[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 59 (Monday, May 15, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H2983-H2986]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY IN NORTHERN EUROPE 
                              ACT OF 2000

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4249) to foster cross-border cooperation and environmental 
cleanup in Northern Europe, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4249

       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 ``Cross-Border Cooperation and 
     Environmental Safety in Northern Europe Act of 2000''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

       (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
       (1) Northern Europe is an increasingly vital part of Europe 
     and one that offers great opportunities for United States 
     investment.
       (2) Northern Europe offers an excellent opportunity to make 
     progress toward the United States vision of a secure, 
     prosperous, and stable Europe, in part because of--
       (A) historical tradition of regional cooperation;
       (B) the opportunity to engage Russia in positive, 
     cooperative activities with its neighbors to the west;
       (C) commitment by the Baltic states to regional cooperation 
     and integration into western institutions; and
       (D) longstanding, strong ties with the United States.
       (3) The United States Northern Europe Initiative (NEI) 
     provides the conceptual and operational framework for United 
     States policy in the region, focused on developing a regional 
     network of cooperation in the important areas of business and 
     trade promotion, law enforcement, the environment, energy, 
     civil society, and public health.
       (4) A central objective of the United States Northern 
     Europe Initiative is to promote cross-border cooperation 
     among the countries in the region.
       (5) A wide variety of regional and cross-border projects 
     have been initiated under the United States Northern Europe 
     Initiative since the Initiative was established in 1997, 
     including the following:
       (A) A United States-Lithuanian training program for 
     entrepreneurs from Belarus and Kaliningrad.
       (B) The Great Lakes-Baltic Sea Partnership program that is 
     being implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency.
       (C) A Center of Excellence for Treatment of Multidrug-
     Resistant Tuberculosis in Riga, Latvia.
       (D) A regional HIV/AIDS strategy being developed under 
     United States and Finnish leadership.
       (E) Multiple efforts to combat organized crime, including 
     regional seminars for police officers and prosecutors.
       (F) Programs to encourage reform of the Baltic electricity 
     market and encourage United States investment in such market.
       (G) Language and job training programs for Russian-speaking 
     minorities in Latvia and Estonia to promote social 
     integration in those countries.
       (H) A mentoring partnership program for woman entrepreneurs 
     in the northwest region of Russia and the Baltic states, as 
     part of broader efforts to promote women's participation in 
     political and economic life.
       (6) Norway, Sweden, and Finland have made considerable 
     efforts to provide assistance to the newly independent Baltic 
     states and to the Northwest region of Russia. In particular, 
     the United States notes the request placed before the 
     European Union by Finland in 1999 for the creation and 
     extensive funding by the European Union of a ``Northern 
     Dimension'' Initiative to substantially address the problems 
     that now exist in Northern Europe with regard to economic 
     development, protection of the environment, the safety and 
     containment of nuclear materials, and other issues.
       (7) The United States commends the endorsement of the 
     ``Northern Dimension'' Initiative by the European Council at 
     its meeting in Helsinki, Finland in December 1999 and calls 
     on the European Union to act on that endorsement through the 
     provision of substantial funding for the Initiative.
       (8) While the European Union, its member states, and other 
     European countries should clearly take the lead in addressing 
     the challenges posed in Northern Europe, in particular 
     through appropriate yet substantial assistance provided by 
     the European Union, the United States-Northern Europe 
     Initiative, and this Act are intended to supplement such 
     efforts and build on the considerable assistance that the 
     United States has already provided to the Baltic states and 
     the Russian Federation. Partnership with other countries in 
     the region means modest United States investment can have 
     significant impact.
       (9) The United States Northern Europe Initiative's focus on 
     regional environmental challenges is particularly important. 
     Northern Europe is home to significant environmental 
     problems, particularly the threat posed by nuclear waste from 
     Russian submarines, icebreakers, and nuclear reactors.
       (10) In particular, 21,000 spent fuel assemblies from 
     Russian submarines are lying exposed near Andreeyeva Bay, 
     nearly 60 dangerously decrepit nuclear submarines, many in 
     danger of sinking, are languishing in the Murmansk area of 
     Northwest Russia, whole reactors and radioactive liquid waste 
     are stored on unsafe floating barges, and there are 
     significant risks of marine and atmospheric contamination 
     from accidents arising from loss of electricity or fire on 
     deteriorating, poorly monitored nuclear submarines.
       (11) This waste poses a threat to the safety and stability 
     of Northern Europe and to countries of the Eurasian 
     continent.
       (12)(A) In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency 
     has facilitated the expansion and upgrading of a facility for 
     the treatment of low-level liquid radioactive waste from the 
     decommissioning of nuclear submarines docked at naval 
     facilities in the Arctic region of Russia.
       (B) The Environmental Protection Agency has also initiated 
     a project to construct an 80-ton prototype cask for the 
     storage and transport of civilian-controlled spent nuclear 
     fuel, much of it damaged and currently stored onboard an 
     aging vessel anchored in Murmansk Harbor. Currently in the 
     design phase, this project is scheduled for completion in 
     2000.
       (13) Working with the countries in the region to address 
     these environmental problems remains vital to the long-term 
     national interest of the United States.

