[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 129 (Tuesday, September 4, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H10023-H10026]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          GREEN CHEMISTRY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2007

  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 2850) to provide for the implementation of a Green Chemistry 
Research and Development Program, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2850

       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 ``Green Chemistry Research and 
     Development Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act--
       (1) the term ``green chemistry'' means chemistry and 
     chemical engineering to design chemical products and 
     processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of 
     hazardous substances while producing high quality products 
     through safe and efficient manufacturing processes;
       (2) the term ``Interagency Working Group'' means the 
     interagency working group established under section 3(c); and
       (3) the term ``Program'' means the Green Chemistry Research 
     and Development Program described in section 3.

     SEC. 3. GREEN CHEMISTRY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The President shall establish a Green 
     Chemistry Research and Development Program to promote and 
     coordinate Federal green chemistry research, development, 
     education, and technology transfer activities.
       (b) Program Activities.--The activities of the Program 
     shall be designed to--
       (1) provide sustained support for green chemistry research, 
     development, education, and technology transfer through--
       (A) merit-reviewed competitive grants to individual 
     investigators and teams of investigators, including, to the 
     extent practicable, young investigators, for research and 
     development;
       (B) grants to fund collaborative research and development 
     partnerships among universities, industry, and nonprofit 
     organizations;
       (C) green chemistry research, development, and technology 
     transfer conducted at Federal laboratories; and
       (D) to the extent practicable, encouragement of 
     consideration of green chemistry in--
       (i) the conduct of Federal chemical science and engineering 
     research and development; and
       (ii) the solicitation and evaluation of all proposals for 
     chemical science and engineering research and development;
       (2) examine methods by which the Federal Government can 
     create incentives for consideration and use of green 
     chemistry processes and products;
       (3) facilitate the adoption of green chemistry innovations;
       (4) expand education and training of undergraduate and 
     graduate students, and professional chemists and chemical 
     engineers, including through partnerships with industry, in 
     green chemistry science and engineering;
       (5) collect and disseminate information on green chemistry 
     research, development, and technology transfer, including 
     information on--
       (A) incentives and impediments to development and 
     commercialization;
       (B) accomplishments;
       (C) best practices; and
       (D) costs and benefits;
       (6) provide venues for outreach and dissemination of green 
     chemistry advances such as symposia, forums, conferences, and 
     written materials in collaboration with, as appropriate, 
     industry, academia, scientific and professional societies, 
     and other relevant groups;
       (7) support economic, legal, and other appropriate social 
     science research to identify barriers to commercialization 
     and methods to advance commercialization of green chemistry; 
     and
       (8) provide for public input and outreach to be integrated 
     into the Program by the convening of public discussions, 
     through mechanisms such as citizen panels, consensus 
     conferences, and educational events, as appropriate.
       (c) Interagency Working Group.--The President shall 
     establish an Interagency Working Group, which shall include 
     representatives from the National Science Foundation, the 
     National Institute of Standards and Technology, the 
     Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, 
     and any other agency that the President may designate. The 
     Director of the National Science Foundation and the Assistant 
     Administrator for Research and Development of the 
     Environmental Protection Agency shall serve as co-chairs of 
     the Interagency Working Group. The Interagency Working Group 
     shall oversee the planning, management, and coordination of 
     the Program. The Interagency Working Group shall--
       (1) establish goals and priorities for the Program, to the 
     extent practicable in consultation with green chemistry 
     researchers and potential end-users of green chemistry 
     products and processes; and
       (2) provide for interagency coordination, including budget 
     coordination, of activities under the Program.
       (d) Agency Budget Requests.--Each Federal agency and 
     department participating in the Program shall, as part of its 
     annual request for appropriations to the Office of Management 
     and Budget, submit a report to the Office of Management and 
     Budget which identifies its activities that contribute 
     directly to the Program and states the portion of its request 
     for appropriations that is allocated to those activities. The

[[Page H10024]]

     President shall include in his annual budget request to 
     Congress a statement of the portion of each agency's or 
     department's annual budget request allocated to its 
     activities undertaken pursuant to the Program.
       (e) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the Interagency Working Group 
     shall transmit a report to the Committee on Science and 
     Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
     on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. This 
     report shall include--
       (1) a summary of federally funded green chemistry research, 
     development, demonstration, education, and technology 
     transfer activities, including the green chemistry budget for 
     each of these activities; and
       (2) an analysis of the progress made toward achieving the 
     goals and priorities for the Program, and recommendations for 
     future program activities.

