[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 157 (Wednesday, October 11, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S15031-S15033]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.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-319. A resolution adopted by the Western States Land 
     Commissioners Associations relative to federal royalty 
     collections; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources.
       POM-320. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Alaska; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources:

                    ``House Joint Resolution No. 13

       ``Whereas in Sec. 1002 of the Alaska National Interest 
     Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), the United States Congress 
     reserved the right to permit further oil and gas exploration, 
     development, and production within the coastal plain of the 
     Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska; and
       ``Whereas the oil industry, the state, and the United 
     States Department of the Interior consider the coastal plain 
     to have the highest potential for discovery of very large oil 
     and gas accumulations on the continent of North America, 
     estimated to be as much as 10,000,000,000 barrels of 
     recoverable oil; and
       ``Whereas the residents of the North Slope Borough, within 
     which the coastal plain is located, are supportive of 
     development in the `1002 study area'; and
       ``Whereas oil and gas exploration and development of the 
     coastal plain of the refuge and adjacent land could result in 
     major discoveries that would reduce our nation's future need 
     for imported oil, help balance the nation's trade deficit, 
     and significantly increase the nation's security; and
       ``Whereas, for the first year ever, more than one-half of 
     the oil used in the United States has come from foreign 
     sources as domestic crude oil production fell to 6,600,000 
     barrels per day, its lowest annual level since 1954; and
       ``Whereas development of oil at Prudhoe Bay, Kuparuk, 
     Endicott, Lisburne, and Milne Point has resulted in thousands 
     of jobs throughout the United States and projected job 
     creation as a result of coastal plain oil development will 
     have a positive effect in all 50 states; and
       ``Whereas Prudhoe Bay production is declining by 
     approximately 10 percent a year; and
       ``Whereas opening the coastal plain of the Arctic National 
     Wildlife Refuge now allows sufficient time for planning 
     environmental safeguards, development, and national security 
     review; and
       ``Whereas the oil and gas industry and related Alaskan 
     employment have been severely affected by reduced oil and gas 
     activity, and the reduction in industry investment and 
     employment has broad implications for the Alaskan work force 
     and the entire state economy; and
       ``Whereas the 1,500,000-acre coastal plain of the refuge 
     comprises only eight percent of the 19,000,000-acre refuge, 
     and the development of the oil and gas reserves in the 
     refuge's coastal plain would affect an area of only 5,000 to 
     7,000 acres, which is one and one-half percent of the area of 
     the coastal plain; and
       ``Whereas 8,000,000 of the 19,000,000 acres of the refuge 
     have already been set aside as wilderness; and
       ``Whereas the oil industry has shown at Prudhoe Bay, as 
     well as at other locations along the Arctic coastal plain, 
     that it can safely conduct oil and gas activity without 
     adversely affecting the environment or wildlife populations; 
     be it
       ``Resolved by the Alaska State Legislature, That the 
     Congress of the United States is urged to pass legislation to 
     open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife 
     Refuge, Alaska, to oil and gas exploration, development, and 
     production; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That that activity be conducted in a manner 
     that protects the environment and uses the state's work force 
     to the maximum extent possible.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-321. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City of 
     West Branch, Michigan relative to waste; to the Committee on 
     Environment and Public Works.
       POM-322. A resolution adopted by the Council of the City of 
     Warren, Ohio relative to traffic control devices; to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.
       POM-323. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works:

                       ``Joint Resolution No. 15

       ``Whereas, due to chronic failures of the sewage system 
     that serves the City of Tijuana, in Baja California, Mexico, 
     large amounts of untreated wastewater flow into the Tijuana 
     River and its tributaries and across the international border 
     into the San Diego area of this state; and
       ``Whereas, the flows of untreated wastewater often contain 
     toxic contaminants because Mexico does not require the 
     pretreatment of industrial waste and thus pose a threat to 
     both public health and the ecosystems of the Tijuana River 
     estuary and beaches located near the mouth of the river; and
       ``Whereas, to address those issues, in July, 1990, the 
     federal government and the Mexican government signed Minute 
     283, calling for a conceptual plan for an international 
     solution to the border sanitation problem in San Diego, 
     California and Tijuana, Baja California; and
       ``Whereas, the two governments agreed in Minute 283 to the 
     creation of an international wastewater treatment plant, to 
     be constructed on the southwest bank of the Tijuana River on 
     the United States side of the border, that will be capable of 
     treating twenty-five million gallons of untreated wastewater 
     per day and is to be funded and supervised by both the United 
     States and Mexico, through the United States section of the 
     International Boundary and Water Commission; Now, therefore, 
     be it
       ``Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of 
     California respectfully memorializes the President and the 
     Congress of the United States to move with all deliberate 
     speed, and take all necessary steps, to complete the 
     construction of the International Wastewater Treatment Plant 
     on the Tijuana River near San Diego as soon as possible; and 
     be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President 
     of the United States, to the Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives, and to each Senator and 
     Representative from California in the Congress of the United 
     States.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-324. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislation of 
     the State of Nevada; to the 

