[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 19081-19084]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



CHEMICAL SAFETY INFORMATION, SITE SECURITY AND FUELS REGULATORY RELIEF 
                                  ACT

  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask the Chair lay before the Senate a 
message from the House of Representatives on the bill (S. 880) to amend 
the Clean Air Act to remove flammable fuels from the list of substances 
with respect to which reporting and other activities are required under 
the risk management plan program.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the House of Representatives:

       Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 880) entitled 
     ``An Act to amend the Clean Air Act to remove flammable fuels 
     from the list of substances with respect to which reporting 
     and other activities are required under the risk management 
     plan program'', do pass with the following amendments:
       Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

[[Page 19082]]



     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Chemical Safety Information, 
     Site Security and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act''.

     SEC. 2. REMOVAL OF PROPANE SOLD BY RETAILERS AND OTHER 
                   FLAMMABLE FUELS FROM RISK MANAGEMENT LIST.

       Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7412(r)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (C) of 
     paragraph (4) as clauses (i) through (iii), respectively, and 
     indenting appropriately;
       (2) by striking in paragraph (4) ``Administrator shall 
     consider each of the following criteria--'' and inserting the 
     following: ``Administrator--
       ``(A) shall consider--'';
       (3) in subparagraph (A)(iii) (as designated by paragraphs 
     (1) and (2)), of paragraph (4)by striking the period at the 
     end and inserting ``; and'';
       (4) by adding at the end of paragraph (4) the following:
       ``(B) shall not list a flammable substance when used as a 
     fuel or held for sale as a fuel at a retail facility under 
     this subsection solely because of the explosive or flammable 
     properties of the substance, unless a fire or explosion 
     caused by the substance will result in acute adverse heath 
     effects from human exposure to the substance, including the 
     unburned fuel or its combustion byproducts, other than those 
     caused by the heat of the fire or impact of the explosion.''; 
     and
       (5) by inserting the following new subparagraph at the end 
     of paragraph (2):
       ``(D) The term `retail facility' means a stationary source 
     at which more than one-half of the income is obtained from 
     direct sales to end users or at which more than one-half of 
     the fuel sold, by volume, is sold through a cylinder exchange 
     program.''.

     SEC. 3. PUBLIC ACCESS TO OFF-SITE CONSEQUENCE ANALYSIS 
                   INFORMATION.

       (a) In General.--Section 112(r)(7) of the Clean Air Act (42 
     U.S.C. 7412(r)(7)) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(H) Public access to off-site consequence analysis 
     information.--
       ``(i) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:

       ``(I) Covered person.--The term `covered person' means--

       ``(aa) an officer or employee of the United States;
       ``(bb) an officer or employee of an agent or contractor of 
     the Federal Government;
       ``(cc) an officer or employee of a State or local 
     government;
       ``(dd) an officer or employee of an agent or contractor of 
     a State or local government;
       ``(ee) an individual affiliated with an entity that has 
     been given, by a State or local government, responsibility 
     for preventing, planning for, or responding to accidental 
     releases;
       ``(ff) an officer or employee or an agent or contractor of 
     an entity described in item (ee); and
       ``(gg) a qualified researcher under clause (vii).

       ``(II) Official use.--The term `official use' means an 
     action of a Federal, State, or local government agency or an 
     entity referred to in subclause (I)(ee) intended to carry out 
     a function relevant to preventing, planning for, or 
     responding to accidental releases.
       ``(III) Off-site consequence analysis information.--The 
     term `off-site consequence analysis information' means those 
     portions of a risk management plan, excluding the executive 
     summary of the plan, consisting of an evaluation of 1 or more 
     worst-case release scenarios or alternative release 
     scenarios, and any electronic data base created by the 
     Administrator from those portions.
       ``(IV) Risk management plan.--The term `risk management 
     plan' means a risk management plan submitted to the 
     Administrator by an owner or operator of a stationary source 
     under subparagraph (B)(iii).