[[Page H2984]]

       (14) The United States and other countries are currently 
     negotiating a number of agreements with Russia which will 
     provide internationally accepted legal protections for the 
     United States and other countries that provide nuclear waste 
     management assistance to Russia. Regrettably, it has not yet 
     been possible to resolve remaining differences over 
     liability, taxation of assistance, privileges and immunities 
     for foreign contractors, and audit rights.
       (15) Concluding these agreements is vital to the continued 
     provision of such assistance and to the possible development 
     of new programs.
       (16) With the election of Russian President Vladamir Putin, 
     the opportunity presents itself to surmount these problems, 
     to conclude these outstanding agreements, and to allow 
     assistance programs to move forward to alleviate this 
     problem.
       (17) The United States Government is currently studying 
     whether dismantlement of multi-purpose submarines is in the 
     national interest.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to demonstrate 
     concrete support for continued cross-border cooperation in 
     Northern Europe and immediate efforts to assist in the clean 
     up of nuclear waste in that region.

      SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the United States-Northern Europe Initiative is a sound 
     framework for future United States involvement in Northern 
     Europe;
       (2) the European Union should move expeditiously to 
     authorize and fund the proposed ``Northern Dimension'' 
     Initiative at appropriate yet substantial levels of 
     assistance;
       (3) the United States should continue to support a wide-
     ranging strengthening of democratic and civic institutions on 
     a regional basis to provide a foundation for political 
     stability and investment opportunities, including cross-
     border exchanges, in Northern Europe;
       (4) the United States should demonstrate continued 
     commitment to address environmental security challenges in 
     Northwest Russia, in cooperation with partners in the region;
       (5) recently-elected Russian President Vladamir Putin 
     should rapidly conclude pending nuclear waste management 
     agreements to enable assistance programs to go forward; and
       (6) assistance to Russia on nuclear waste management should 
     only be provided after issues related to liability, taxation 
     of assistance, privileges and immunities for foreign 
     contractors, and audit rights have been resolved.

     SEC. 4. SUPPORT FOR UNITED STATES NORTHERN EUROPE INITIATIVE 
                   PROJECTS.

       (a) Availability of Amounts From East European and the 
     Baltic States Assistance.--Of the amounts available for 
     fiscal year 2001 to carry out the provisions of the Foreign 
     Assistance Act of 1961 and the Support for Eastern European 
     Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989 for assistance and for related 
     programs for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States, not less 
     than $2,000,000 shall be used for projects described in 
     subsection (c).
       (b) Availability of Amounts From Independent States of the 
     Former Soviet Union Assistance.--Of the amounts available for 
     fiscal year 2001 to carry out the provisions of chapter 11 of 
     part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Freedom 
     for Russia and Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets 
     Support Act of 1992 for assistance for the independent states 
     of the former Soviet Union and related programs, not less 
     than $2,000,000 shall be used for the projects described in 
     subsection (c).
       (c) Projects Described.--The projects described in this 
     subsection are United States Northern Europe Initiative 
     projects relating to environmental cleanup, law enforcement, 
     public health, energy, business and trade promotion, and 
     civil society.

