[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 90 (Tuesday, June 3, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DUNCAN HUNTER NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009

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                               speech of

                           HON. STEVE ISRAEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 3, 2008

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5658) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2009 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe 
     military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2009, and for 
     other purposes:

  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is very simple. Essentially, 
it suggests a small step DOD can take to make itself more energy 
efficient. The amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to conduct a 
study reviewing DOD's policies concerning the sale and disposal of used 
motor vehicle lubricating oil. The report will include an evaluation of 
the feasibility of implementing policies to require closed loop 
recycling of used oil as a means of reducing total indirect energy 
usage and greenhouse gas emissions.
  And to the extent that the report finds that closed loop recycling 
can reduce total indirect energy usage and decrease greenhouse gas 
emissions without significant increase in overall cost to DOD, it asks 
the Secretary to implement closed loop recycling of used oil when 
feasible.
  Re-refining, or recycling, allows used oil that would otherwise be 
burned or dumped to be refined again and used for its originally 
intended purpose, just as when it was virgin oil. According to the 
American Petroleum Institute, re-refining used lubricating oil takes 
from 50 to 85 percent less energy than refining crude oil. Re-refined 
oil meets industry standards for use in vehicles. And according to a 
July 2006 report by the Department of Energy, ``transforming all used 
oil that is currently combusted into lube oil products could save 63 
million gallons of fuel oil equivalent per year.''
  Through closed loop recycling, DOD would buy re-refined oil for use 
in its vehicles, sell their used oil back to re-refiners to be 
recycled, and then continue the cycle.
  I should also note that nothing in this amendment changes or affects 
the Solid Waste Disposal Act or any other Federal or State 
environmental law, or the obligation of any person to comply with that 
law.
  This amendment is a win-win. By recycling used motor oil, DOD 
decreases its reliance on our adversaries to keep its vehicles running. 
DOD conserves energy by extending the life of a nonrenewable resource. 
And greenhouse gas emissions are decreased.
  DOD already uses some re-refined oil and it even has a closed loop 
re-refined oil program. Expanding these programs is one small way the 
military can reduce its overall reliance on foreign oil. As the largest 
single consumer of energy in the United States, it is a step that I 
believe DOD should consider taking.

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