[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 116 (Wednesday, July 29, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8276-S8277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ROCKEFELLER (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Nelson of 
        Florida, and Mr. Begich):
  S. 1538: A bill to establish a black carbon and other aerosols 
research program in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
that supports observations, monitoring, modeling, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, as our Nation wrestles with the 
impacts of a changing climate, we need strong science to inform our 
decision-making. Today, I am introducing two bills to support that 
effort.
  The first, the Black Carbon, S. 1538, and Other Aerosols Research 
Act, S. 1539, would direct research dollars towards improving our 
understanding of a major component of climate change--atmospheric 
aerosols. We need more information about how aerosols, including black 
carbon, impact climate change and how limiting their emissions will 
ultimately affect the rate of melting in the Arctic and overall climate 
change. Emerging research shows that black carbon and other aerosols 
have a major impact on global climate change. In fact, the effect of 
black carbon is thought to be second only to carbon dioxide. In order 
to reduce the impacts of aerosols on climate and air quality, we need 
to better understand their effects. Improved aerosols monitoring, 
measurements, and models are therefore necessary to improve our 
response to climate change. This legislation would authorize a program 
within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to observe, 
monitor, and model black carbon and other aerosols to better understand 
the roles of black carbon and other aerosols in climate change.
  Identifying and quantifying human and natural emissions of greenhouse 
gases are necessary to make informed decisions about emission reduction 
strategies. Effective policy to address climate change requires 
monitoring and validation of emissions from specific sources and 
projects. Given the investments required to meet the challenge of 
greenhouse gas reductions, it is critical that efforts to reduce 
emissions be verifiable at local, regional, national, and international 
levels and consistent with evidence in the atmosphere. The second bill 
I am introducing today, the Greenhouse Gas Observing and Analysis 
System Act, would establish a robust monitoring and analysis program to 
provide more precise and verified estimates of the amount of greenhouse 
gases in the atmosphere. This would help us monitor the effectiveness 
of programs and policies designed to reduce emissions.
  We need continued research investments to answer the ``hows,'' and 
the ``whys,'' regarding climate change. How are we going to be 
impacted? Why is our atmosphere and planet responding the way it is? We 
need sound answers to these questions to be agile and to adapt to the 
changes our globe is experiencing. These bills will help us answer 
these and many other questions.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1538

       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 ``Black Carbon and Other 
     Aerosols Research Act of 2009''.

     SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

       The purposes of this Act are--
       (1) to develop a monitoring and research plan--
       (A) to identify natural and anthropogenic sources of black 
     carbon and other aerosols and to monitor their atmospheric 
     and deposited concentrations on both a temporal and a spatial 
     scale;
       (B) to measure, monitor, model, and assess black carbon and 
     other aerosols in regard to their atmospheric concentrations 
     and deposited forms--
       (i) to establish how these substances impact regional- and 
     global-scale climate change and air quality;
       (ii) to determine their regional impacts, with a focus on 
     the polar regions and other snow and ice covered areas; and
       (iii) to estimate, in the United States and globally, 
     spatial and temporal black carbon and other aerosol 
     concentrations, and deposition trends in collaboration with 
     the National Institute of Standards and Technology and other 
     appropriate partners; and
       (C) to develop models to assist policy makers and to 
     increase understanding of--
       (i) the transport and transformation of black carbon and 
     other aerosols to improve knowledge of their distributions 
     and climate-forcing properties; and
       (ii) the individual and combined roles of black carbon and 
     other aerosols on regional and global climate change on both 
     a temporal and a spatial scale; and
       (2) to establish a black carbon and other aerosols 
     monitoring and research program within the National Oceanic 
     and Atmospheric Administration.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration.
       (2) Black carbon.--The term ``black carbon'' means the 
     strongly light absorbing aerosol that--
       (A) is composed of fine particles containing carbon 
     produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, 
     biofuel, and biomass and other activities;
       (B) exists in both atmospheric and deposited forms; and
       (C) is sometimes associated with impaired air quality and 
     climate change.
       (3) Other aerosols.--The term ``other aerosols'' means the 
     components of atmospheric aerosols, fine particles suspended 
     in air, that contribute to climate-forcing and climate 
     change, including inorganic, organic, dust, and carbonaceous 
     substances, either separately or in combination.

     SEC. 4. BLACK CARBON AND OTHER AEROSOLS MONITORING AND 
                   RESEARCH PLAN.

