[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 688 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 688

   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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 11, 2003

Mr. Gibbons (for himself and Mr. Otter) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to 
the Committee on Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 
2003''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF SILVER-
              BASED BIOCIDES AS WOOD PRESERVATION TREATMENT.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (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 to arsenic-based 
        preservatives 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, and silver-based biocides 
        are used today in a wide range of applications.
            (5) As of 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 remains a readily available mineral.
            (6) The properties of silver biocide need to be further 
        studied to determine the effectiveness of its use as a wood 
        preservative.
    (b) Study Required.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall direct the 
Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, to conduct a study 
during fiscal years 2003 and 2004 regarding the effectiveness of 
silver-based biocides as a wood preservation treatment.
    (c) Funding Source.--To provide funds for the study, the Secretary 
of the Interior shall return to the Secretary of Agriculture $8,000,000 
of the funds that were transferred by the Secretary of Agriculture to 
the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to section 2507 of the Farm 
Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-171; 116 
Stat. 275; 43 U.S.C. 2211 note) and remain unobligated as of the date 
of the enactment of this Act.
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