[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 18 (Monday, March 2, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1201-S1202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. STEVENS (for himself, Mr. Murkowski, Mr. Gorton, and Mrs. 
        Murray):
  S. 1696. A bill to direct the General Services Administration to 
clear the site of the old Alaska Native Health Center and convey the 
property to the

[[Page S1202]]

Municipality of Anchorage; to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.


       the old alaska native health center conveyance act of 1998

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I send to the desk for proper referral 
the Old Alaska Native Health Center Conveyance Act of 1998 to address a 
serious issue in Anchorage, Alaska.
  The Federal government finished construction of the Alaska Native 
Hospital Center in 1953. This facility is situated on a 15-acre parcel 
of land near downtown Anchorage. It was substantially affected by the 
1964 Alaska earthquake, but was patched up and maintained until it 
could be replaced. In 1997 a new Alaska Native Health Center was 
opened. The old facility was boarded up and abandoned after being 
stripped of fixtures, wiring, heating, and ventilation systems, and 
other components. It now awaits disposal action by the General Services 
Administration. The facility is unsalvageable in its present condition 
and is in violation of multiple safety codes. A recent environmental 
assessment found not only the presence of asbestos but also lead-
containing paint.
  Anchorage has a unique and pressing need for this site. The Port of 
Anchorage is the largest port in Alaska and the 17th largest in the 
nation--it has grown steadily in recent years, and the tonnage of goods 
moving through our major port is expected to continue to increase. 
However, truck access to the Port is limited to either a single two-
lane road or through the streets of downtown Anchorage. This is a 
limiting factor to continued growth, and is already negatively 
affecting the transfer of goods on and off the domestic and 
international container ships that call on the Port of Anchorage. The 
solution is to have new access to the port through the land now 
occupied by the abandoned hospital center.
  My bill would assist the Municipality of Anchorage with this plan by 
instructing the General Services Administration to clear the land and 
transfer it to the Municipality of Anchorage.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1696

       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 shall be known as ``The Old Alaska Native Health 
     Center Conveyance Act of 1998''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       For the purposes of this Act the term ``property'' means 
     the land parcel recorded as Block 35 and Lot 2 of Block 36, 
     Anchorage Original Townsite East Addition, in Anchorage, 
     Alaska on which the old Alaska Native Health Center is 
     situated, but does not mean any portion of such parcel 
     dedicated for use by the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention.

     SEC. 3 FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) the old Alaska Native Health Center was closed and 
     vacated in 1997 when a new Alaska Native health facility was 
     opened;
       (2) the buildings and property formerly used for such 
     Center are scheduled to be disposed of as surplus by the 
     Administrator of the General Services Administration;
       (3) asbestos and lead contamination were found in the 
     buildings and on the property during environmental 
     assessments;
       (4) the buildings have been stripped of fixtures, wires, 
     and other materials, and any development of the property will 
     require the removal of the buildings and of all asbestos, 
     lead, and other contamination; and
       (5) due to the limited availability of land in the area in 
     which the property is situated, the Municipality of Anchorage 
     has a unique interest its future use.

     SEC. 4. REMOVAL OF BUILDINGS AND DISPOSAL OF PROPERTY.

       (a) Removal of Buildings.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, the Administrator of the General Services 
     Administration shall, not later than 18 months after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, demolish and remove all 
     buildings, structures and other fixtures on the property, 
     including all asbestos, lead, and any other contamination, 
     and restore the property, to the extent practicable, to an 
     undeveloped condition.
       (b) Disposal.--Upon completion of the activities required 
     under subsection (a), and notwithstanding any other provision 
     of law, the Administrator of the General Services 
     Administration shall convey to the Municipality of Anchorage, 
     without reimbursement, all right, title, and interest of the 
     United States to the property.
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