[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 23, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4316-S4317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LEVIN:
  S. 2611. A bill to provide trade adjustment assistance for certain 
workers; to the Committee on Finance.


                TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE LEGISLATION

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill 
that will close a loop hole in the Trade Adjustment Assistance program 
for employees of the Copper Range Company, formerly the White Pine 
Company, a copper mine in White Pine, Michigan. My legislation will 
extend TAA benefits to those employees who were responsible for 
performing the environmental remediation that was required to close the 
facility.
  My legislation is needed because these employees were unfairly 
excluded from the TAA certification that applied to other workers at 
the facility simply because the service they provide, environmental 
remediation, does not technically support the production of the article 
that the mine produced: copper. My legislation simply extends TAA 
coverage to those few workers

[[Page S4317]]

who remained at the facility with responsibility for the environmental 
remediation necessary to close the facility.
  The Copper Range Company received NAFTA-TAA certification in 1995 
when it began closing down. The company was still in the process of 
closing down in 1997 and received re-certification at that time. As of 
the end of 1999, there were still workers at the plant engaged in the 
final stages of closing down. Their work consisted of environmental 
remediation. When the plant applied for re-certification in September 
for purposes of covering these workers, the Department of Labor (DoL) 
denied the request because DoL said that the remaining workers were not 
performing a job ending because of transplant to another NAFTA country; 
they were performing environmental remediation, not production of 
copper.
  Mr. President, this is an unfair catch-22 situation that must be 
rectified legislatively. The legislation I am introducing today would 
provide those few employees involved in the final stages of closing 
down the mine with the same TAA benefits their co-workers received. The 
total number of workers at issue is small and my legislative fix is 
straightforward. I hope this legislation can be adopted quickly so that 
these Michigan workers who have fallen through the cracks can access 
the TAA benefits they rightfully deserve.
  I ask unanimous consent that the bill be printed in its entirety in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2611

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE.

       (a) Certification of Eligibility for Workers Required for 
     Closure of Facility.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law 
     or any decision by the Secretary of Labor denying 
     certification or eligibility for certification for adjustment 
     assistance under title II of the Trade Act of 1974, a 
     qualified worker described in paragraph (2) shall be 
     certified by the Secretary as eligible to apply for 
     adjustment assistance under such title II.
       (2) Qualified worker.--For purposes of this subsection, a 
     ``qualified worker'' means a worker who--
       (A) was determined to be covered under Trade Adjustment 
     Assistance Certification TA-W-31,402; and
       (B) was necessary for the environmental remediation or 
     closure of a copper mining facility.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section 
     shall take effect on the date of enactment of this 
     Act.
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