     SEC. 4. MANUFACTURING EXTENSION CENTER GREEN SUPPLIERS 
                   NETWORK GRANT PROGRAM.

       Section 25(a) of the National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k(a)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (4);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (5) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(6) the enabling of supply chain manufacturers to 
     continuously improve products and processes, increase energy 
     efficiency, increase recycling, identify cost-saving 
     opportunities, and optimize resources and technologies with 
     the aim of reducing or eliminating the use or generation of 
     hazardous substances.''.

     SEC. 5. UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL 
                   ENGINEERING.

       (a) Program Authorized.--(1) As part of the Program 
     activities under section 3(b)(4), the Director of the 
     National Science Foundation shall carry out a program to 
     award grants to institutions of higher education to support 
     efforts by such institutions to revise their undergraduate 
     curriculum in chemistry and chemical engineering to 
     incorporate green chemistry concepts and strategies.
       (2) Grants shall be awarded under this section on a 
     competitive, merit-reviewed basis and shall require cost 
     sharing in cash from non-Federal sources, to match the 
     Federal funding.
       (b) Selection Process.--(1) An institution of higher 
     education seeking funding under this section shall submit an 
     application to the Director at such time, in such manner, and 
     containing such information as the Director may require. 
     Minority Serving Institutions shall receive due consideration 
     for such funding. The application shall include at a 
     minimum--
       (A) a description of the content and schedule for adoption 
     of the proposed curricular revisions to the courses of study 
     offered by the applicant in chemistry and chemical 
     engineering; and
       (B) a description of the source and amount of cost sharing 
     to be provided.
       (2) In evaluating the applications submitted under 
     paragraph (1), the Director shall consider, at a minimum--
       (A) the level of commitment demonstrated by the applicant 
     in carrying out and sustaining lasting curriculum changes in 
     accordance with subsection (a)(1); and
       (B) the amount of cost sharing to be provided.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to 
     amounts authorized under section 8, from sums otherwise 
     authorized to be appropriated by the National Science 
     Foundation Authorization Act of 2002, there are authorized to 
     be appropriated to the National Science Foundation for 
     carrying out this section $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, 
     $7,500,000 for fiscal year 2009, and $8,000,000 for fiscal 
     year 2010.

     SEC. 6. STUDY ON COMMERCIALIZATION OF GREEN CHEMISTRY.

       (a) Study.--The Director of the National Science Foundation 
     shall enter into an arrangement with the National Research 
     Council to conduct a study of the factors that constitute 
     barriers to the successful commercial application of 
     promising results from green chemistry research and 
     development.
       (b) Contents.--The study shall--
       (1) examine successful and unsuccessful attempts at 
     commercialization of green chemistry in the United States and 
     abroad; and
       (2) recommend research areas and priorities and public 
     policy options that would help to overcome identified 
     barriers to commercialization.
       (c) Report.--The Director shall submit a report to the 
     Committee on Science and Technology of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate on the findings and 
     recommendations of the study within 18 months after the date 
     of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 7. PARTNERSHIPS IN GREEN CHEMISTRY.

       (a) Program Authorized.--(1) The agencies participating in 
     the Program shall carry out a joint, coordinated program to 
     award grants to institutions of higher education to establish 
     partnerships with companies in the chemical industry to 
     retrain chemists and chemical engineers in the use of green 
     chemistry concepts and strategies.
       (2) Grants shall be awarded under this section on a 
     competitive, merit-reviewed basis and shall require cost 
     sharing from non-Federal sources by members of the 
     partnerships.
       (3) In order to be eligible to receive a grant under this 
     section, an institution of higher education shall enter into 
     a partnership with two or more companies in the chemical 
     industry. Such partnerships may also include other 
     institutions of higher education and professional 
     associations.
       (4) Grants awarded under this section shall be used for 
     activities to provide retraining for chemists or chemical 
     engineers in green chemistry, including--
       (A) the development of curricular materials and the 
     designing of undergraduate and graduate level courses; and
       (B) publicizing the availability of professional 
     development courses of study in green chemistry and 
     recruiting graduate scientists and engineers to pursue such 
     courses.

