[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 14, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H4920-H4921]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
URANIUM MILL TAILINGS RADIATION CONTROL ACT OF 1978 AUTHORIZATION
EXTENSION
Mr. SCHAEFER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2967) to extend the authorization of the Uranium Mill
Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2967
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. REFERENCE.
Whenever in this Act (other than in section 3) an amendment
or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal
of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be
considered to be made to a section or other provision of the
Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978.
SEC. 2. TERMINATION; AUTHORIZATION.
Section 112(a) (42 U.S.C. 7922(a)) is amended to read as
follows:
``(a)(1) The authority of the Secretary to perform remedial
action under this title shall terminate on September 30,
1998, except that--
``(A) the authority of the Secretary to perform groundwater
restoration activities under this title is without
limitation, and
``(B) the Secretary may continue operation of the disposal
site in Mesa County, Colorado (known as the Cheney disposal
cell) for receiving and disposing of residual radioactive
material from processing sites and of byproduct material from
property in the vicinity of the uranium milling site located
in Monticello, Utah, until the Cheney disposal cell has been
filled to the capacity for which it was designed, or
September 30, 2023, whichever comes first.
``(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term `byproduct
material' has the meaning given that term in section 11e.(2)
of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2014(e)(2)).''.
SEC. 3. REMEDIAL ACTION AT ACTIVE PROCESSING SITES.
(a) Section 1001.--Section 1001 of the Energy Policy Act of
1992 (42 U.S.C. 2296a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(2)(A), by striking ``$5.50'' and
inserting ``$6.25'';
(2) in subsection (b)(2)(B), by striking ``$270,000,000''
and inserting ``$350,000,000'';
(3) in subsection (b)(2)(C), by striking ``$40,000,000''
and inserting ``$65,000,000'';
(4) in subsection (b)(2)(E)(i), by striking ``$5.50'' and
inserting ``$6.25''; and
(5) in subsection (b)(2)(E)(ii), by striking ``$5.50'' and
inserting ``$6.25''.
(b) Section 1003.--Section 1003 of such Act (42 U.S.C.
2296a-2) is amended by striking ''$310,000,000'' and
inserting ``$415,000,000''.
SEC. 4. REMEDIAL ACTION FOR THE DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE
MATERIALS.
(a) Section 104.--Section 104(d) (42 U.S.C. 4914(d)) is
amended by adding at the end the following: ``For purposes of
this subsection, the term `site' does not include any
property described in section 101(6)(B) which is in a State
which the Secretary has certified has a program which would
achieve the purposes of this subsection.''.
(b) Section 108.--Section 108(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. 7918(a)(1))
is amended by adding at the end the following: ``Residual
radioactive material from a processing site designated under
this title may be disposed of at a facility licensed under
title II under the administrative and technical requirements
of such title. Disposal of such material at such a site in
accordance with such requirements shall be considered to have
been done in accordance with the administrative and technical
requirements of this title.''
(c) Section 115.--Section 115(a) (42 U.S.C. 7925(a)) is
amended by adding at the end the following: ``This subsection
does not prohibit the disposal of residual radioactive
material from a processing site under this title at a site
licensed under title II or the expenditure of funds under
this title for such disposal.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Colorado [Mr. Schaefer] and the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Pallone]
each will be recognized for 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. Schaefer].
Mr. SCHAEFER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. SCHAEFER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. SCHAEFER. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2967 reauthorizes the Uranium Mill
Tailings Radiation Control Act, the 1978 law which has been cleaning up
the radioactive contamination created by uranium milling operations.
The program has been a valuable and generally successful endeavor, and
has already completed remediation at a number of uranium milling sites,
many of which had been abandoned and at which mill tailings were simply
left out on the open ground.
At title I sites, all of the contamination was generated by Federal
activities. For the most part, the tailings were created in the process
of obtaining supplies of uranium for the Manhattan Project, which
produced America's first nuclear weapons. It is fitting that the
Federal Government should be responsible for cleaning up these wastes,
and the statute maintains a 90 percent Federal, 10 percent State split
for remediation of these sites. Title II sites encompass a range of
areas which have combined tailings of both Federal and private
responsibility. At those sites, the private owners remediated the
contamination, then are reimbursed by the Government for that share of
tailings which can be traced to Federal activities.
The bill before us extends the authority for title I cleanup from
1996 to 1998. DOE is confident that all its title I sites can be
cleaned up by that time. The bill also incorporates a number of changes
to ensure that the program can continue to function in an efficient and
responsible manner. First, the bill includes an authorization for DOE
to keep one of its title I disposal cells open for the receipt of
additional tailings from its Grand Junction and Monticello sites.