       ``(ii) Regulations.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
     of enactment of this subparagraph, the President shall--

       ``(I) assess--

       ``(aa) the increased risk of terrorist and other criminal 
     activity associated with the posting of off-site consequence 
     analysis information on the Internet; and
       ``(bb) the incentives created by public disclosure of off-
     site consequence analysis information for reduction in the 
     risk of accidental releases; and

       ``(II) based on the assessment under subclause (I), 
     promulgate regulations governing the distribution of off-site 
     consequence analysis information in a manner that, in the 
     opinion of the President, minimizes the likelihood of 
     accidental releases and the risk described in subclause 
     (I)(aa) and the likelihood of harm to public health and 
     welfare, and--

       ``(aa) allows access by any member of the public to paper 
     copies of off-site consequence analysis information for a 
     limited number of stationary sources located anywhere in the 
     United States, without any geographical restriction;
       ``(bb) allows other public access to off-site consequence 
     analysis information as appropriate;
       ``(cc) allows access for official use by a covered person 
     described in any of items (cc) through (ff) of clause (i)(I) 
     (referred to in this subclause as a `State or local covered 
     person') to off-site consequence analysis information 
     relating to stationary sources located in the person's State;
       ``(dd) allows a State or local covered person to provide, 
     for official use, off-site consequence analysis information 
     relating to stationary sources located in the person's State 
     to a State or local covered person in a contiguous State; and
       ``(ee) allows a State or local covered person to obtain for 
     official use, by request to the Administrator, off-site 
     consequence analysis information that is not available to the 
     person under item (cc).
       ``(iii) Availability under freedom of information act.--

       ``(I) First year.--Off-site consequence analysis 
     information, and any ranking of stationary sources derived 
     from the information, shall not be made available under 
     section 552 of title 5, United States Code, during the 1-year 
     period beginning on the date of enactment of this 
     subparagraph.
       ``(II) After first year.--If the regulations under clause 
     (ii) are promulgated on or before the end of the period 
     described in subclause (I), off-site consequence analysis 
     information covered by the regulations, and any ranking of 
     stationary sources derived from the information, shall not be 
     made available under section 552 of title 5, United States 
     Code, after the end of that period.
       ``(III) Applicability.--Subclauses (I) and (II) apply to 
     off-site consequence analysis information submitted to the 
     Administrator before, on, or after the date of enactment of 
     this subparagraph.

       ``(iv) Availability of information during transition 
     period.--The Administrator shall make off-site consequence 
     analysis information available to covered persons for 
     official use in a manner that meets the requirements of items 
     (cc) through (ee) of clause (ii)(II), and to the public in a 
     form that does not make available any information concerning 
     the identity or location of stationary sources, during the 
     period--

       ``(I) beginning on the date of enactment of this 
     subparagraph; and
       ``(II) ending on the earlier of the date of promulgation of 
     the regulations under clause (ii) or the date that is 1 year 
     after the date of enactment of this subparagraph.

       ``(v) Prohibition on unauthorized disclosure of information 
     by covered persons.--

       ``(I) In general.--Beginning on the date of enactment of 
     this subparagraph, a covered person shall not disclose to the 
     public off-site consequence analysis information in any form, 
     or any statewide or national ranking of identified stationary 
     sources derived from such information, except as authorized 
     by this subparagraph (including the regulations promulgated 
     under clause (ii)). After the end of the 1-year period 
     beginning on the date of enactment of this subparagraph, if 
     regulations have not been promulgated under clause (ii), the 
     preceding sentence shall not apply.
       ``(II) Criminal penalties.--Notwithstanding section 113, a 
     covered person that willfully violates a restriction or 
     prohibition established by this subparagraph (including the 
     regulations promulgated under clause (ii)) shall, upon 
     conviction, be fined for an infraction under section 3571 of 
     title 18, United States Code, (but shall not be subject to 
     imprisonment) for each unauthorized disclosure of off-site 
     consequence analysis information, except that subsection (d) 
     of such section 3571 shall not apply to a case in which the 
     offense results in pecuniary loss unless the defendant knew 
     that such loss would occur. The disclosure of off-site 
     consequence analysis information for each specific stationary 
     source shall be considered a separate offense. The total of 
     all penalties that may be imposed on a single person or 
     organization under this item shall not exceed $1,000,000 for 
     violations committed during any 1 calendar year.
       ``(III) Applicability.--If the owner or operator of a 
     stationary source makes off-site consequence analysis 
     information relating to that stationary source available to 
     the public without restriction--

       ``(aa) subclauses (I) and (II) shall not apply with respect 
     to the information; and
       ``(bb) the owner or operator shall notify the Administrator 
     of the public availability of the information.

       ``(IV) List.--The Administrator shall maintain and make 
     publicly available a list of all stationary sources that have 
     provided notification under subclause (III)(bb).

