[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 12 (Wednesday, February 9, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-366. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Iowa; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                      ``Senate Resolution No. 101

       ``Whereas, the production and processing of agricultural 
     commodities and products represents the foundation of this 
     nation's economy, and the economic viability of this nation 
     is contingent upon the production of wealth generated 
     primarily from materials, including food and fiber, produced 
     on farms and ranches; and
       ``Whereas, it is increasingly necessary to support 
     industries in this nation which rely upon agricultural 
     commodities to manufacture value-added products; and
       ``Whereas, this nation is dependent upon the consumption of 
     rapidly depleting domestic oil reserves, with the United 
     States annually importing foreign petroleum products which 
     have been valued at more than 25 percent of this nation's 
     trade deficit; and
       ``Whereas, more than 40 percent of this nation's air 
     pollution is caused by vehicles emitting a variety of 
     petroleum-based pollutants which endanger the public's 
     health, including carcinogenic organic vapors, benzene and 
     other aromatics, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter in the 
     form of smoke and soot, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide; 
     and
       ``Whereas, the United States Congress, in supporting the 
     need to reduce this nation's dependence upon foreign oil, to 
     provide additional markets for domestic corn and other 
     grains, to protect the public health, and to preserve the 
     nation's environment, has encouraged ethanol production and 
     consumption; and
       ``Whereas, one acre of corn produces an amount of ethanol 
     equivalent to 10 barrels of oil; and
       ``Whereas, 1.15 billion gallons of ethanol produced in the 
     United States in 1992 reduced foreign oil imports by more 
     than 58 million barrels; and
       ``Whereas, motor vehicle fuel which includes a blend of 10 
     percent ethanol enhances octane levels and provides more 
     oxygen for fuel combustion resulting in reduced levels of 
     carbon monoxide; and
       ``Whereas, more than 416,000 bushels of corn representing 
     the average harvest of more than 3,400 Iowa crop acres are 
     processed each day into ethanol; and
       ``Whereas, at current stock levels corn utilization by the 
     Iowa corn processing industry provides a 15 to 20 cent per 
     bushel support to the national average price of corn; and
       ``Whereas, blending 10 percent ethanol with all gasoline 
     sold in the United States would require four billion bushels 
     of corn; and
       ``Whereas, coproducts derived from ethanol production 
     provide a valuable high protein feed for livestock; and
       ``Whereas, the corn milling and ethanol production 
     industries are high-quality employers of skilled labor which 
     is a critical component of state rural revitalization 
     efforts; and
       ``Whereas, more than 12,000 Iowa jobs are affected by Iowa 
     ethanol production, including 2,500 in the corn processing 
     industry associated with ethanol production, with the average 
     annual wage for persons employed in the wet corn milling 
     industry in Iowa equaling $37,000; and
       ``Whereas, in 1990 the United States Congress enacted and 
     the President of the United States signed into law Pub. L. 
     No. 101-549, including major amendments to the federal Clean 
     Air Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 7401 et seq., which represents a 
     landmark effort to protect this nation's atmosphere from 
     contamination by hazardous pollutants in part caused by 
     vehicle emissions; and
       ``Whereas, the United States Environmental Protection 
     Agency in implementing amendments to the federal Clean Air 
     Act has conducted tests of oxygenates including organic and 
     petroleum-based products for purposes of establishing 
     standards for reformulating motor vehicle fuel used in 
     nonattainment areas designated in the United States; and
       ``Whereas, the United States Environmental Protection 
     Agency has proposed a renewable oxygenate standard which 
     requires the use of renewable oxygenates in reformulated 
     gasoline; and
       ``Whereas, ethanol is a renewable oxygenate and the 
     proposed standard could mean an increased demand for Iowa 
     corn used in ethanol production; and
       ``Whereas, ethanol's full market potential can be realized 
     under the renewable oxygenate standard if the rules are 
     finalized, as scheduled, in June 1994; Now therefore,
       ``Be it Resolved by the Senate, That the Iowa Senate urges 
     the United States Environmental Protection Agency to adopt 
     the proposed renewable oxygenate standard in a manner and 
     form which allows ethanol to fully compete in the 
     marketplace; and
       ``Be it Further Resolved, That the Iowa Senate supports the 
     efforts of the Honorable Terry E. Branstad, Governor of the 
     State of Iowa, in presenting the case for ethanol at hearings 
     sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection 
     Agency and held in Crystal City, Virginia; and
       ``Be it Further Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be 
     delivered to the Governor; and
       ``Be it Further Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be 
     delivered to the Environmental Protection Agency for 
     inclusion within the record, Docket A-93-49; and
       ``Be it Further Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be 
     delivered to the President of the United States, the 
     Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection 
     Agency, the President of the United States Senate, the 
     Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the 
     Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
     Forestry of the United States Senate, the Chairperson of the 
     Committee on Agriculture of the United States House of 
     Representatives, and member of Iowa's congressional 
     delegation.''

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