[[Page S 15032]]
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                    ``Senate Joint Resolution No. 23

       ``Whereas, in 1977, the Congress of the United States 
     amended the Clean Air Act for the purpose of correcting and 
     preventing the continued deterioration of visibility in large 
     national parks and wilderness areas resulting from the 
     pollution of the air; and
       ``Whereas, this amendment did not provide adequate 
     resources to carry out its provisions and targeted only a few 
     of the major types of sources of the pollution affecting 
     visibility; and
       ``Whereas, as a result, the Federal Government and the 
     individual states were extremely slow in developing an 
     effective program to reduce air pollution in these areas; and
       ``Whereas, the two emission control programs specifically 
     concerned with visibility in national parks and wilderness 
     areas include the program for Prevention of Significant 
     Deterioration of Air Quality, which is directed mainly at new 
     sources of pollution and a program visibility protection 
     which is primarily aimed at existing sources of pollution; 
     and
       ``Whereas, the program for Prevention of Significant 
     Deterioration of Air Quality requires that each new or 
     enlarged ``major emitting facility'' locating near large 
     national parks or wilderness areas install the ``best 
     available control technology,'' establish increments 
     (allowable increases) that limit cumulative increase in 
     levels of pollution in clear air areas and to some extent, 
     have protected visibility by reducing the growth of emissions 
     that contribute to regional haze; and
       ``Whereas, in 1990, the United States General Accounting 
     Office issued a report which discussed some of the 
     shortcomings of the program for Prevention of Significant 
     Deterioration of Air Quality; and
       ``Whereas, this report indicated that federal land managers 
     had failed to meet their responsibilities because of a lack 
     of allocated time, personnel and data, and because the United 
     States Environmental Protection Agency had failed to forward 
     applications for permits; and
       ``Whereas, the report indicated that many sources of air 
     pollution in national parks and wilderness areas are exempt 
     from the requirements of the program for Prevention of 
     Significant Deterioration of Air Quality because they are 
     considered minor sources or because they existed before the 
     program for Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air 
     Quality took effect; and
       ``Whereas, the other program for visibility protection, 
     established by the amendments to the Clean Air Act of 1977, 
     directs states to establish measures to achieve ``reasonable 
     progress'' toward the national visibility goal and to require 
     the installation of the ``best available retrofit 
     technology'' on large source contributing to air pollution at 
     major national parks and wildlife areas; and
       ``Whereas, in 1980, the Environmental Protection Agency 
     issued rules to control air pollution caused by visible 
     plumes from nearby individual sources and express its 
     intention to regulate regional haze to some future 
     date ``when improvement in monitoring techniques provides 
     more data on source-specific levels of visibility 
     impairment, regional scale-models become more refined, and 
     scientific knowledge about the relationships between air 
     pollutants and visibility improves''; and
       ``Whereas, to date, the Environmental Protection Agency has 
     not proposed rules for the regulation of regional haze, but 
     has required only regulation of air pollution that is 
     attributable to individual sources through the use of simple 
     techniques, and in the past 14 years only one source of 
     pollution has been required to control its emissions pursuant 
     to this program; and
       ``Whereas, it is evident that the Environmental protection 
     Agency has not been required to enforce the visibility 
     provisions of the federal law and this failure should be 
     addressed before any new legislation is passed which 
     penalizes a regional area; and
       ``Whereas, in 1990, the Clean Air Act was once again 
     amended to include numerous new statutes and amendments to 
     existing statutes which called for more regulation of air 
     quality for the purpose of providing continued and expanded 
     efforts to improve air quality; and
       ``Whereas, the amendment added Section 169B which provided 
     the mechanism for the Administrator of the Environmental 
     Protection Agency to establish visibility transport regions 
     and visibility transport commissions; and
       ``Whereas, that section specifically created The Grand 
     Canyon Visibility Transport Commission which is required to 
     prepare and submit to the Administrator of the Environmental 
     protection Agency by November 15, 1995, a report recommending 
     what measures, if any, should be taken pursuant to the Clean 
     Air Act to address adverse impacts on visibility from 
     potential or projected growth in emissions in the region; and
       ``Whereas, the report will also discuss the establishment 
     of clean air corridors in which additional restrictions in 
     emissions may be appropriate to protect visibility in 
     affected areas, the imposition of the requirements of the 
     program for Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air 
     Quality which affect the construction of new or modified 
     major stationary sources in those clean air corridors, the 
     alternative siting analysis provisions as provided in the 
     Clean Air Act, the imposition of nonattainment status 
     requirements within clean air corridors and the adoption of 
     regulations to provide long-range strategies for addressing 
     regional haze which impairs visibility in affected areas; and
       ``Whereas, a total of $8,000,000 per year for 5 years was 
     authorized for appropriation to the Environmental Protection 
     Agency and other federal agencies to conduct research to 
     identify and evaluate sources and source regions of air 
     pollution as well as regions that provide predominantly clean 
     air to national parks and wilderness areas, but it does not 
     appear that the Environmental Protection Agency has requested 
     or received such an appropriation; and
       ``Whereas, with the exception of minor federal funding, the 
     Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission is an unfunded 
     mandate, and to date, most of the work which has been done 
     pursuant to the mandate is the result of efforts made by 
     state governments, industries and conservation groups; and
       ``Whereas, for these reasons, the amendments to the Clean 
     Air Act adopted in 1990, including Section 169B, have not 
     been fully implemented and allowed sufficient time to produce 
     their desired effect; and
       ``Whereas, certain scientific studies, assessments and 
     inventories have shown that air quality in the Intermountain 
     West Region continues to improve even though the amendments 
     adopted in 1990 have not been fully implemented; and
       ``Whereas, the clean air corridor concept may result in a 
     severe restraint on population growth and economic 
     development in the western states, a result which was not 
     intentional when Congress passed Section 169B of the Clean 
     Air Act whereby the cleanest air in the nation, with the best 
     visibility, may be managed by the Environmental Protection 
     Agency as the dirtiest; and
       ``Whereas, the Nevada Legislature has grave concerns about 
     the consequences of the recommendations which may be made by 
     the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission to the 
     Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency because 
     of previously stated facts involving the federal regulation 
     of visibility; Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved, by the Senate and Assembly of the State of 
     Nevada, jointly, That Congress is hereby urged to refrain 
     from adopting additional statutes and the Environmental 
     Protection Agency is hereby urged to refrain from adopting 
     additional regulations which regulate air quality and 
     visibility until the amendments to the Clean Air Act adopted 
     in 1990 and the regulations adopted thereunder have been 
     fully implemented and allowed sufficient time to produce 
     their intended results; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That as part of its oversight of the regulatory 
     program, Congress is hereby urged to resist proposals such as 
     clean air corridors, the imposition of nonattainment status 
     requirements within clean air corridors and the imposition of 
     no-build provisions within a transport region that are not 
     equitable to all states; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That Congress is hereby urged to support 
     proposals that are equitable, such as the uniform application 
     of the existing provisions of the program for Prevention of 
     Significant Deterioration of Air Quality in the Clean Air Act 
     and the imposition or addition of more stringent controls on 
     existing sources of air pollution and visibility impairment; 
     and be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Environmental Protection Agency and 
     any other federal agency that regulates air quality are 
     hereby urged to base any future regulations related to air 
     quality and visibility on clear scientific evidence which is 
     reviewed and confirmed by others within the scientific 
     community; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to the Vice President of 
     the United States as the presiding officer of the Senate, the 
     Speaker of the House of Representatives, each member of the 
     Nevada Congressional Delegation and the Administrator of the 
     Environmental Protection Agency; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That this resolution becomes effective upon 
     passage and approval.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-325. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Nevada; to the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works.

