE'

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 15 , 2005

Statement by Sierra Club Executive Director, Carl Pope

The Senate Appropriations Committee removed earmarks for two controversial "bridges to nowhere" in Alaska: the Gravina bridge, which would connect Ketchikan to an island of 50 people, and the Knik Arm bridge, which would link Anchorage to a sparsely populated area. The projects have been the subject of strong criticism because of the general backlog of existing roads and bridges in desperate need of repair, especially those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. According to the National Association of Civil Engineers, one in four bridges nationwide is structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, not including the damage from Katrina and Rita.

The issue has been particularly controversial for Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) who has served as a strong advocate for the Gravina bridge despite the fact that her family owns 33-acres of undeveloped land 3/4 of a mile from the point where the bridge would touch down. Since the State would now decide how the money would be spent, her father, Governor Frank Murkowski, would now face the same ethical scrutiny.

Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, responded to the news with the following statement:

"Most Americans are risking their lives driving on crumbling roads and bridges that don't get fixed because there simply isn't enough money. That explains why there was such a visceral public reaction to the idea of wasting national tax dollars on two bridges to nowhere in Alaska.

"Removing the budget earmarks for these projects is absolutely the right thing to do, but it doesn't actually mean the money will go where it is needed most, namely to fixing our nation's existing roads and bridges. We are particularly disappointed that the money was not redirected to rebuilding transportation infrastructure along the Gulf Coast.

"There are still outstanding ethical issues that have not been addressed. We have voiced concerns about the role that Senator Lisa Murkowski played advocating for the Gravina bridge despite the fact that the project would likely benefit her family personally. Passing the buck onto the State of Alaska doesn't erase those conflict of interest questions. It merely shifts them to her father, Governor Frank Murkowski.


"Given the overwhelming opposition to the idea of wasting federal tax dollars on these projects, state officials would be wise to spend the money prudently. If this ends up being a back door way to pay for the Gravina and Knik Arm bridges, it will amount to a complete betrayal of American taxpayers, not to mention American values."

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