     Grants may provide stipends for individuals enrolled in 
     courses developed by the partnership.
       (b) Selection Process.--(1) An institution of higher 
     education seeking funding under this section shall submit an 
     application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
     information as shall be specified by the Interagency Working 
     Group and published in a proposal solicitation for the 
     Program. The application shall include at a minimum--
       (A) a description of the partnership and the role each 
     member will play in implementing the proposal;
       (B) a description of the courses of study that will be 
     provided;
       (C) a description of the number and size of stipends, if 
     offered;
       (D) a description of the source and amount of cost sharing 
     to be provided; and
       (E) a description of the manner in which the partnership 
     will be continued after assistance under this section ends.
       (2) The evaluation of the applications submitted under 
     paragraph (1) shall be carried out in accordance with 
     procedures developed by the Interagency Working Group and 
     shall consider, at a minimum--
       (A) the ability of the partnership to carry out effectively 
     the proposed activities;
       (B) the degree to which such activities are likely to 
     prepare chemists and chemical engineers sufficiently to be 
     competent to apply green chemistry concepts and strategies in 
     their work; and
       (C) the amount of cost sharing to be provided.

     SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) National Science Foundation.--There are authorized to 
     be appropriated to the National Science Foundation for 
     carrying out this Act--
       (1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
       (2) $21,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
       (3) $22,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
       (b) National Institute of Standards and Technology.--There 
     are authorized to be appropriated to the National Institute 
     of Standards and Technology for carrying out this Act--
       (1) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
       (2) $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
       (3) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
       (c) Department of Energy.--There are authorized to be 
     appropriated to the Department of Energy for carrying out 
     this Act--
       (1) $13,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
       (2) $14,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
       (3) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
       (d) Environmental Protection Agency.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Environmental Protection Agency for 
     carrying out this Act--
       (1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
       (2) $11,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
       (3) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Baird) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 2850, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2850, the Green 
Chemistry Research and Development Act.
  Chemical manufacturing produces great wonders for the world, but at 
the same time it can result in harm to health and the environment due 
to the use of hazardous materials and the generation of hazardous by-
products. Green chemistry seeks to mitigate such harmful outcomes.
  In short, the goal of green chemistry is to minimize or to eliminate 
this harm by using safer materials and manufacturing processes. Besides 
protecting human health and the environment, green chemistry can offer 
economic advantages and improvements to worker safety, public safety, 
and our national security.
  The bill before us today, H.R. 2850, the Green Chemistry Research and 
Development Act, establishes an interagency program to enhance green 
chemistry R&D at NSF, EPA, DOE and NIST.
  This legislation will provide grants to individual researchers, spur 
university/industry partnerships, fund research at Federal 
laboratories, and train students in green chemistry science.
  H.R. 2850 is the third iteration of a bill that Congressman Gingrey 
has introduced addressing this issue in three

[[Page H10025]]