     SEC. 5. REPORT ON ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY.

       Not later that 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the 
     heads of other appropriate Federal departments and agencies, 
     shall prepare and submit to the Congress a report on--
       (1) the threat to the environmental security of the 
     countries of Northern Europe and other countries of Europe 
     and Asia presented by Russian marine nuclear reactors, waste, 
     and contamination; and
       (2) identifying the possibilities for new and expanded 
     United States and multilateral assistance programs for 
     environmental clean-up in Northwest Russia, including 
     technical exchanges and private-public partnerships.

     SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Northern europe.--The term ``Northern Europe'' means 
     the northwest region of the Russian Federation (including 
     Kaliningrad), the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of 
     Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, 
     the Kingdom of Denmark, the Republic of Finland, the Republic 
     of Iceland, the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of Poland, 
     and the Kingdom of Sweden.
       (2) United states northern europe initiative.--The term 
     ``United States Northern Europe Initiative'' means the 
     framework agreement established in 1997 between the United 
     States and the countries of Northern Europe to promote 
     stability in the Baltic Sea region and to strengthen key 
     institutions and security structures of the United States and 
     the countries of Northern Europe.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Gilman) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).


                             General Leave

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H.R. 4249, the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4249, introduced by the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson), seeks to focus on the policies of our 
Nation and the European Union with regard to Northern Europe, an area 
that includes the Baltic region and the northwestern region of Russia. 
I have been concerned that the European Union, while acknowledging the 
extensive problems that exist today in its own backyard in Northern 
Europe, has yet to take action to provide the kind of substantial aid 
that will be needed if those problems are going to be properly 
addressed.
  My distinguished colleague from Connecticut has graciously 
incorporated into his bill provisions I suggested that make it clear 
that the European Union must take the lead in addressing those problems 
and must, in particular, provide the substantial aid that is going to 
be needed to deal with that.
  In my view, any assistance provided at this point by our Nation 
should be clearly understood by the European Union to be a supplement 
to its aid, not a substitute for the substantial EU assistance that is 
going to be required.
  I have no objection to our Nation lending a hand on those problems. 
In fact, the gentleman's bill points out the U.S.-Northern Europe 
Initiative already exists and has already been funded under our foreign 
aid program for 3 years at the present time, since the President 
already has the authority to conduct the activities envisioned in this 
bill under the SEED Act of 1989 and the Freedom Support Act of 1992, 
and the authority to provide funding for those activities, and the 
President has used that authority.
  I believe, Mr. Speaker, that the gentleman's intent with the 
introduction of this bill is, however, to highlight his concern about 
the problems faced by the countries of Northern Europe, and I share his 
concern. I hasten to take this opportunity to point out that the United 
States has provided considerable aid to support reforms and to address 
problems in the region, and that the United States has also endowed 
several foundations in those countries of the region where its aid 
program has been phased out.
  Mr. Speaker, such U.S.-endowed foundations include the Baltic 
American Enterprise Fund, the Baltic American Partnership Fund and the 
Polish American Freedom Foundation. In addition, while our Freedom 
Support Act aid program, our Nunn-Lugar demilitarization program, our 
large food aid program, our enriched uranium purchase program and other 
forms of aid all continue today in Russia, we have also set up an 
enterprise fund in that nation that I am certain will last for years to 
come.
  Mr. Speaker, we should not overlook all that the United States has 
done in Eastern Europe since 1989 and all that the United States is 
still doing in that region today. It is, therefore, my hope that this 
bill, if adopted by this Congress, will serve to signal our concern 
over remaining problems in the region of Northern Europe but will also 
serve as a clear call on the European Union to take the lead in 
addressing those problems.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. First, let me 
just thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) for all of his work 
and his bipartisan efforts in allowing this bill to come to the floor.

