[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 117 (Wednesday, September 27, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H8277-H8278]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MAKING TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO TITLE X OF ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 1992
Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2641) to make technical corrections to title X of the Energy
Policy Act of 1992, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2641
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DATE EXTENSIONS.
Section 1001 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C.
2296a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(1)(B)(i), by striking ``2002'' and
inserting ``2007'';
(2) in subsection (b)(1)(B)(ii), by striking ``placed in
escrow not later than December 31, 2002,'' and inserting
``incurred by a licensee after December 31, 2007,''; and
(3) in subsection (b)(2)(E)(i) by striking ``July 31,
2005'' and inserting ``December 31, 2008''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Boucher) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin).
General Leave
Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and to include extraneous material on this legislation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Wyoming?
There was no objection.
Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2641 will make date extensions to title X of the
Energy Policy Act of 1992, which specifies how and when the Federal
Government reimburses the private sector licensees for the Federal
Government's share of the cost of cleaning up uranium and thorium
milling sites. We have learned that it costs a lot more and takes a lot
longer to clean up these mill sites than we originally anticipated back
in 1992, due in large part to the difficulties of dealing with
groundwater contamination.
Therefore, H.R. 2641 makes some adjustments to the time line of the
current reimbursement scheme to recognize these realities and to make
sure that the government continues to pay its fair share of the cleanup
costs.
The current scheme of reimbursement on an annual basis is due to end
in 2002, with DOE required to place into escrow sufficient funds to
cover the estimated post-2002 costs. Both industry and the Department
of Energy want to continue the current arrangement of reimbursement of
actual costs on an annual basis for several more years until all or
almost all of this cleanup work is completed.
This bill was changed significantly as it moved through the committee
process. I commend the Members and staff on both sides of the aisle,
particularly the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Largent), for working to
improve this bill. What is before the House today was reported out of
the Committee on Commerce with unanimous bipartisan support.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2641 represents an effective compromise measure
that has the full support of the Department of Energy and the industry.
I urge Members on both sides of the aisle to vote for this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOUCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2641, which makes constructive
and noncontroversial changes to title X of the Energy Policy Act of
1992.
I want to thank the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin), the
gentleman from Texas (Chairman Barton) of our Subcommittee on Energy
and Power, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Largent), and their
respective staffs for working with us at the subcommittee level and at
the level of the full House Committee on Commerce to address a range of
concerns that the minority originally had concerning these provisions.
As the gentlewoman from Wyoming indicated, the bill reported by the
Committee on Commerce makes a number of useful administrative changes
to the uranium and thorium mill tailings cleanup program. First, it
extends for 5 additional years the period during which licensees may
apply to the Department of Energy for reimbursement of their share of
the costs of approved cleanup projects.
Secondly, the bill eliminates the requirement that certain funds be
placed in escrow which will benefit all licensees by providing more
flexibility to provide reimbursements for completed projects.
And third, the bill extends the date by which the Secretary of Energy
must determine that there are excess funds for cleaning up the gaseous
diffusion plants. These changes reflect the reality that while the
title X cleanup program has been largely successful, the work has taken
longer than expected. I would stress, however, that the bill does not
alter the formula for Federal reimbursement or in any way increase the
program's previously authorized spending ceiling.
The bill reported by the Committee on Commerce is supported by both
the administration and industry. It has bipartisan support, and I am
pleased to join with the gentlewoman in urging the approval by the
House of this measure. I want to thank her, the gentleman from Texas
(Chairman Barton) of our Subcommittee on Energy and Power, and the
leadership of the full Committee on Commerce for their cooperation in
addressing the concerns we originally had.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Largent).
Mr. LARGENT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs.
Cubin) for yielding me just a moment of time to talk about H.R. 2641.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2641 to make technical
corrections to title X of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. This
legislation is a clean reauthorization that extends the program of
annual reimbursements for 5 more years to clean up uranium and thorium
mill tailings sites by extending these reimbursements for 5 more years.
It eliminates the requirement for DOE to place into escrow sufficient
funds to cover estimated post-2002 cleanup costs, and it changes the
date when the Secretary must determine whether any excess funds remain
from 2005 until 2008.
H.R. 2641 is a bipartisan bill reported out unanimously by the
Committee on Commerce. The bill is supported by the Department of
Energy, by industry, and by the PACE union which represents workers at
the gaseous diffusion plants.
{time} 1330
H.R. 2641 will keep the industry licensees focused on completing
their cleanup work and will keep DOE focused on reimbursing its fair
share of the cleanup costs.
Finally, I want to thank Kevin Cook from the Committee on Commerce
for all of his fine work; Sue Sheridan from the staff of the gentleman
from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) for her efforts and cooperation and from
the staff of the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin), Bryan Jacobs
for all of his work and time on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, finally, I would just add that this bill is
environmentally sound and responsible and economically sound, fiscally
sound and responsible as well.
Mr. BOUCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, once again I want to thank the staffs on both sides of
the
[[Page H8278]]
aisle. I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Boucher), his
cooperation and good temperament is always a joy to work with and I
thank him very much.
Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Walden of Oregon). The question is on
the motion offered by the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin) that
the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2641, 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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