[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 25, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H8801-H8802]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RESPONSIBLE DISPOSAL REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2018

  Mr. McKINLEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2278) to extend the authorization of the Uranium Mill 
Tailing Radiation Control Act of 1978 relating to the disposal site in 
Mesa County, Colorado, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2278

       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 ``Responsible Disposal 
     Reauthorization Act of 2018''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION.

       Section 112(a)(1)(B) of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation 
     Control Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 7922(a)(1)(B)) is amended by 
     striking ``September 30, 2023'' and inserting ``September 30, 
     2030''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
West Virginia (Mr. McKinley) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Pallone) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from West Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McKINLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from West Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McKINLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2278 was introduced by my Colorado colleague, Scott 
Tipton, and cosponsored by my Energy and Commerce colleague from 
Colorado, Diana DeGette.
  H.R. 2278 extends the authorization of the Uranium Mill Tailing 
Radiation Control Act of 1978 as it relates to the disposal site in 
Mesa County, Colorado.
  The legislation was considered by the Subcommittee on Environment and 
marked up through regular order. It was reported by the full committee 
with a bipartisan amendment and passed on a voice vote.
  Mining and processing uranium generates a byproduct known as uranium 
mill tailings. Congress passed the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation 
Control Act 40 years ago to establish the framework for DOE to dispose 
of mill tailings, which are left over from the nuclear defense 
activities and the development of our nuclear commercial industry.
  The act also authorizes the Grand Junction, Colorado, site to serve 
as a disposal location.

                              {time}  1645

  This is the only DOE uranium mill tailing disposal site remaining 
open in the Nation, and so it is necessary for the final disposition of 
mill tailings discovered throughout this country.

[[Page H8802]]

  H.R. 2278 extends the site's current authorization until 2030. The 
extension will enable the site to plan long-term operations to protect 
the public health and the environment.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this important 
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2278, the Responsible Disposal 
Reauthorization Act of 2018. H.R. 2278 is bipartisan legislation to 
address the safe disposal of uranium mill tailings, a sandy byproduct 
of the uranium milling process.
  In Grand Junction, Colorado, uranium mill tailings were offered to 
the community as fill material before the health risks of the 
radioactive material were fully understood. The tailings were 
subsequently used in the construction of local homes, roads, sidewalks, 
parks, and schools.
  The Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act provided for the 
cleanup of those tailings in 1978 and created 19 disposal cells for the 
radioactive waste. The last of the cells available to accept this 
material for disposal, the Cheney cell in Grand Junction, Colorado, is 
set to close in September 2023. This bill extends the cell's closure 
date to September 2030 or until the cell is filled, whichever day comes 
first.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress has already extended the closure date of the 
disposal cell several times. I support this legislation to keep the 
site operational, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McKINLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tipton), who is the sponsor of the bill.
  Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from West 
Virginia for the time.
  The Department of Energy's Cheney disposal cell in Mesa, Colorado, is 
a critical component of DOE legacy management's mission to be able to 
protect public health and the environment. The cell receives 
radioactive waste materials that were produced decades ago during the 
uranium milling process. The waste materials continue to be uncovered 
during road construction, bridge replacement, home foundation 
excavation, and other construction activities in several towns in 
western Colorado. Once the waste materials are discovered, they must be 
properly disposed of at the Cheney cell.
  The authorization for the Cheney disposal cell expires at the end of 
2023 or when the site is filled to capacity. Currently, the remaining 
capacity in the cell is approximately 234,000 cubic yards, and, 
therefore, an extended authorization is required. H.R. 2278 would 
extend that authorization until 2030.
  The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment supports 
extending the reauthorization for the Cheney cell and will remain a 
strong partner in DOE's legacy management program.
  I would like to thank my colleague from Colorado, Ms. Diana DeGette, 
for her support on this legislation. I would also like to thank the 
Energy and Commerce Environment Subcommittee chairman,  John Shimkus, 
and Ranking Member Paul Tonko, as well as the full committee chairman,  
Greg Walden, and Ranking Member Pallone for recognizing the importance 
of the Cheney disposal cell and working to bring this bill to the 
floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to support 
the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McKINLEY. Mr. Speaker, in closing, again, this is the last 
remaining disposal site that we need to keep open.
  I appreciate the support, and I applaud the work of my colleague from 
Colorado (Mr. Tipton) for his efforts and Diana DeGette and the 
bipartisan nature of that cooperation between the two of them to get 
this done.
  Mr. Speaker, I call upon the Members to support this legislation, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2278, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to extend 
the authorization of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 
1978 relating to the disposal site in Mesa County, Colorado.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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