       (a) In General.--The Administrator shall develop an 
     observation, monitoring, modeling, and research plan for 
     black carbon and other aerosols that includes--
       (1) analysis of gaps in scientific methods and research 
     on--
       (A) black carbon and other aerosols; and
       (B) the effect of black carbon, both singly and in 
     combination with other factors, on climate change and air 
     quality on both a regional and a global scale; and
       (2) identification of priorities for Federal research on 
     black carbon and other aerosols necessary to understand their 
     role in climate change and air quality on both a regional and 
     a global scale;
       (3) a framework for modeling--
       (A) the temporal and spatial effects of black carbon and 
     other aerosols on climate, both singly and in combination, on 
     regional and global scales and processes;
       (B) the transportation and transformation of black carbon 
     and other aerosols to gain insight into their distribution 
     and climate-forcing properties; and
       (C) the influence of black carbon on clouds and cloud 
     particles to understand and quantify their role in large-
     scale circulation and the hydrologic cycle;
       (4) appropriate methods that--
       (A) identify sources of black carbon and other aerosols, 
     both anthropogenic and naturally occurring, and
       (B) measure, monitor, and increase understanding of the 
     atmospheric concentrations and properties as well as the 
     deposited forms, on both a temporal and a spatial scale;
       (5) a comparative evaluation of the global and regional 
     climate-forcing properties of black carbon and other aerosols 
     and their effect on regional and global climate change and 
     the loss of Arctic sea ice; and
       (6) observation systems, needs, and assets necessary to 
     develop and implement a black carbon and other aerosols 
     monitoring and research program within the National Oceanic 
     and Atmospheric Administration.
       (b) Advisory Panel.--The Administrator shall establish a 
     Black Carbon and Other Aerosols Advisory Panel to assist in 
     the development and implementation of the plan.
       (c) Report.--No later than 270 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit a 
     report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on 
     Science and Technology describing the plan required by 
     subsection (a).

[[Page S8277]]

     SEC. 5. BLACK CARBON AND OTHER AEROSOLS RESEARCH AND 
                   MONITORING PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Administrator shall establish and 
     maintain a black carbon and other aerosols monitoring and 
     research program that combines observations, research, 
     monitoring, modeling, and other activities within the 
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, consistent 
     with the plan required by section 4(a), that includes--
       (1) coordinated monitoring and research activities to 
     improve understanding of the sources, atmospheric 
     concentrations, deposited forms, and interactions among black 
     carbon and other aerosols that influence their contribution 
     to climate change processes on both a regional and a global 
     scale;
       (2) strategic modeling activities that improve 
     understanding of--
       (A) the transportation and transformation of aerosols, to 
     improve knowledge of their distributions and climate-forcing 
     properties; and
       (B) the separate and combined roles of black carbon and 
     other aerosols in regional and global climate change and air 
     quality, on regional, global and temporal scales, to improve 
     understanding of these substances and their roles in climate 
     change;
       (3) educational opportunities that--
       (A) encourage an interdisciplinary and international 
     approach to exploring the associated sources and impacts of 
     black carbon and other aerosols; and
       (B) increase interactions between the measurement and 
     modeling communities in order to optimize use of available 
     data;
       (4) public outreach activities that improve understanding 
     of the current scientific knowledge of black carbon and other 
     aerosols and their impact on climate change;
       (5) coordination of black carbon and other aerosols 
     monitoring research with the National Institute of Standards 
     and Technology and other appropriate international and 
     national government agencies, private entities, and others; 
     and
       (6) an assessment of the role black carbon and other 
     aerosols have in regional and global climate change and air 
     quality.
       (b) Grant Program.--
       (1) In general.--The Administrator shall establish a grant 
     program to provide grants for critical research and projects 
     that improve the ability to measure, monitor, model, and 
     assess black carbon and other aerosols with respect to their 
     atmospheric concentrations and deposited forms, including 
     research that supports means of reducing the impacts of black 
     carbon and other aerosols on climate.
       (2) Consultation with panel.--The Administrator shall 
     consult with the Black Carbon and Other Aerosols Advisory 
     Panel, and shall work cooperatively with the National 
     Institute of Standards and Technology and other Federal 
     agencies, to establish criteria for such research and 
     projects.
       (3) Participation by federal agencies.--Federal agencies 
     may collaborate with, and participate in, such research and 
     projects to the extent requested by the grant recipient.
       (4) Award process.--Grants under this subsection shall be 
     awarded extramurally through a competitive peer-reviewed, 
     merit-based process that may be conducted jointly with other 
     Federal agencies working on black carbon and aerosols and 
     their role in and relationship to climate change.
       (c) Coordination with Other Agencies.--The Administrator 
     shall coordinate development of the plan under section 4 and 
     the monitoring and research program under subsection (a) of 
     this section with the National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology and other relevant Federal agencies.
       (d) Additional Authority.--In conducting the program, the 
     Administrator may execute and perform such contracts, leases, 
     grants, or cooperative agreements as may be necessary to 
     carry out the purposes of this Act on such terms as the 
     Administrator considers appropriate.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
     Administrator for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2015--
       (1) $10,000,000 for grants under section 5(b); and
       (2) $10,000,000 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration to carry out the other provisions of this Act.
                                 ______