separate Congresses. I want to applaud the gentleman from Georgia for 
his steadfast leadership on this, and I fully support the legislation.
  Under Chairman Boehlert's leadership in the 108th and 109th 
Congresses, Democratic amendments were agreed to, and these amendments 
now make up sections of H.R. 2850. This bill is the product of good, 
bipartisan cooperation and has the support of our chairman, Mr. Gordon, 
from Tennessee.
  H.R. 2850 is a good first step, and I urge my colleagues to support 
this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume, leaving most of the time for Dr. Gingrey.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to just say that the Green Chemistry Research and 
Development Act of 2007 offered today by my good friend from Georgia, 
Dr. Gingrey, will provide for research and development of chemical 
products and processes so as to reduce the use of creation of hazardous 
substances. Advances in these areas have the potential of reducing the 
creation of substances that are harmful to our environment.
  In particular, H.R. 2850 includes a competitive merit-based grant 
program to universities to incorporate green chemistry concepts into 
the curriculum for chemistry and chemical engineering. This will ensure 
that future generations will consider the importance of green chemistry 
ideas.
  The legislation strives to build a base from which the creation of 
hazardous substances may be reduced. I look forward to Dr. Gingrey's 
comments on this bill and urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and would 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. I yield 6 minutes to Dr. Gingrey.
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, as a proud sponsor of this legislation, I 
rise to support H.R. 2850, the Green Chemistry Research and Development 
Act of 2007.
  I want to thank my colleague on the Science Committee, Dr. Baird. I 
thank him for his kind comments. And certainly I want to thank our 
chairman, Bart Gordon, the ranking member, Mr. Hall of Texas, and all 
of the members of the Science Committee and staff. Both majority and 
minority have worked hard to bring this important bipartisan 
legislation through committee and to the House floor today.
  This legislation has passed the House in the 108th and 109th 
Congresses, and I hope that the third Congress will truly be the charm 
and we will see H.R. 2850 quickly passed by both Chambers and signed by 
the President.
  Mr. Speaker, chemists can design chemicals to be safe, just as they 
can design them to have other properties like color and texture. As 
chemists design products and the processes by which those products are 
manufactured, they can and should factor in the possible creation of 
any hazardous by-products.
  This technique of considering not only the process by which chemicals 
are produced, but also the environment in which they are created, is 
the basic definition of green chemistry. It is the method of designing 
chemical products and processes that at the very least reduce, and at 
the very best eliminate, the use or generation of hazardous substances.
  Mr. Speaker, the basic idea is this: Preventing pollution and 
hazardous waste from the start of a design process is far preferable to 
cleaning up pollution and waste at a later date. Additionally, the 
innovation created by this enhanced research will subsequently spur 
economic growth as developing new products and processes is an integral 
component of many industries, from fabrics to fuel cells, as an 
example.
  Green chemistry doesn't just help protect our environment, it also 
protects our workers. The conditions under which chemicals are created 
and used can present many risks to those who work on their production. 
But if companies utilize green chemistry, the materials they use will 
be as benign as possible, vastly improving employee conditions.
  Unfortunately, despite all of the promise of green chemistry, the 
Federal Government invests very little in this area. H.R. 2850 works to 
remedy this by promoting greater Federal investment in, and 
coordination of, this important research area. It does so by 
establishing a program that coordinates Federal green chemistry 
research and development activities within the National Science 
Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute 
of Standards and Technology, NIST, and the Department of Energy.
  Make no mistake, greater Federal attention will encourage 
universities and academic institutions around this country to train 
future workers in this exciting technology. H.R. 2850 will achieve this 
by supporting research and development grants to partnerships between 
universities, industry and nonprofit organizations. It will also 
promote education through curriculum development and fellowships that 
will collect and disseminate information about green chemistry.
  In past years, many industries, from chemical companies and 
pharmaceutical corporations, to carpet manufacturers and biotechnology 
businesses, have all endorsed H.R. 2850, showing a broad range of 
support for the merits of this legislation.
  This bill is nearly identical to the version passed in the 109th 
Congress. The companies and corporations that have voiced their strong 
support for this bill realize that the advancement of green chemistry 
is positive for not only their businesses, but also our country's 
environment, our economy and our Nation's citizens.
  The American Chemical Society, a nonprofit organization chartered by 
Congress, stated in support of H.R. 2850, ``Green chemistry means 
continuously improving process safety and resource efficiency leading 
to reduced cost, waste and environmental impact. It is the ultimate 
proof that environmental and economic benefit in chemistry can be 
optimized simultaneously.''
  Mr. Speaker, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and 
green chemistry promises a ton of pollution prevention. I urge my 
colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I would just reiterate my commendation to the 
gentleman from Georgia, Dr. Gingrey, and Mr. Hall for his leadership, 
and urge passage of this legislation.
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Technology and Innovation 
Subcommittee and a cosponsor of the bill, I rise in support of H.R. 
2850, the Green Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2007. I want 
to commend Dr. Gingrey for his work on this bill.
  Partnerships with universities, non-profits, industry and the Federal 
Government are important for the chemical industry's success. The 
transfer of technology from federally funded research to industry helps 
promote innovation, which helps the United States remain competitive in 
a global economy.
  Federal support of green chemistry can produce many benefits. First, 
companies will be able to produce more products less harmful to humans 
and the environment. Second, businesses will benefit from the 
facilitation of green chemistry research by the Federal Government and 
the subsequent transfer of technology to the private sector.
  This bill presents opportunities to reduce impact on the environment 
while assisting our domestic industry to find new products through 
innovation.
  Recently, Columbia Forest Products, a company in my district, 
received an award for an innovation in green chemistry. The company 
produces interior plywood products. In collaboration with Oregon State 
University, Columbia Forest Products has created a soy-based product to 
use for its production of plywood, instead of traditional urea-
formaldehyde resin.
  H.R. 2850 will help create more opportunities for universities and 
companies to partner in green chemistry innovation.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2850, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.

[[Page H10026]]

  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________