[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 190 (Thursday, October 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S7479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3970. Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. Menendez, and Ms. Duckworth) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3867 
submitted by Mr. Reed and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 
4350, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2022 for military 
activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and 
for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe 
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the end of subtitle F of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 105__. RUNIT DOME REPORT AND MONITORING ACTIVITIES.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior 
     (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall 
     submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
     the Senate and the Committees on Natural Resources and Energy 
     and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report 
     prepared by independent experts not employed by the Federal 
     Government that describes--
       (1) the impacts of climate change on the Runit Dome nuclear 
     waste disposal site in Enewetak Atoll in the Republic of the 
     Marshall Islands; and
       (2) other environmental hazards in the vicinity of the 
     Runit Dome.
       (b) Requirements.--The report submitted under subsection 
     (a) shall include--
       (1) a detailed scientific analysis of any threats to the 
     environment and to the health and safety of Enewetak Atoll 
     residents from--
       (A) the Runit Dome nuclear waste disposal site;
       (B) crypts used to contain nuclear waste and other toxins 
     on Enewetak Atoll;
       (C) radionuclides and other toxins in the lagoon of 
     Enewetak Atoll, including areas in the lagoon at which 
     nuclear waste was dumped;
       (D) radionuclides and other toxins, including beryllium, 
     which may be present on the islands of Enewetak Atoll as a 
     result of nuclear tests and other activities of the Federal 
     Government, including--
       (i) tests of chemical and biological warfare agents;
       (ii) rocket tests;
       (iii) contaminated aircraft landing on Enewetak Island; and
       (iv) nuclear cleanup activities;
       (E) radionuclides and other toxins that may be present in--
       (i) the drinking water on Enewetak Atoll; or
       (ii) the water source for the desalination plant for 
     Enewetak Atoll; and
       (F) radionuclides and other toxins that may be present in 
     the groundwater under, and in the vicinity of, the Runit Dome 
     nuclear waste disposal site;
       (2) a detailed scientific analysis of the extent to which 
     rising sea levels, severe weather events, and other effects 
     of climate change might exacerbate any of the threats 
     identified under paragraph (1); and
       (3) a detailed plan, including the costs of implementing 
     the plan, to relocate to a safe, secure facility to be 
     constructed in an uninhabited, unincorporated territory of 
     the United States all of the nuclear waste and other toxic 
     waste contained in--
       (A) the Runit Dome nuclear waste disposal site;
       (B) each of the crypts on Enewetak Atoll containing nuclear 
     waste; and
       (C) the 3 dumping areas in the lagoon of Enewetak Atoll.
       (c) Participation by the Republic of the Marshall 
     Islands.--The Secretary shall allow scientists or other 
     experts selected by the Government of the Republic of the 
     Marshall Islands to participate in all aspects of the 
     preparation of the report required under subsection (a), 
     including--
       (1) developing the plan under subsection (b)(3);
       (2) identifying questions;
       (3) conducting research; and
       (4) collecting and interpreting data.
       (d) Publication.--The report required under subsection (a) 
     shall be published in the Federal Register for public comment 
     for a period of not less than 60 days.
       (e) Public Availability.--The Secretary shall publish on a 
     public website--
       (1) the study required under subsection (a); and
       (2) the results of any research submitted under subsection 
     (b).
       (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       (1) Authorization of appropriations for report.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Assistant Secretary of 
     Insular and International Affairs of the Department of the 
     Interior to complete the report under subsection (a) such 
     sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2022.
       (2) Authorization of appropriations for runit dome 
     monitoring activities.--There are authorized to be 
     appropriated to the Secretary of Energy such sums as are 
     necessary to comply with the requirements of section 
     103(f)(1)(B) of the Compact of Free Association Amendments 
     Act of 2003 (48 U.S.C. 1921b(f)(1)(B)).
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