[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3062 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3062

   To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study of the 
 effectiveness of silver-based biocides as an alternative treatment to 
                             preserve wood.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 4, 2002

   Mr. Craig introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study of the 
 effectiveness of silver-based biocides as an alternative treatment to 
                             preserve wood.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wood Preservation Safety Act of 
2002''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the Environmental Protection Agency, the chemical 
        industry, and the home improvement industry have negotiated a 
        voluntary agreement to phase out the use of arsenic-based 
        preservatives in pressure treated wood by December 31, 2003;
            (2) in order to maintain the wood treatment industry in the 
        United States, a suitable, safe alternative must be produced;
            (3) silver has great potential as a viable, safe, and cost-
        effective alternative as a wood preservative;
            (4) silver has been used since ancient times as a treatment 
        to prevent the spread of bacteria;
            (5) today, silver-based biocides are used in a wide range 
        of applications;
            (6) in 2001, silver was commercially produced in 12 States 
        (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, 
        Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, and 
        Washington), and silver is a readily available material; and
            (7) the properties of silver biocide need to be further 
        studied to determine the effectiveness of its use as a wood 
        preservative.

SEC. 3. STUDY OF SILVER IS A BIOCIDE.

    The Secretary of Agriculture shall direct the Forest Products 
Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, to conduct a study on of the 
effectiveness of silver-based biocides as a wood preservation 
treatment.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this Act.
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