[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 183 (Wednesday, December 16, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8716-S8717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE PEOPLE OF CAMPBELL COUNTY, WYOMING

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I recently traveled to my hometown of 
Gillette, WY. I am usually in Wyoming most weekends, but I get to my 
hometown only about every other month because I have a huge State to 
cover. I happened to get there when the senior citizens were having 
their annual crafts gala. As I wandered through, looking at all of the 
marvelous things they had done, I was shown a Christmas ornament 
specifically designed for our county. I was asked if I could take it 
and a message to our President. Of course I agreed, and today I want to 
share that message and that ornament with my fellow Senators.
  That is what it looks like on the tree.
  The letter says:

       Dear Mr. President,
       We seniors of Gillette, Campbell County, Wyoming, want to 
     send you this Christmas ornament that reflects the support of 
     many programs in our community. Without the coal and oil 
     industries, Campbell County would not have such a wonderful 
     school system or the outstanding programs for seniors. The 
     Campbell County Senior Center provides hot lunches for 
     seniors Monday through Friday and serves about 100 (or more) 
     every day. It also offers numerous other activities such as 
     ceramics, painting, exercise classes, social activities, 
     computer classes, day trips to local points of interest, and 
     assistance in completing forms for government programs. We 
     feel the Campbell County Senior Center is the Cadillac of all 
     senior centers.
       The coal and oil industries not only support Campbell 
     County but they support the whole State of Wyoming. Much of 
     the tax dollars generated by the coal and oil industries are 
     distributed throughout Wyoming. When your administration 
     tries so hard to close down these industries, it not only 
     affects the thousands of families in Campbell County but it 
     affects the whole state. Although we realize there are valid 
     concerns about global warming and environmental issues in our 
     country, we want to testify that the coal and oil industries 
     in our county are environmentally conscience and they work 
     hard to beautify the land here.
       The people of Wyoming not only receive but they also give 
     freely. If there is anyone in need here, the people step 
     forward and give their time, talents, and resources. If every 
     state in this country would give as Wyoming does, there 
     wouldn't be any hunger or homelessness.
       We have enclosed some photos to show you a few of the 
     programs offered to children, seniors, and families in 
     Campbell County. We ask that you please take the time to look 
     at them. We would also like to invite you to visit Campbell 
     County to see the wonderful community we have. Visit our 
     open-pit coal mines and our oil industry along with the 
     various forms of wildlife that share this land.
       Thank you for taking the time to listen to the concerned 
     seniors of Gillette, Wyoming.
       May God Bless You and Your Family!

  The letter is dated November 17, 2015. At the end of the letter is a 
list of a number of the seniors who signed the letter. I ask unanimous 
consent that their names be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       Thomas W. Procket, Sheryl Matthews, Nancy Pauluson, Rollie 
     G. Banks, Zaigie Setterling, Marlene Jones, Debbie S. 
     Schofield, Jeff Ketterling, Buede Jones, James Osborne, Camel 
     A. Lipne, Naima Appel, Jim & Eseelle Hanson, Marian 
     Neugebauer, Colleen Neese, Joann Gilliertson, Betty Lou 
     Anderson, Norm Bennett, Marie Mortellaro, John P. McClellam, 
     Mary Jo Younglund, Bradley Shane Anderson, Marie Tarno, 
     Margret Chase, Barbara Rognnae, Laura Kerry, Bernie A. 
     Darson, Bonnie Z. Namor, June Keeney, Kerolyn S. Jones, Allie 
     Bratton.
       Janel Laubach, I C. Hecht, Rhyllis Rae Alldekoven, Cathy 
     Raney, Barbara

[[Page S8717]]

     Leastmen, Patsy K. Drume, Susan Burke, Fred C. Smiley, Betty 
     Beesley, Mary Ann Bourne, Renee Davis, Mary Frances Reest, 
     Judy G. Deters, Andrew W. Deters, Glorienera H. Ceven, 
     Lucille Gaungen, Belle Demple, Maria Case, Raymond Case, Bill 
     & Elaine Sharpe, Rose & Fred Schave, Lloyd Derrick, J.W. 
     Keeflang, Ruth Steffen, Gladys Pridgeon, John A. Hart, Fays 
     Coleman.