                    ``Senate Joint Resolution No. 20

       ``Whereas, the present interstate highway system in the 
     United States will be inadequate to meet the needs of local 
     and interstate commerce in the 21st century; and
       ``Whereas, the Secretary of Transportation has submitted a 
     proposal to Congress for the designation of the National 
     Highway System; and
       ``Whereas, more than $6.5 billion in federal funding for 
     highways will not be allocated to the states unless the 
     designation of the National Highway System is approved by 
     Congress not later than September 30, 1995; and
       ``Whereas, the National Highway System will consist of a 
     network of highways which are vitally important to the 
     strategic defense policy of the United States; and
       ``Whereas, the National Highway System will reduce traffic 
     congestion which presently costs travelers approximately $1 
     billion each year in lost productivity in each of the 
     nation's eight largest metropolitan areas; and
       ``Whereas, the National Highway System will connect 
     important urban areas which 

[[Page S 15033]]
     are not presently served by an interstate highway; and
       ``Whereas, the National Highway System will benefit 
     consumers by reducing the cost of transporting goods within 
     the United States; and
       ``Whereas, the National Highway System will include the 
     entire 545 miles of the interstate highway system in Nevada; 
     and
       ``Whereas, although only 4.7 percent of the highways in 
     Nevada will be included in the National Highway System, those 
     highways will account for approximately 66 percent of the 
     motor vehicle traffic in Nevada; and
       ``Whereas, the National Highway System will improve access 
     for visitors to such destinations as Lake Tahoe, Lake Mead 
     and Jackpot, Nevada; Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of 
     Nevada, jointly, That the Nevada Legislature hereby urges 
     Congress to approve the designation of the National Highway 
     System; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to the Vice President of 
     the United States as the presiding officer of the Senate, the 
     Speaker of the House of Representatives and each member of 
     the Nevada Congressional Delegation; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That this resolution becomes effective upon 
     passage and approval.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-326. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Nevada; to the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works.