Second, it increases the authorization of expenditures for the
Government's share of its costs at title II sites, so that the Federal
Government bears a more equitable share of its financial responsibility
at these sites. Third, the bill clears up an ambiguity in the current
statute to ensure that title I tailings can be disposed of at licensed
title II sites. Finally, H.R. 2967 gives the DOE flexibility with the
current statute's deed annotation requirement if the affected State has
a sufficient program of landowner notification already in place. All of
these changes will be of great benefit to the program, and were worked
out in a very bipartisan manner within the Commerce Committee. In that
regard, I would especially like to thank Mr. Dingell and the ranking
member of the Energy and Power Subcommittee, Mr. Pallone, for their
efforts to move this bill forward. I would also like to thank Mr.
Hastert for his contributions and involvement in this important issue.
Without this legislation DOE will be unable to continue its cleanup
of the remaining title I sites. H.R. 2967 is a responsible measure--a
positive measure--which allows the Federal Government to continue to
clean up its environmental liabilities at uranium mill sites. I
strongly recommend the bill's approval by the House.
{time} 1515
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to offer my support for H.R. 2967. The
legislation was considered in the Committee on Commerce and voted out
with full support from both sides of the aisle.
I did have some concerns about provisions affecting deed records so
that potential homeowners would know whether or not a property had been
polluted and, if so, whether the problem had been remediated.
Fortunately, we were able to work this out to everyone's satisfaction
in the committee.
I want to thank Chairman Schaefer for his assistance in perfecting
this legislation. I am very happy to support it today.
[[Page H4921]]
Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 2967 because it
reauthorizes the remediation activities of environmental damage created
at uranium mill sites. Without this legislation, the current
authorization for cleanup will expire on September 30, 1996.
Uranium mill tailings were created as a result of Federal Government
activities to secure supplies of uranium for the Manhattan project--a
top-secret activity designed to build the world's first nuclear
weapon--located in my congressional district in New Mexico. This
development lead to continued production of nuclear weapons and the use
of nuclear energy production for electric generation.
The milling process separates high-grade uranium from low-grade
surrounding rock. These high volume sand-like leftovers emit low levels
of radioactivity and consequently need to be disposed of properly by
the Department of Energy.
The original Uranium Mill Tailings Control Act of 1978 provided for
the cleanup of 22 title I sites--abandoned and inactive sites which
were used primarily for Federal purposes.
Due to the significant volume of tailings to be remediated and more
strict cleanup standards imposed after the 1978 act, more time and
additional funds are necessary to complete the Department of Energy's
activities.
H.R. 2967 will allow the Department an additional 2 years to safely
complete the cleanup process. This is a good piece of legislation which
will address public health and environmental concerns in many western
States. I urge you to vote in favor of H.R. 2967.
Mr. ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2967, a
bill to extend the authorization of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation
Control Act [UMTRCA] through 1998.
This bill is sound environmental cleanup legislation, and it marks
the final chapter of the cold war. The mill tailings date back to the
Manhattan project of 1942 and the national security purchases of
uranium by the Federal Government from 1947 to 1970. During this
period, there were no environmental cleanup standards for mill sites,
nor were any standards enacted into law until the 1970's. The United
States and the free world benefited from this program; therefore, it is
just that the Federal Government pay for its share of cleanup costs.
Of particular note is the environmental reclamation project at Uravan
on Colorado's western slope. The mill tailings date back to Madam
Curie's radium research at the turn of the century. In 1942, as part of
the war effort, the Manhattan Army Engineering District contracted with
UMETCO Minerals Corp. for uranium produced at the site.
Today, UMETCO is in the process of restoring the environment to its
former natural beauty. This has been a true success story for the
Department of Energy, State of Colorado, local government entities, and
UMETCO. The accomplishments of this project clearly demonstrate that
the public and private sector can work together to preserve the
environment.
In closing, I would also like to point out that the UMTRCA
legislation is fiscally responsible. In Colorado, $100,000,000 will be
saved by keeping the Cheney disposal facility near Grand Junction open
so that the mill tailings that are uncovered in future road and nearby
utility repair work can be disposed of in the future.
Mr. Speaker, this piece of legislation is effective in preserving the
environment and should be promptly enacted into law.
I commend my good friend from Colorado [Mr. Schaefer] on this sound
environmental legislation which takes into account the needs of
Colorado communities and the budgetary constraints of the Federal
Government.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SCHAEFER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Combest). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. Schaefer] that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2967, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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