[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 111 (Thursday, August 2, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S8702]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-173. A resolution adopted by the City Council of 
     Fairview Park, Ohio relative to NASA; to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
       POM-174. A concurrent resolution adopted by the House of 
     the Legislature of the State of New Hampshire relative to 
     Turkey and the Republic of Cypress; to the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations.

                     House Concurrent Resolution 9

       Whereas, in 1974, Turkey sent armed forces to Cyprus and 
     occupied over 36 percent of the land, creating widespread 
     displacement of Greek Cypriots from the northern part of the 
     island; and
       Whereas, the international community and the United States 
     Government have repeatedly called for the speedy withdrawal 
     of all foreign forces from Cyprus; and
       Whereas, a peaceful, just, and lasting solution to the 
     Cyprus problem would greatly benefit the security and the 
     political, economic, and social well-being of all Cypriots, 
     as well as contribute to improved relations between Greece 
     and Turkey; and
       Whereas, the attention of the world will be focused on this 
     region when the Olympics are held in Greece in 2002; and
       Whereas, United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1250 
     and 1251, adopted on June 26, 1999, and June 29, 1999, 
     respectively, provided parameters for a solution and were 
     supported by the United States; and
       Whereas, Resolution 1250 reaffirms all its earlier 
     resolutions on Cyprus, particularly Resolution 1218 of 
     December 22, 1998, and
       Whereas, Resolution 1251 reaffirms that the status quo is 
     unacceptable and that negotiations on a final political 
     solution to the Cyprus problem have been at an impasse for 
     too long; and
       Whereas, Resolution 1251 also reiterates the United 
     Nations' position that a Cyprus settlement must be based on a 
     state of Cyprus with a single sovereignty and international 
     personality and a single citizenship, with its independence 
     and territorial integrity safeguarded, and comprising 2 
     politically equal communities as described in the relevant 
     United Nations Security Council resolutions, in a bicommunal 
     and bizonal federation, and that such a settlement must 
     exclude union in whole or in part with any other country or 
     any form of partition or secession; and
       Whereas, despite such resolutions over 30,000 Turkish armed 
     forces remain stationed on the island of Cyprus with no 
     substantial progress toward the establishment of an 
     independent, bicommunal federation; and
       Whereas, efforts by the United Nations and the United 
     States to resolve this dispute remain unsuccessful: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate 
     concurring:
       That the general court of New Hampshire hereby urges the 
     President of the United States to increase the 
     administration's efforts in mediating a peaceful resolution 
     to the dispute in Cyprus; and
       That the general court of New Hampshire hereby urges the 
     President of the United States to persuade Turkey to comply 
     with United Nations Security Council resolutions addressing 
     Cyprus and to cooperate fully in achieving lasting peace and 
     independence for the Republic of Cyprus; and
       That copies of this resolution, signed by the speaker of 
     the house and the president of the senate, be forwarded by 
     the house clerk to the President of the United States, the 
     President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, each member of the 
     New Hampshire Congressional delegation, the President of the 
     Republic of Cyprus, the American Ambassador to Cyprus, the 
     Cypriot Ambassador to the United States, and the Turkish 
     Ambassador to the United States.
                                  ____

       POM-175. A concurrent resolution adopted by House of the 
     Legislature of the State of Delaware relative to Clean Air 
     Act; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 12

       Whereas, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is a volatile 
     organic compound derived from natural gas that is added to 
     gasoline either seasonally or year-round in many parts of the 
     United States to increase the octane level and to reduce 
     carbon monoxide and ozone levels in the air; and
       Whereas, MTBE is found in gasoline and other petroleum 
     products commonly stored in underground storage tanks and is 
     typically added to reformulated gasoline, oxygenated fuel and 
     premium grades of unleaded gasoline; and
       Whereas, health complaints related to MTBE in the air were 
     first reported in Alaska in November 1992 when about 200 
     Fairbanks residents reported problems such as headaches, 
     dizziness, eye irritation, burning of the nose and throat, 
     disorientation and nausea; and
       Whereas, similar health complaints have been registered in 
     Anchorage, Alaska, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Missouri, Montana, 
     and New Jersey; and
       Whereas, currently the United States Environmental 
     Protection Agency (EPA) tentatively classifies MTBE as a 
     possible human carcinogen; and
       Whereas, MTBE is one the EPA's Drinking Water Priority 
     List, which means that it is a possible candidate for future 
     regulation; and
       Whereas, there is widespread concern about the health risks 
     presented by the continued use of MTBE in gasoline; and
       Whereas, on January 3, 2001, H.R. 20 was introduced in the 
     United States House of Representatives; and
       Whereas, H.R. 20 amends section 211 of the Clean Air Act 
     (69 Stat. 322, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 7401 et seq.) to modify the 
     provisions regarding the oxygen content of reformulated 
     gasoline and to improve the regulation of the fuel additive, 
     methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE): Now therefore be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 141st 
     General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate thereof 
     concurring therein, memorializes the Congress of the United 
     States to enact H.R. 20, that was introduced on January 3, 
     2001, and that modifies provisions of the Clean Air Act, 
     regarding the oxygen content of reformulated gasoline and 
     improves the regulation of the fuel additive methyl tertiary 
     butyl ether (MTBE).
                                  ____

       POW-176. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Maine relative to Election Reform; to the 
     Committee on Rules and Administration.

                            Joint Resolution

       Whereas, Maine citizens believe election outcomes are 
     rightfully determined by voters, not state and federal courts 
     of law; and
       Whereas, in recent local, state and federal elections, 
     outdated voting technology and numerous other problems 
     concerning the election process in the nation as a whole have 
     led to action in state and federal courts; and
       Whereas, concerns about the integrity of the voting 
     process, whether well-founded or not, point to the 
     inadequacies of voting procedures that exist nationwide; and
       Whereas, we wish to acknowledge the citizens' desire to 
     channel these concerns into action to result in substantial 
     election reform that will ensure nondiscriminatory equal 
     access to the election system for all voters, including 
     seniors and the disabled and minority, military and overseas 
     citizens, and to ensure the complete and accurate counting of 
     all valid votes cast: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, respectfully urge and 
     request the Congress of the United States to support 
     significant reforms to our nation's voting system; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution, duly 
     authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to 
     the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, 
     the President of the United States Senate and each Member of 
     the Maine Congressional Delegation in support of major 
     electoral reform in order to ensure that the true intent of 
     the country's voters determines the outcome of all future 
     elections.

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