[[Page H2985]]

  An environmental threat looms over our allies in Europe and the 
emerging democracies in the Baltic region. Twenty-one thousand spent 
fuel assemblies from Russian submarines are lying exposed. Nearly 60 
dangerously decrepit nuclear submarines, many in danger of sinking, are 
languishing in northwest Russia. Whole reactors and radioactive liquid 
waste are stored on unsafe floating barges and there are significant 
risks of marine and atmospheric contamination from accidents arising 
from loss of electricity or fire on deteriorating, poorly monitored 
nuclear submarines.
  This waste poses a threat to the safety and the stability of Northern 
Europe and to countries of the Eurasian continent. A fire or explosion 
on one of these subs could spread contamination over a wide area. Theft 
of plutonium from a submarine could become a proliferation issue.
  This important bill, introduced by our foresighted ranking member of 
the Committee on International Relations, ensures that at least $4 
million will be spent on environmental cleanup and cross-border 
cooperation in this region.

                              {time}  1530

  It also mandates a study on this potential environmental crisis that 
threatens regional environmental stability and therefore the United 
States' national interests in the region.
  By mandating a report to address the severity of this situation and 
by urging President Putin to make progress on concluding liability 
issues to move forward on nuclear waste management issues, this bill 
makes a very important contribution to proactively preventing a 
security crisis in Northern Europe before it erupts.
  Just as our foreign policy must address regions in crisis in Europe 
and around the world, likewise, we cannot afford to neglect areas that 
appear to be stable but may have problems that lie beneath the surface.
  Northern Europe has made progress over the last few years, 
particularly among the Balkan states, but the division itselves of the 
Cold War and the legacy of the Soviet Union damaged trust and a sense 
of community which flourished in this region in the past.
  This bill reaffirms support for Northern Europe's initiative, and it 
also seeks to continue the progress towards rebuilding confidence and 
security in the region. So for those of us who are very much opposed to 
nuclear proliferation and who support the environment, we urge our 
colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), the distinguished chairman of 
our Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
  (Mr. BEREUTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the committee for 
yielding time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation. H.R. 4249 
authorizes $4 million from a variety of sources: The Eastern European 
Democracy Act, or SEED, of 1989; the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961; 
and the Freedom for Russia and Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open 
Markets Support Act of 1992.
  It does this to support worthwhile projects under the U.S.-Northern 
European initiative in the areas of environmental clean-up, law 
enforcement, public health, energy, business and trade promotion, and 
civil society.
  Most significantly, I think, H.R. 4249 highlights the enormously 
dangerous problem of Russian nuclear waste in the area of Murmansk and 
northwest Russia. In particular, hundreds of rusting and rotting 
decommissioned nuclear submarines and ships pose a threat, not just to 
Northern Europe, but to the entire world. Indeed, this waste may pose 
the most imminent environmental danger in the world today. There is an 
urgent need to address this critical problem because it literally could 
explode in our face.
  Unfortunately, the bill also points out that it has not yet been 
possible to resolve remaining differences with Russia over liability, 
taxation of assistance, privileges and immunities for foreign 
contractors, and audit rights in regard to this waste, and concludes 
that these agreements are vital to continue provision of assistance.
  The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson), distinguished ranking 
member of the Committee on International Relations, amended this bill 
in committee to make it clear that no assistance should be provided 
until these problems are adequately resolved.
  In addition to the environmental problems, this bill will also 
provide funds to support the United States' Northern European 
initiative and projects under that initiative in areas such as civil 
society, law enforcement, business, energy, and public health.
  While the bill remains very limited in providing seed funds, it will 
serve as an important indicator to the European Union of our interest 
and support for this initiative.
  I would close by commending the gentleman from Connecticut for 
offering this important legislation, and urge our colleagues to support 
H.R. 4249.
  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4249, a bill I 
introduced to foster cooperation and environmental cleanup in Northern 
Europe. I thank Chairman Gilman for his assistance with this 
legislation. I also thank all of the bipartisan co-sponsors of this 
bill, particularly my friend from Nebraska, Mr. Bereuter, who spoke 
eloquently and forcefully in Committee on the threats that this bill 
addresses.
  Many people thought that the problem of decaying Soviet-era nuclear 
submarines would just disappear with the end of the Cold War, but the 
threat is real and it persists. My legislation seeks to address this 
problem and other regional challenges through the important framework 
of the Northern Europe Initiative (NEI). The NEI is a U.S. launched 
initiative to promote stability in the Baltic Sea region and to 
strengthen key institutions and security structures of the United 
States and the countries of Northern Europe.
  The remarkable work of the Combined Threat Reduction Program, better 
known as Nunn-Lugar, has facilitated the dismantlement of 12 strategic 
missile submarines and 46 submarine launched ballistic missiles--those 
parts of the old Soviet fleet deemed most of a threat to U.S. National 
Security. But over 150 decaying nuclear submarines remain floating in 
Russian ports, vulnerable to theft and tampering.
  Recent events show how dangerous this situation is for the region and 
therefore for U.S. National Security. Less than five months ago in 
January at a base near Vilyuchinsk, Russia, two sailors bribed a guard 
and boarded a decommissioned attack submarine, then broke into the 
reactor compartment and began removing cables and metal. According to 
press reports, while stealing these parts, the sailors could easily 
have caused a meltdown in the still-operating reactor of the submarine, 
if its control rods had not been bolted down by an engineer two days 
earlier so the thieves were unable to raise them.
  Equally frightening was an event from September 1998 when a young 
Russian sailor commandeered an active duty Akula-class SSN that was 
docked at the Northern Fleet's Gadzhiyevo Naval Base, killing eight of 
his colleagues in the process. He barricaded himself in the boat's 
torpedo room, where he was preparing to set fire to the vessel and 
detonate its torpedoes. When Murmansk Security troops stormed the 
torpedo compartment, they found the assailant dead, apparently killed 
by an explosion triggered by his attempt to set fire to the torpedoes.
  Needless to say, had the torpedoes all detonated, a serious nuclear 
accident could have occurred.
  My legislation calls on Russian President Putin to rapidly conclude 
pending nuclear waste management agreements to enable assistance 
programs from European sources to go forward. The bill also mandates a 
study from the Secretary of State to assess the environmental threat of 
decaying submarines to American allies in Europe and proliferation 
threats to the national security of the United States.

