[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 113 (Thursday, July 10, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   INTRODUCTION OF THE GREEN 301 ACT

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 10, 2008

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the Trade and 
Environment Enforcement Act, also known as the Green 301 Act. This bill 
expands the Section 301 provisions of the Trade Act of 1974 to 
encompass environmental effects.
  Under the Trade and Environment Enforcement Act, the Trade 
Representative must identify those foreign country trade practices 
causing negative environmental impacts to human, animal, or plant life 
or health, or the conservation of exhaustible natural resources in the 
United States, the foreign country, a third country, or 
internationally. Once those practices have been identified, the Trade 
Representative must issue a report to Ways and Means and to Senate 
Finance with its findings.
  After the Trade Representative issues its report, it must engage in 
consultations with foreign governments to resolve the negative 
practices it identifies with in the report and seek to negotiate an 
agreement between the United States and the foreign country providing 
for the mitigation, reduction, or elimination of the identified 
negative environmental impacts. If no agreement is reached, then the 
trade representative is authorized to take all appropriate and feasible 
action authorized under Section 301.
  Additionally, the Trade and Environment Enforcement Act permits 
petitions and consultations under this process from interested parties, 
including environmental organizations and the business community, to 
expand the types and scope of the Trade Representative's environmental 
review.

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