[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 93 (Friday, June 29, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S7202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. NICKLES:
  S. 1147. A bill to amend title X and title XI of the Energy Policy 
Act of 1992; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation, 
the Thorium Remediation Reauthorization Act of 2001. This bill will 
provide authorization for the Federal Government to pay its share of 
decommissioning and remediation costs for a thorium facility in West 
Chicago, Illinois. In a DOE proceeding, it was determined that the 
government is responsible for 55.2 percent of all West Chicago cleanup 
costs because 55.2 percent of West Chicago tailings resulted from 
Federal contracts. Under Title X of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 
(``EPACT''), the thorium licensee pays for all West Chicago cleanup 
costs, and is then reimbursed, though annual appropriations, the 
government's share of those costs.
  There is already more than a $60 million shortage in authorized 
funding for the Federal share of West Chicago cleanup costs. Despite 
that, the thorium licensee has continued to pay all decommissioning 
costs at the West Chicago factory site, as well as remediation costs at 
vicinity properties known as Reed-Keppler Park, Residential Properties, 
and Kress Creek. Remediation of Reed-Keppler Park was finished late 
last year and remediation of more than 600 Residential Properties is 
expected to be substantially complete by the end of this year. 
Decommissioning of the factory site, with the exception of groundwater, 
is expected to conclude in 2004. Cleanup requirements at Kress Creek 
have not been determined, and until those are established, the costs 
associated with the cleanup of that vicinity property cannot be 
accurately projected.
  The significant costs associated with the West Chicago cleanup are a 
result, in large part, of extensive government use of the facility 
during the development of our country's nuclear defense program, 
including the Manhattan project. With the exception of Kress Creek and 
groundwater, total cleanup costs at the factory site and all vicinity 
properties can now be estimated with reasonable certainty. The $123 
million authorized by this bill will permit the government to begin 
reimbursing the amount it is already in arrears to the thorium 
licensee. It also will provide the authorization necessary for the 
government to pay its share of costs, excluding costs for Kress Creek 
and for groundwater, that will be incurred by the licensee through 
completion of West Chicago cleanup.
  Funding for this reauthorization would come from the General 
Treasury. Thus, this legislation will not diminish the availability of 
funds in the DOE's Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund, from which 
both Title X uranium licensees and the DOE's gaseous diffusion plants 
receive funding.
  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. 1147

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

     SECTION 1. REAUTHORIZATION OF THORIUM REIMBURSEMENT.

       (a) Section 1001(b)(2)(C) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 
     (42 U.S.C. 2296a) is amended by striking ``$140,000,000'' and 
     inserting ``$263,000,000''.
       (b) Section 1003(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 2296a-2) is 
     amended by striking ``$490,000,000'' and inserting 
     ``$613,000,000''.
       (c) Section 1802(a) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 
     U.S.C. 2297g-1) is amended by striking ``$488,333,333'' and 
     inserting ``$508,833,333''.
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