  The bill also directs the U.S. Government to spend $4 million of 
already budgeted money in Northern Europe on environmental cleanup and 
civil society projects under the framework of the Northern European 
Initiative. Included in this initiative are targeted but valuable 
programs such as:
  A United States-Lithuanian training program for entrepreneurs from 
Belarus and Kaliningrad.
  The Great Lakes-Baltic Sea partnership program that is being 
implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency.
  A Center of Excellence for Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant 
Tuberculosis in Riga, Latvia.
  A regional HIV/AIDS strategy being developed under United States and 
Finnish leadership.

[[Page H2986]]

  Northern Europe is an area that once pulsed with activity, long 
before the Cold War divided this region. It is a place where my parents 
came from--from modern day Lithuania and Belarus. These cross-border 
projects can take a small step to build back the trust and cooperation 
that flourished before dictators and armies split people apart.
  This legislation has been endorsed by proliferation and environmental 
watchdog groups with expertise in this area including Monterey 
Institute of International Studies, the Bellona Institute, the Sierra 
Club and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
  One of the leading U.S. experts on the Russian Submarine issue, Dr. 
James Clay Moltz, Director of the NIS Nonproliferation Project at the 
Monterey Institute, said in support of this legislation:

       The presence of large numbers of decommissioned but not 
     defueled attack submarines in the Russian Northern Fleet 
     poses serious environmental, proliferation-related, and 
     security threats. These vessels are vulnerable to nuclear 
     accidents from the on-going theft of materials and control 
     systems by impoverished sailors, the sinking of corroded 
     vessels, and periodic electrical outages at Russian naval 
     facilities. Given that many of these submarines were designed 
     to carry nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and torpedoes, it is 
     in U.S. interests to dismantle them as soon as possible.

  My legislation states clearly that it is Europeans who must continue 
to take the lead. It is not necessary for the United States to spend 
large sums of money on these projects, but it is in our national 
interest to provide leadership and expertise on submarine dismantlement 
efforts. This is a case where our unparalleled experience in this field 
makes us the indispensable nation.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaTourette). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4249, 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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