       ``(vi) Notice.--The Administrator shall provide notice of 
     the definition of official use as provided in clause (i)(III) 
     and examples of actions that would and would not meet that 
     definition, and notice of the restrictions on further 
     dissemination and the penalties established by this Act to 
     each covered person who receives off-site consequence 
     analysis information under clause (iv) and each covered 
     person who receives off-site consequence analysis information 
     for an official use under the regulations promulgated under 
     clause (ii).
       ``(vii) Qualified researchers.--

       ``(I) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of enactment of this subparagraph, the Administrator, in 
     consultation with the Attorney General, shall develop and 
     implement a system for providing off-site consequence 
     analysis information, including facility identification, to 
     any qualified researcher, including a qualified researcher 
     from industry or any public interest group.
       ``(II) Limitation on dissemination.--The system shall not 
     allow the researcher to disseminate, or make available on the 
     Internet, the off-site consequence analysis information, or 
     any portion of the off-site consequence analysis information, 
     received under this clause.

       ``(viii) Read-only information technology system.--In 
     consultation with the Attorney General and the heads of other 
     appropriate Federal agencies, the Administrator shall 
     establish

[[Page 19083]]

     an information technology system that provides for the 
     availability to the public of off-site consequence analysis 
     information by means of a central data base under the control 
     of the Federal Government that contains information that 
     users may read, but that provides no means by which an 
     electronic or mechanical copy of the information may be made.
       ``(ix) Voluntary industry accident prevention standards.--
     The Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of 
     Justice, and other appropriate agencies may provide technical 
     assistance to owners and operators of stationary sources and 
     participate in the development of voluntary industry 
     standards that will help achieve the objectives set forth in 
     paragraph (1).
       ``(x) Effect on state or local law.--

       ``(I) In general.--Subject to subclause (II), this 
     subparagraph (including the regulations promulgated under 
     this subparagraph) shall supersede any provision of State or 
     local law that is inconsistent with this subparagraph 
     (including the regulations).
       ``(II) Availability of information under state law.--
     Nothing in this subparagraph precludes a State from making 
     available data on the off-site consequences of chemical 
     releases collected in accordance with State law.

       ``(xi) Report.--

       ``(I) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
     enactment of this subparagraph, the Attorney General, in 
     consultation with appropriate State, local, and Federal 
     Government agencies, affected industry, and the public, shall 
     submit to Congress a report that describes the extent to 
     which regulations promulgated under this paragraph have 
     resulted in actions, including the design and maintenance of 
     safe facilities, that are effective in detecting, preventing, 
     and minimizing the consequences of releases of regulated 
     substances that may be caused by criminal activity. As part 
     of this report, the Attorney General, using available data to 
     the extent possible, and a sampling of covered stationary 
     sources selected at the discretion of the Attorney General, 
     and in consultation with appropriate State, local, and 
     Federal governmental agencies, affected industry, and the 
     public, shall review the vulnerability of covered stationary 
     sources to criminal and terrorist activity, current industry 
     practices regarding site security, and security of 
     transportation of regulated substances. The Attorney General 
     shall submit this report, containing the results of the 
     review, together with recommendations, if any, for reducing 
     vulnerability of covered stationary sources to criminal and 
     terrorist activity, to the Committee on Commerce of the 
     United States House of Representatives and the Committee on 
     Environment and Public Works of the United States Senate and 
     other relevant committees of Congress.
       ``(II) Interim report.--Not later than 12 months after the 
     date of enactment of this subparagraph, the Attorney General 
     shall submit to the Committee on Commerce of the United 
     States House of Representatives and the Committee on 
     Environment and Public Works of the United States Senate, and 
     other relevant committees of Congress, an interim report that 
     includes, at a minimum--

       ``(aa) the preliminary findings under subclause (I);
       ``(bb) the methods used to develop the findings; and
       ``(cc) an explanation of the activities expected to occur 
     that could cause the findings of the report under subclause 
     (I) to be different than the preliminary findings.

       ``(III) Availability of information.--Information that is 
     developed by the Attorney General or requested by the 
     Attorney General and received from a covered stationary 
     source for the purpose of conducting the review under 
     subclauses (I) and (II) shall be exempt from disclosure under 
     section 552 of title 5, United States Code, if such 
     information would pose a threat to national security.

       ``(xii) Scope.--This subparagraph--

       ``(I) applies only to covered persons; and
       ``(II) does not restrict the dissemination of off-site 
     consequence analysis information by any covered person in any 
     manner or form except in the form of a risk management plan 
     or an electronic data base created by the Administrator from 
     off-site consequence analysis information.

