[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2729 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 113
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2729
[Report No. 111-207]
To authorize the designation of National Environmental Research Parks
by the Secretary of Energy, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 4, 2009
Mr. Lujan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science and Technology
July 14, 2009
Additional sponsors: Mr. Baird, Mr. Lipinski, Mrs. Biggert, Ms.
Giffords, and Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas
July 14, 2009
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 4,
2009]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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 seven 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 seven National Environmental Research
Parks located on Department of Energy sites as permanent
protected outdoor research reserves for the purposes of
conducting long-term environmental research on the
impacts of human activities on the natural environment. The seven
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 Hanford National Environmental
Research Park;
(6) the Oak Ridge National Environmental
Research Park; and
(7) 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 $35,000,000, 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).
Union Calendar No. 113
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2729
[Report No. 111-207]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the designation of National Environmental Research Parks
by the Secretary of Energy, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
July 14, 2009
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed