[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 125 (Tuesday, July 25, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H6239-H6241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
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PLUM ISLAND PRESERVATION ACT
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2182) to require the Comptroller General of the United
States to submit a report to Congress on the alternatives for the final
disposition of Plum Island, including preservation of the island for
conservation, education, and research, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2182
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 ``Plum Island Preservation
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Federal Government has owned Plum Island, New York,
since 1899.
(2) Since 1954, the Plum Island Animal Disease Center has
conducted unrivaled scientific research on a variety of
infectious animal-borne diseases, including foot-and-mouth
disease, resulting, most recently, in the development of a
new cell line that rapidly and reliably detects this highly
debilitating disease of livestock.
(3) Over 62 years, the Center has had a strong, proven
record of safety.
(4) $23,200,000 in Federal dollars have been spent on
upgrades to, and the maintenance of, the Center since January
2012.
(5) In addition to the Center, Plum Island contains
cultural, historical, ecological, and natural resources of
regional and national significance.
(6) Plum Island is situated where the Long Island Sound and
Peconic Bay meet, both of which are estuaries that are part
of the National Estuary Program and are environmentally and
economically significant to the region.
(7) The Federal Government has invested hundreds of
millions of Federal dollars over the last two decades to make
long-term improvements with respect to the conservation and
management needs of Long Island Sound and Peconic Bay.
(8) In a report submitted to Congress on April 11, 2016,
entitled ``National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility
Construction Plan Update'' the Department of Homeland
Security noted that the new National Bio- and Agro-Defense
Facility under construction on such date in Manhattan,
Kansas, is, as of such date, fully paid for through a
combination of Federal appropriations and funding from the
State of Kansas.
SEC. 3. REPORT REQUIRED ON FINAL DISPOSITION OF PLUM ISLAND.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall
submit to Congress a report containing the following:
(1) The alternatives for the final disposition of Plum
Island, including the transfer of ownership to another
Federal agency, a State or local government, a nonprofit
organization, or a combination thereof for the purpose of
education, research, or conservation.
(2) With respect to each such alternative final
disposition, an analysis of--
(A) the effect such disposition would have on the island's
resources;
(B) the remediation responsibilities under such
disposition;
(C) any future legislation necessary to implement such
disposition;
(D) the possible implications and issues, if any, of
implementing such disposition;
(E) the costs of such disposition, including any potential
costs related to the transition, hazard mitigation, and
cleanup of property that would be incurred by a recipient of
the property under such disposition; and
(F) the potential revenue from such disposition.
SEC. 4. SUSPENSION OF ACTION.
No action, including any pre-sale marketing activity, may
be taken to carry out section 538 of title V of division D of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (Public Law 112-74;
125 Stat. 976) until at least 180 days after the report
required by section 3 has been submitted to Congress.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Donovan) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2182, the Plum Island
Preservation Act, sponsored by my colleague from New York (Mr. Zeldin).
This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to review the
alternatives for the final disposition of the Department of Homeland
Security's Science and Technology Directorate's Plum Island Animal
Disease Center, commonly known as Plum Island.
Since 1954, Plum Island, located in Suffolk County, New York, has
served the Nation in defending against accidental or intentional
introduction of foreign animal diseases, including foot-and-mouth
disease. However, Plum Island's facilities are aging and nearing the
end of their life cycle.
That is why in 2005, DHS announced that the work being conducted on
Plum Island would be moved to a new Federal facility in Kansas. Plum
Island will continue to operate until the National Bio and Agro-Defense
Facility is fully operational and a complete transition has been made
in 2022 or 2023.
This raises the question of what will happen to Plum Island once its
activities are fully transferred over to the
[[Page H6240]]
new facility. The Department looked at this issue and, in June of 2016,
released a report that reviewed several options for the final
disposition of Plum Island.
This bill simply requires GAO to review and analyze these
alternatives to ensure all necessary information was taken into account
before the Department decides how to move forward with the final
disposition of Plum Island. Specifically, GAO is to analyze the
effects, possible implications and issues, and potential costs and
revenue for each disposition.
Finally, H.R. 2182 suspends the sale of Plum Island until GAO
completes this thorough review and analysis of alternatives.
My friend, Representative Zeldin, introduced H.R. 2182 with strong
bipartisan support. H.R. 2182 is very similar to a bill that passed the
House by voice vote last May.
In conclusion, this bill ensures that there is adequate consideration
of all the options for the disposition of the island.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bill,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure,
Washington, DC, July 25, 2017.
Hon. Michael McCaul,
Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman McCaul: I write concerning H.R. 2182, the
Plum Island Preservation Act. This legislation includes
matters that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
In order to expedite floor consideration of H.R. 2182, the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will forgo
action on this bill. However, this is conditional on our
mutual understanding that forgoing consideration of the bill
would not prejudice the Committee with respect to the
appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional
claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or
similar legislation that fall within the Committee's Rule X
jurisdiction. I request you urge the Speaker to name members
of the Committee to any conference committee named to
consider such provisions.
Please place a copy of this letter and your response
acknowledging our jurisdictional interest in the
Congressional Record during House Floor consideration of the
bill. I look forward to working with the Committee on
Homeland Security as the bill moves through the legislative
process.
Sincerely,
Bill Shuster,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Homeland Security,
Washington, DC, July 25, 2017.
Hon. Bill Shuster,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Shuster: Thank you for your letter regarding
H.R. 2182. I appreciate your support in bringing this
legislation before the House of Representatives, and
accordingly, understand that the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure will not seek a sequential referral on the
bill.
The Committee on Homeland Security concurs with the mutual
understanding that by forgoing a sequential referral of this
bill at this time, the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure does not waive any jurisdiction over the
subject matter contained in this bill or similar legislation
in the future. In addition, should a conference on this bill
be necessary, I would support your request to have the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure represented on
the conference committee.
I will insert copies of this exchange in the Congressional
Record during consideration of this bill on the House floor.
I thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Sincerely,
Michael T. McCaul,
Chairman,
Committee on Homeland Security.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2182, the Plum Island
Preservation Act.
Mr. Speaker, since 1954, the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New
York's Long Island has served as the Nation's principal laboratory
responsible for research on foreign animal diseases of livestock, such
as foot-and-mouth disease and other animal diseases.
At Plum Island, the Department of Homeland Security works with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture to research and develop new vaccines and
diagnostic tests for animal disease outbreaks and to defend against
international or accidental introduction of animal diseases into the
United States.
On September 11, 2005, the Department of Homeland Security announced
plans to develop the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, or NBAF,
as a state-of-the-art biocontainment laboratory for the study of
diseases that threaten both America's animal agricultural industry and
public health.
As envisioned by DHS, the 580,000-square-foot facility would replace
the Plum Island laboratory.
Following an extensive selection process, DHS selected a site in
Manhattan, Kansas, for the new lab, and the site is slated to be fully
operational by December of 2022.
What H.R. 2182 aims to answer is what will happen to Plum Island when
DHS vacates the facility.
DHS is currently studying the range of options for disposition of the
property, including transferring it to another Federal agency, a State
or local government, or a nonprofit organization for the purposes of
education, research, or conservation.
In doing so, DHS is expected to assess the full implications of each
option, including cost, cleanup, and hazard mitigation.
H.R. 2182 requires the Government Accountability Office, or GAO, to
assess whether the forthcoming study is satisfactory to support a
decision. In the event that the study is lacking in a key area, GAO
would be required to conduct its own study.
Importantly, H.R. 2182 ensures that Plum Island cannot be sold by the
Federal Government to the highest bidder.
Under this bill, the sale of Plum Island is prohibited until at least
180 days after the required reports in the bill have been submitted to
Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin), the sponsor of the
bill.
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Donovan for his support.
I rise today in support of H.R. 2182, to prevent the sale of Plum
Island by the Federal Government to the highest bidder.
Situated at the gateway of the Long Island Sound, I personally had
the pleasure of visiting this treasured island.
In addition to being a critical resource for research, approximately
90 percent of the land on Plum Island has been sheltered from
development, offering Long Island a diverse wildlife and ecosystem and
critical habitat for migratory birds, marine mammals, and rare plants.
Plum Island is also an essential cultural and historical resource as
well, with recorded history dating back to the 1700s.
The island held the U.S. military's Fort Terry, a coastal defense
fortification, which was used through the end of World War II.
Since then, Plum Island has been utilized as a research laboratory
and has since grown to become what is known today as the Plum Island
Animal Disease Center.
In 2005, the Department of Homeland Security, which currently has
jurisdiction over the island, announced that the Animal Disease Center
research would be moved to a new Federal facility, the National Bio and
Agro-Defense Facility, NBAF, in Kansas.
To offset the cost of this relocation, a law was enacted that called
for the private sale of Plum Island by the Federal Government to the
highest bidder.
However, because of the costs associated with the cleanup and closure
of Plum Island, and because of local zoning restrictions, the Federal
Government would receive little compensation for the sale of Plum
Island.
Also, in the 12 years since the move to Kansas was approved, the new
facility in Kansas is already fully paid for by a combination of
Federal appropriations and State and private funds.
Allowing for continued research, public access, and permanent
preservation of the island, H.R. 2182 will suspend the laws passed in
2008 and 2011 that mandated the public sale of Plum Island.
This bill will commission the Government Accountability Office, in
consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, which currently
owns the island, to formulate a comprehensive plan for the future of
the island.
It requires the plan focus on conservation, education, and research
and include alternative uses for the island, including a transfer of
ownership to another Federal agency, the State or
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local government, a nonprofit, or a combination thereof.
In the 114th Congress, this bill passed the House unanimously with
bipartisan support as H.R. 1887.
My amendment to the Financial Services and General Government
Appropriations Act of 2017, H.R. 5485, which would have prohibited any
of the funding within the appropriations bill to market or sell Plum
Island, also passed the House as well.
I would like to thank the other Members of Congress who have
cosponsored this legislation and lent their support to this cause,
especially my colleagues from Connecticut, Congressman Joe Courtney and
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.
I would also like to thank House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy for
bringing this bill to the floor, House Homeland Security Chairman
Michael McCaul, and all of the local elected officials, groups, and
concerned residents on Long Island who have taken an issue on this
important issue.
This bill is endorsed by the Preserve Plum Island Coalition, an
alliance of over 65 community and environmental groups in New York and
Connecticut, focused on the conservation of this island.
I am proud to work alongside all of these great individuals and
groups as we strive to save Plum Island.
Since taking office in 2015, one of my highest local priorities has
been to protect Plum Island. Preserving this island's natural beauty,
while maintaining a research mission, will continue to provide
important economic and environmental benefits for Long Island.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in support of
this critical bill, as well as for the Senate to pass this legislation,
so it may be signed into law this year.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Connecticut (Mr. Courtney).
Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Payne for his leadership on
the Homeland Security Committee and also for his hard work on this
legislation, which, again, has been closely watched back home in
Connecticut and on the other side of Long Island Sound, as Mr. Zeldin
indicated as well, in the State of New York.
Again, I rise in strong support, with my colleague, for passage of
H.R. 2182, the Plum Island Preservation Act. This has been an effort
that has been ongoing since Congress, unfortunately, took, I think, a
wrong turn when they enacted legislation in 2009, with the goal of
trying to create funding for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility
in Kansas; but in the process of doing that, it set up a truncated sale
of this property, which really deviated from the normal GSA process of
trying to exhaust other beneficial uses before putting it up for sale
to the highest bidder.
Again, that has been the struggle for people on both sides of the
Long Island Sound, who have been frustrated by the fact that, because
Congress mandated a sale without any other options, the incredible,
pristine environmental quality of this precious piece of property was
basically pushed down the food chain in terms of, again, the way the
Federal Government was operating.
Again, I think it is important to recognize--and my colleagues from
New York, Mr. Donovan and Mr. Zeldin, understand this--this still is
the most densely populated area of America. The boat traffic, the
maritime traffic that flows through Long Island Sound, again, is the
busiest in the country. And to have a piece of property that is this
precious and this pure--which Mr. Zeldin visited, and I think he can
attest to that personally, and I have sailed past it--is really an
opportunity that really we just cannot possibly allow to go to a
developer that would make that quality forever lost.
So this legislation, which stops the 2009 process in its tracks, has
GAO step in and do a full complete analysis across the board in
evaluating all options. In particular, the options of preserving this
unique environmental asset is the right move for our country, and,
again, it will be to the benefit of generations to come.
Again, I want to congratulate Mr. Zeldin for his persistence. Again,
we did get it through the last Congress, the 114th.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. PAYNE. I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.
Mr. COURTNEY. I think getting this done early in the 115th Congress
will hopefully allow us the opportunity to get some bandwidth in the
Senate's floor schedule to finally get this to the President's desk,
and, again, forever protect an asset for generations to come.
Mr. Speaker, again, I urge strong support for this measure.
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).
Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this
legislation.
It is very simple. It directs the Comptroller General of the United
States to submit a report to the Congress on alternative uses for Plum
Island.
{time} 1430
The report underscores its ecological significance, that is what it
would do; the need to be protected; and it would be an important step
toward identifying conservation alternatives to selling Plum Island.
I believe that Plum Island should be a unit of the National Wildlife
Refuge System, ensuring that we would safeguard the island's sensitive
wildlife and ecological value.
Plum Island is the largest area in southern New England, where seals
can rest on dry land. Its 843 acres are home to two threatened bird
species: the piping plovers and the roseate terns.
We need to proceed very carefully when considering the future of Plum
Island. This is a refuge for wildlife and native plants, and once it is
developed, it cannot be restored, which is why the legislation is so
important.
By evaluating the alternative uses for Plum Island fully rather than
selling it to the highest bidder, we can ensure that this ecological,
historical, and cultural treasure can be protected for generations to
come.
I am proud to join with my colleagues, Congressman Zeldin and
Congressman Courtney, on a bipartisan basis to ensure that the
environment is respected in our region and across the country.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I thank
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) for yielding me the time.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2182 has broad support on both sides of
the aisle, as we can see. Plum Island has a history dating back to the
1700s and has been owned by the Federal Government since 1899. This
bill takes steps to ensure that this culturally and historically
important site is not sold until all relevant questions are answered
regarding the final disposition of Plum Island and that a satisfactory
comprehensive plan has been developed.
I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I, once again, urge my colleagues to
support H.R. 2182.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Donovan) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2182.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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