[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 187 (Wednesday, December 7, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S8419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CLOSURE OF UMATILLA ARMY CHEMICAL DEPOT, OREGON

  Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 345, submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 345) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate on the closure of Umatilla Army Chemical Depot, 
     Oregon.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate, and any related statements be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 345) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 345

       Whereas, in December 2001, the National Defense 
     Authorization Act for fiscal year 2002 (Public Law 107-107) 
     was signed into law, which included authorization for a 2005 
     round of defense base closure and realignment (BRAC);
       Whereas, on February 16, 2004, Secretary of Defense Donald 
     Rumsfeld included the closure of the Umatilla Army Chemical 
     Depot, Oregon, as one of his recommendations for the 2005 
     round of defense base closure and realignment;
       Whereas, on September 8, 2005, the Defense Base Closure and 
     Realignment Commission, in its report making recommendations 
     to the President, found that Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld's 
     assertion that the chemical demilitarization mission at 
     Umatilla would be complete by the 2nd quarter of 2011 was 
     optimistic, and wrote, ``An examination of status information 
     for the depot's mission completion and subsequent closure 
     revealed that dates may slip beyond the 6-year statutory 
     period for completion of BRAC actions.'';
       Whereas, in that same report, the Defense Base Closure and 
     Realignment Commission took the Secretary of Defense's 
     recommendation ``Close Umatilla Chemical Depot, OR'' and 
     changed it to ``On completion of the chemical 
     demilitarization mission in accordance with treaty 
     obligations, close Umatilla Chemical Depot, OR'';
       Whereas, by doing so, the Defense Base Closure and 
     Realignment Commission acknowledged that the closure of 
     Umatilla Army Chemical Depot would happen when the 
     demilitarization mission is completed, even if that is after 
     September 15, 2011; and
       Whereas Congress did not pass a joint resolution of 
     disapproval with respect to the Commission's report, and the 
     report and recommendations became law: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That, in light of the clear history, the Senate 
     reiterates its original intent and reaffirms its direction 
     that the closure of the Umatilla Army Chemical Depot, Oregon, 
     and subsequent management and disposal shall be carried out 
     in accordance with procedures and authorities contained in 
     the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A 
     of title XXIX of Public Law 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note).

                          ____________________