[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2729 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2729
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 22, 2009
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize the designation of National Environmental Research Parks
by the Secretary of Energy, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The National Environmental Research Parks are unique
outdoor laboratories that provide opportunities for
environmental studies on protected lands around Department of
Energy facilities.
(2) In 1972, the Atomic Energy Commission established its
first official environmental research park at the Savannah
River site in South Carolina.
(3) In 1976, the Department of Energy defined the mission
for the research parks in accordance with the recommendations
of the multiagency review team for environmental research
activities at the Savannah River site.
(4) The mission of the research parks is to--
(A) conduct research and education activities to
assess and document environmental effects associated
with energy and weapons use;
(B) explore methods for eliminating or minimizing
adverse effects of energy development and nuclear
materials on the environment;
(C) train people in ecological and environmental
sciences; and
(D) educate the public.
(5) The National Environmental Research Parks are located
within six major ecological regions of the United States,
covering more than half of the Nation.
(6) The parks are especially valuable research sites
because within their borders they provide secure settings for
scientists to conduct long-term research on a broad range of
subjects including--
(A) plant succession;
(B) biomass production;
(C) population ecology;
(D) radioecology;
(E) ecological restoration; and
(F) thermal effects on freshwater ecosystems.
(7) The parks maintain several long-term data sets that are
available nowhere else in the United States or in the world on
amphibian populations, bird populations, and soil moisture and
plant water stress. These data sets are uniquely valuable for
the detection of long-term shifts in climate.
(8) The maintenance of these parks by the Department of
Energy is consistent with statutory obligations to promote
sound environmental stewardship of Federal lands and to
safeguard sites containing cultural and archeological
resources.
(9) Public education and outreach activities carried out on
these sites provide unique learning opportunities, promote a
stronger connection between these Federal facilities and the
surrounding communities, and enhance public confidence that the
Department of Energy is fulfilling its environmental
stewardship responsibilities.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH PARKS.
(a) Designation.--The Secretary of Energy shall designate the six
National Environmental Research Parks located on Department of Energy
sites as protected outdoor research reserves for the purposes of
conducting long-term environmental research on the impacts of human
activities on the natural environment. The six National Environmental
Research Parks shall include--
(1) the Savannah River National Environmental Research
Park;
(2) the Idaho National Environmental Research Park;
(3) the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park;
(4) the Fermi Lab National Environmental Research Park;
(5) the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park; and
(6) the Nevada National Environmental Research Park.
(b) Purposes.--Each site shall support--
(1) environmental research and monitoring activities to
characterize and monitor present and future site conditions,
and serve as control areas for comparison with environmental
impacts of Department of Energy land management, energy
technology development, remediation, and other site activities
outside the National Environmental Research Park areas. Areas
of research and monitoring on the sites may include--
(A) ecology of the site and the region;
(B) population biology and ecology;
(C) radioecology;
(D) effects of climate variability and change on
ecosystems;
(E) ecosystem science;
(F) pollution fate and transport research;
(G) surface and groundwater modeling; and
(H) environmental impacts of development and use of
energy generation technologies, including renewable
energy technologies; and
(2) public education and outreach activities consistent
with subsection (d).
(c) Cooperative Agreement.--To ensure the independence of the
research, monitoring, public education, and outreach activities
conducted on each site, the Secretary shall enter into a cooperative
agreement with a university, community college, or consortium of
institutions of higher education with expertise in ecology and
environmental science of the region in which the National Environmental
Research Park is located.
(d) Environmental Education and Outreach.--Each site shall support
an outreach program to inform the public of the diverse ecological
activities conducted at the park and to educate students at various
levels in environmental science. Program activities may include--
(1) on-site and in-classroom education programs for
elementary and secondary students;
(2) presentations to school, civic, and professional
groups;
(3) exhibits at local and regional events;
(4) development of educational projects and materials for
students at all levels;
(5) undergraduate and community college internships and
graduate research opportunities; and
(6) regularly scheduled public tours.
(e) Coordination.--The Secretary of Energy shall designate a
National Environmental Research Park Coordinator within the Department
of Energy Office of Science. The Coordinator shall--
(1) coordinate research activities among the National
Environmental Research Parks as appropriate;
(2) ensure that information on best practices for research,
education, and outreach activities is shared among the sites;
and
(3) serve as liaison to other Federal agencies to
facilitate collaborative work at the Parks.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Director of
the Office of Science, for carrying out this section $30,000,000,
including $5,000,000 for each National Environmental Research Park, for
each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
SEC. 3. SAVINGS.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the activities that
the Federal Government may carry out or authorize on a site on which a
National Environmental Research Park is located.
SEC. 4. SUMMER INSTITUTES PROGRAM.
The National Environmental Research Parks may be utilized to
provide educational opportunities through the Summer Institutes program
authorized in section 3185 of the Department of Energy Science
Education Enhancement Act (42 U.S.C. 7381n).
Passed the House of Representatives July 21, 2009.
Attest:
LORRAINE C. MILLER,
Clerk.