[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 85 (Thursday, June 7, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3870-S3871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TO ALLOW THE CHIEF OF THE FOREST SERVICE TO AWARD CERTAIN CONTRACTS FOR 
                           LARGE AIR TANKERS

  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Agriculture Committee be 
discharged from further consideration of S. 3261.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3261) to allow the Chief of the Forest Service 
     to award certain contracts for large air tankers.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the importance of 
updating our aging and diminishing fleet of air tankers for emergency 
wildfire suppression operations.
  Congress, the Forest Service, and communities sensitive to fire have 
known for a decade that we need to retire old air tankers. The tragic 
deaths this past weekend of two Forest Service contractors in an air 
tanker crash, and a crash landing at the Minden-Tahoe Airport near 
Carson City, remind us that further delay is unacceptable.
  First, I would like to express my deep sorrow over the deaths of the 
two Forest Service contractors. Todd Tompkins and Ronnie Edwin 
Chambless were killed on Sunday as they dropped flame retardant from 
their P 2V7 heavy air tanker on the White Rock fire. At its highest 
point, the fire was ravaging nearly 5,000 acres in western Utah and 
southeastern Nevada, including sagebrush and other grasses in Lincoln 
County, NV.
  Between the two of them, Captain Tompkins and First Officer Chambless 
had been flying for nearly three decades, including over a decade 
fighting fires. Captain Tompkins said he liked his work because it 
helped save communities and lives. Sadly, when he went into that 
mission on Sunday, he could not save his own.
  My State has incurred much devastation from wildfires in recent 
years. These blazes have destroyed homes, displaced families and 
businesses, and wiped out both critical wildlife habitat and productive 
grazing lands.
  Of course, without the brave work of the air tanker pilots dispatched 
to battle these fires, the damage could have been much worse. It is 
therefore critical that we help ensure these courageous men and women 
have the tools they need to conduct their important public safety work 
and preserve their own lives.
  Today, we are asking for unanimous consent for Senate passage of 
legislation introduced by Senators Wyden and Bingaman, S. 3261, which 
would allow the Forest Service to quickly complete the contracting 
process for acquiring at least seven new large air tankers to fight 
wildfires during the 2012 and 2013 fire seasons.
  The Forest Service is contending with an aging fleet of aircraft. The 
agency is working with planes that were designed for combat in the 
Korean War. Finding parts for tankers a half-century old is difficult, 
leading them to be grounded for long periods of times when repairs are 
needed.
  The Forest Service has said it needs between 18 and 28 new air 
tankers for optimal response to emergency response to wildfires. Today, 
however, there are only nine Forest Service tankers deemed airworthy to 
fight fires during what is expected to be a terrible fire season. If we 
act promptly, Congress has the opportunity to help the Forest Service 
put more tankers into service this year.
  To partially satisfy the need for new air tankers, the Forest Service 
has requested that Congress waive a 30-day

[[Page S3871]]

notification requirement before it awards contracts for four large air 
tankers. S. 3261 would waive this requirement, and allow the Forest 
Service to deploy these urgently needed air tankers.
  There are hundreds of men and women currently fighting the White Rock 
fire, and I understand they are making progress. We should recognize 
their bravery, and provide them with the tools needed to do their 
dangerous job more safely by taking swift action on this issue.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third 
time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with 
no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating to this 
matter be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 3261) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 3261

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. WAIVER.

       Notwithstanding the last sentence of section 3903(d) of 
     title 41, United States Code, the Chief of the Forest Service 
     may award contracts pursuant to Solicitation Number AG 024B S 
     11 9009 for large air tankers earlier than the end of the 30-
     day period beginning on the date of the notification required 
     under the first sentence of section 3903(d) of that title.

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we less than a week ago had two pilots 
killed in Nevada fighting fires with one of these airplanes that was 
old, old, old. I appreciate the work of the Senators who worked so hard 
to get this done. This is an important piece of legislation that will 
allow us to do a better job of fighting fires when we have these new 
large air tankers. The old ones are really, really old.

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