KTUU: Murkowski's volcano bill gets renewed support in Senate
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski says the Iceland volcano is heating up support for more volcano monitoring here in the United States.
Her bill would fund monitoring of another 20 of the nation's high priority volcanoes and establish 24-hour watch centers.
Murkowski's proposal was ridiculed by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal last year, but she says the economic disruptions caused by the volcano in Iceland are changing minds in Washington, D.C.
"I think it has absolutely changed the minds, changed the attitudes. All of a sudden people are looking at these volcanoes and saying, 'There may be more to it than I had thought,' and I think some of those who did pooh-pooh the Volcano Observatory and the funding for that have had their eyes opened," Murkowski said.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has approved the bill and it is now awaiting action by the full Senate.
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Source: By Channel 2 News staff. Originally published April 21, 2010