                    ``Senate Joint Resolution No. 22

       ``Whereas, in 1984, Congress enacted Public Law 98-381 
     which appropriated $77,000,000, calculated at 1983 price 
     levels, for a program to increase the generation capacity of 
     the power plant at Hoover Dam and for a visitor facilities 
     program to improve the parking, visitor facilities and 
     roadways at Hoover Dam; and
       ``Whereas, although Public Law 98-381 does not specify the 
     amount of the appropriation to be spent on the respective 
     programs, the Senate Report of the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources (S. Rep. No. 98-137, 98th Congress, 1st 
     Session (1983), at page 14) indicates that $32,000,000 would 
     be needed for the visitor facilities program; and
       ``Whereas, appropriations made for the visitor facilities 
     program are to be repaid with interest when the program is 
     substantially completed from revenue received from the sale 
     of power at the Hoover Dam power plant; and
       ``Whereas, as of the end of the 1994 federal fiscal year, 
     approximately $120,000,000 has been expended on the visitor 
     facilities program; and
       ``Whereas, as of May 1995, the visitor facilities program 
     is not complete and additional money will be necessary to 
     complete the program: Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved, by the Senate and Assembly of the State of 
     Nevada, jointly, That the Nevada Legislature urges Congress 
     to investigate the costs incurred for the visitor facilities 
     program at Hoover Dam which are in addition to the amount 
     originally appropriated by Congress for the program; and be 
     it further
       ``Resolved, That the Nevada Legislature urges Congress to 
     direct the Bureau of Reclamation of the United States 
     Department of the Interior to develop alternative sources of 
     funding to pay the costs incurred for the visitor facilities 
     program at Hoover Dam which are in addition to the amount 
     originally estimated for the program of $32,000,000; and be 
     it further
       ``Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate of the State 
     of Nevada prepare and transmit a copy of this resolution to 
     the Vice President of the United States as presiding officer 
     of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and each member of the Nevada Congressional 
     Delegation; and be it further
       ``Resolved, That this resolution becomes effective upon 
     passage and approval.''
                                                                    ____

       POM-327. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Texas; to the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works.

                     ``House Concurrent resolution

       ``Whereas, in 1991 the Congress of the United States 
     established a 65-mile-per-hour speed limit on rural sections 
     of interstate highways, recognizing recent advancements in 
     road and automobile technology as well as the increased need 
     for rapid road transportation in today's competitive global 
     economy; and
       ``Whereas, current federal law continues, however, to 
     restrict the ability of states to adopt this standard for 
     divided four-lane highways of comparable design and quality; 
     and
       ``Whereas, within the borders of Texas, most national and 
     state highways traverse broad expanses of rural countryside 
     and, with few intersections or potential traffic hazards, are 
     ideally suited for higher speed travel than is currently 
     permitted by federal law; and
       ``Whereas, higher speed limits are essential for promoting 
     rapid ground travel in rural areas of Texas, many of which 
     are not served by rail, air, or any other mode of 
     transportation; moreover, the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit 
     places a disproportionate burden on this state's rural 
     residents, who often must travel great distances for work, 
     shopping, medical care, and other basic necessities; and
       ``Whereas, responding to the special needs of rural 
     communities, the Texas Legislature has enacted a statute that 
     will raise the speed limit on divided four-lane highways as 
     soon as federal law permits; and
       ``Whereas, the State of Texas can best determine maximum 
     speed limits most appropriate to its unique geography, to its 
     vast rural highway system, and to the needs of its citizens: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       ``Resolved, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas 
     hereby urge the Congress of the United States to allow states 
     to establish a 65-mile-per-hour speed limit for rural 
     sections of divided four-lane highways; and, be it further
       ``Resolved, That the Texas secretary of state forward 
     official copies of this resolution to the United States 
     secretary of transportation, to the speaker of the house of 
     representatives and president of the senate of the United 
     States Congress, and to all members of the Texas 
     congressional delegation with the request that it be 
     officially entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial 
     to the Congress of the United States of America.''

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