[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1388 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1388

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation 
 with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
   Secretary of Energy, to conduct a study on the public health and 
 environmental impacts of the production, transportation, storage, and 
             use of petroleum coke, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 30, 2013

   Mr. Levin (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Stabenow, and Mr. Brown) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation 
 with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
   Secretary of Energy, to conduct a study on the public health and 
 environmental impacts of the production, transportation, storage, and 
             use of petroleum coke, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Petroleum Coke Transparency and 
Public Health Study Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) In the past several years, United States crude oil 
        refineries have grown their coking capacity to accommodate the 
        conversion of heavy crude oils into refined petroleum products.
            (2) As coking capacity has grown, the domestic production 
        of petroleum coke is expected to grow, leading to increases in 
        the storage, transportation, and use of the material.
            (3) In Detroit, piles of petroleum coke have been stored in 
        the open air on the banks of the Detroit River.
            (4) State regulators, communities, and industry 
        stakeholders would benefit from a complete understanding of 
        petroleum coke and the potential impact on public health and 
        the environment related to the production, transportation, 
        storage, and use of petroleum coke.

SEC. 3. STUDY OF PETROLEUM COKE PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL 
              IMPACTS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in 
consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency and the Secretary of Energy, shall transmit to Congress the 
results of a study concerning petroleum coke that shall include the 
following:
            (1) An analysis of the public health and environmental 
        impacts of the production, transportation, storage, and use of 
        petroleum coke.
            (2) An assessment of potential approaches and best 
        practices for storing, transporting, and managing petroleum 
        coke.
            (3) A quantitative analysis of current and projected 
        domestic petroleum coke production and utilization locations.
    (b) Best Available Science.--The study under subsection (a) shall 
be carried out using the best available science with the solicitation 
of readily available information from appropriate State agencies, 
nonprofit entities, academic entities, and industry.

SEC. 4. CONSOLIDATION OF PETROLEUM COKE RESEARCH.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall compile and publish on 
a publicly available website the results of the study conducted under 
section 3.
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