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I have taken a closer look at the ornament 
that they gave me to give to the President. We are not only the energy 
capital of Wyoming, but we are also the energy capital of the Nation. 
We produce 40 percent of the Nation's coal, and the reason we produce 
40 percent of the Nation's coal is that this coal is cleaner than 
anywhere else. Powder River Basin coal is lower in sulfur and other 
chemicals, and they have even found ways to improve the way it 
operates. If some of the money from the Department of Energy were used 
as an incentive for cleaning up coal, it could be done much better.
  Our university, again using money from the energy business, is also 
working on a few projects. One of them is to use solar power to 
separate hydrogen out of water and burn the hydrogen with coal to make 
it burn better and cleaner.
  We have five powerplants in my county, and we love to talk people 
into coming to Campbell County. We are successful at getting senior 
staffers, from both Republican and Democratic offices, to come each 
year to take a look at what it is like in that part of the country. The 
biggest comment that all of them make as they leave is that they had no 
idea that it could be that clean. They thought the coal mines would be 
dirty.
  I ran into that when I went to the first global warming conference in 
Japan. I went there early, as the negotiations were starting, and I 
guess I was one of the first people to show up in a suit, so people 
were leaping over tables and everything to interview me. I usually 
don't do that. I ask what their circulation is in Wyoming, and of 
course in Japan it was zero, so I didn't do any interviews. But one of 
the big papers in Tokyo was so interested that I wouldn't do an 
interview that they sent a reporter to Wyoming. They called first and 
asked if it would be OK if he came and traveled with me for a day. I 
said that it would be fine as long as he also visited a coal mine and 
powerplant.
  He came and traveled with me, and he had no idea of the distances 
that we have between the few people that we have in Wyoming. We are the 
least populated State in the Nation. He also followed through on 
visiting the coal mine and powerplant. Again, he had the same comment. 
He couldn't believe it could be done so cleanly and so well.
  In the early days of the coal mines coming in, people said they would 
never able to reclaim that land because we have such low moisture in 
Wyoming. We are actually considered high desert. In fact, the eastern 
part of that State has the most desert. God didn't put anything above 
the ground. He put it all under the ground, and part of it is coal 
under 80 feet of dirt, which is considered nothing in the coal mining 
business. So we have been able to mine the coal with this open pit and 
to reclaim it.
  Now it is fun to take people out to see one of these mines because 
when you get to it, they say: Don't let them tear up that part over 
there. We say: That is where the mine used to be. This is where it is 
going to be. They then say: Oh, go ahead and tear that up because it 
looks better after they put everything back in its place.
  It could be done better yet, but there are some requirements in the 
reclamation that it has to be put back the way that it was, and that 
puts some constraints on it. Nobody would move millions of tons of dirt 
on a farm or ranch and put it back exactly the way it was, down to 
where the rocks are placed.
  We have a product that is used nationally and that the Chinese would 
like to use. Did you know that during the Olympic games in China they 
had to fire out rockets that would go to a fairly high altitude and 
then spread out some chemicals that would clean the air so that it 
would look nice on television? They are extremely interested in getting 
Campbell County coal shipped to them so they can burn that in their 
powerplants and clean their air.
  It is the least expensive form of energy there is, and I am talking 
about just one of the forms of energy. We also have oil, which results 
in natural gas and coalbed methane. This little symbol is a uranium 
symbol. We also produce most of the Nation's uranium in our 
county. That could be used more extensively to provide clean power and 
as a source for agriculture as well, including raising bison.

  So I wanted to share this Christmas ornament with all of my 
colleagues and echo what the seniors have said and suggest that America 
is the most innovative country in the world and if we have a problem, 
we can solve it. A little bit of incentive can go a long way. We are an 
inventive country. A little bit of incentive has gone a long way a lot 
of times.
  We actually have had some private companies that are talking about 
restocking the space station. We have the plane that was powered by 
bicycle pedals that crossed the English Channel. If we can do those 
sorts of things, there is no limit to what can be done.
  We have to quit discouraging inventiveness and encourage the use of 
the resources we have.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak in 
morning business for such time as I consume, not to exceed 30 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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