[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1687 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1687
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the
preservation and interpretation of the historic sites of the Manhattan
Project for potential inclusion in the National Park System.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 30 (legislative day, September 29), 2003
Mr. Bingaman (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, and Mrs. Murray) introduced
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the
preservation and interpretation of the historic sites of the Manhattan
Project for potential inclusion in the National Park System.
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 ``Manhattan Project National
Historical Park Study Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) the Manhattan Project, the World War II effort to
develop and construct the world's first atomic bomb, represents
an extraordinary era of American and world history that--
(A) included remarkable achievements in science and
engineering made possible by innovative partnerships
among Federal agencies, universities, and private
industries; and
(B) culminated in a transformation of the global
society by ushering in the atomic age;
(2) the Manhattan Project was an unprecedented
$2,200,000,000, 3-year, top-secret effort that employed
approximately 130,000 men and women at its peak;
(3) the Manhattan Project sites contain historic resources
that are crucial for the interpretation of the Manhattan
Project, including facilities in--
(A) Oak Ridge, Tennessee (where the first uranium
enrichment facilities and pilot-scale nuclear reactor
were built);
(B) Hanford, Washington (where the first large-
scale reactor for producing plutonium was built);
(C) Los Alamos, New Mexico (where the atomic bombs
were designed and built); and
(D) Trinity Site, New Mexico (where the explosion
of the first nuclear device took place);
(4) the Secretary of the Interior has recognized the
national significance in American history of Manhattan Project
facilities in the study area by--
(A) designating the Los Alamos Scientific
Laboratory in the State of New Mexico as a National
Historic Landmark in 1965 and adding the Laboratory to
the National Register of Historic Places in 1966;
(B) designating the Trinity Site on the White Sands
Missile Range in the State of New Mexico as a National
Historic Landmark in 1965 and adding the Site to the
National Register of Historic Places in 1966;
(C) designating the X-10 Graphite Reactor at the
Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the State of Tennessee
as a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and adding the
Reactor to the National Register of Historic Places in
1966;
(D) adding the Oak Ridge Historic District to the
National Register of Historic Places in 1991;
(E) adding the B Reactor at the Hanford Site in the
State of Washington to the National Register of
Historic Places in 1992; and
(F) by adding the Oak Ridge Turnpike, Bear Creek
Road, and Bethel Valley Road Checking Stations in the
State of Tennessee to the National Register of Historic
Places in 1992;
(5) the Hanford Site has been nominated by the Richland
Operations Office of the Department of Energy and the
Washington State Historic Preservation Office for addition to
the National Register of Historic Places;
(6) a panel of experts convened by the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation in 2001 reported that the development and
use of the atomic bomb during World War II has been called
``the single most significant event of the 20th century'' and
recommended that various sites be formally established ``as a
collective unit administered for preservation, commemoration,
and public interpretation in cooperation with the National Park
Service'';
(7) the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation reported
in 2001 that the preservation and interpretation of the
historic sites of the Manhattan Project offer significant value
as destinations for domestic and international tourists; and
(8) preservation and interpretation of the Manhattan
Project historic sites are necessary for present and future
generations to fully appreciate the extraordinary undertaking
and complex consequences of the Manhattan Project.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(2) Study.--The term ``study'' means the study authorized
by section 4(a).
(3) Study area.--The term ``study area'' means the
following Manhattan Project sites:
(A) Los Alamos National Laboratory and townsite in
the State of New Mexico.
(B) The Trinity Site on the White Sands Missile
Range in the State of New Mexico.
(C) The Hanford Site in the State of Washington.
(D) Oak Ridge Laboratory in the State of Tennessee.
(E) Other significant sites relating to the
Manhattan Project determined by the Secretary to be
appropriate for inclusion in the study.
SEC. 4. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.
(a) Study.-- ---
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a special
resource study of the study area to assess the national
significance, suitability, and feasibility of designating the
various historic sites and structures of the study area as a
unit of the National Park System in accordance with section
8(c) of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)).
(2) Administration.--In conducting the study, the Secretary
shall--
(A) consult with the Secretary of Energy, the
Secretary of Defense, State, tribal, and local
officials, representatives of interested organizations,
and members of the public; and
(B) evaluate, in coordination with the Secretary of
Energy and the Secretary of Defense, the compatibility
of designating the study area, or 1 or more parts of
the study area, as a national historical park or
national historic site with maintaining security,
productivity and management goals of the Department of
Energy and the Department of Defense, and public health
and safety.
(b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which funds
are made available to carry out the study, the Secretary shall submit
to Congress a report that describes the findings of the study and any
conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary
to carry out this Act.
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