       ``(xiii) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator and the 
     Attorney General such sums as are necessary to carry out this 
     subparagraph (including the regulations promulgated under 
     clause (ii)), to remain available until expended.''.
       (b) Reports.--
       (1) Definition of accidental release.--In this subsection, 
     the term ``accidental release'' has the meaning given the 
     term in section 112(r)(2) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
     7412(r)(2)).
       (2) Report on status of certain amendments.--Not later than 
     2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
     Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to 
     Congress a report on the status of the development of 
     amendments to the National Fire Protection Association Code 
     for Liquefied Petroleum Gas that will result in the provision 
     of information to local emergency response personnel 
     concerning the off-site effects of accidental releases of 
     substances exempted from listing under section 112(r)(4)(B) 
     of the Clean Air Act (as added by section 3).
       (3) Report on compliance with certain information 
     submission requirements.--Not later than 3 years after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
     United States shall submit to Congress a report that--
       (A) describes the level of compliance with Federal and 
     State requirements relating to the submission to local 
     emergency response personnel of information intended to help 
     the local emergency response personnel respond to chemical 
     accidents or related environmental or public health threats; 
     and
       (B) contains an analysis of the adequacy of the information 
     required to be submitted and the efficacy of the methods for 
     delivering the information to local emergency response 
     personnel.
       (c) Reevaluation of Regulations.--The President shall 
     reevaluate the regulations promulgated under this section 
     within 6 years after the enactment of this Act. If the 
     President determines not to modify such regulations, the 
     President shall publish a notice in the Federal Register 
     stating that such reevaluation has been completed and that a 
     determination has been made not to modify the regulations. 
     Such notice shall include an explanation of the basis of such 
     decision.

     SEC. 4. PUBLIC MEETING DURING MORATORIUM PERIOD.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, each owner or operator of a stationary 
     source covered by section 112(r)(7)(B)(ii) of the Clean Air 
     Act shall convene a public meeting, after reasonable public 
     notice, in order to describe and discuss the local 
     implications of the risk management plan submitted by the 
     stationary source pursuant to section 112(r)(7)(B)(iii) of 
     the Clean Air Act, including a summary of the off-site 
     consequence analysis portion of the plan. Two or more 
     stationary sources may conduct a joint meeting. In lieu of 
     conducting such a meeting, small business stationary sources 
     as defined in section 507(c)(1) of the Clean Air Act may 
     comply with this section by publicly posting a summary of the 
     off-site consequence analysis information for their facility 
     not later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act. Not 
     later than 10 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
     each such owner or operator shall send a certification to the 
     director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation stating that 
     such meeting has been held, or that such summary has been 
     posted, within 1 year prior to, or within 6 months after, the 
     date of the enactment of this Act. This section shall not 
     apply to sources that employ only Program 1 processes within 
     the meaning of regulations promulgated under section 
     112(r)(7)(B)(i) of the Clean Air Act.
       (b) Enforcement.--The Administrator of the Environmental 
     Protection Agency may bring an action in the appropriate 
     United States district court against any person who fails or 
     refuses to comply with the requirements of this section, and 
     such court may issue such orders, and take such other 
     actions, as may be necessary to require compliance with such 
     requirements.

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I was heavily involved in the 
negotiations over the manager's amendment to S. 880 as passed by the 
Senate by unanimous consent on June 23, and have carefully studied the 
House's amendments to S. 880, which we accept today. I rise to clarify 
the congressional intent with respect to S. 880, the Chemical Safety 
Information, Site Security and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act of 1999, as 
we pass it and send it to the President.
  Balance between the right-to-know effect and risks of criminal 
activity (New section 112(r)(7)(H)(ii)): The amendment directs the 
President to promulgate regulations governing the disclosure of the 
off-site Consequence Analysis (OCA) information in a way that minimizes 
the likelihood of releases of the regulated chemicals, whether these 
releases are accidental or the result of criminal activity. In other 
words, the amendment calls for a balancing of the risk-reducing effect 
of public disclosure (the ``Right-to-Know Effect'') against the 
potential of increased risk of criminal activity associated with the 
posting of the OCA information on the Internet. Most importantly, 
reducing the threat of criminal activity is not the sole or even 
primary focus of the rule-making. Rather the objective is to minimize 
the release of regulated chemicals, which requires a balanced approach, 
and nothing in this Act necessarily precludes the eventual electronic 
dissemination of the information.
  Off-site consequence analysis information (New section 
112(r)(7)(H)(i)(IV) and (V), and (xii)): The amendment defines ``off-
site consequence analysis information'' (OCA information) as a portion 
of a ``risk management plan,'' which is in turn defined as referring 
only to information ``submitted to the Administrator by an owner or 
operator of a stationary source under subparagraph (B)'' of section 
112(r)(7) of the Clean Air Act. Similarly, the amendment makes clear 
that its restrictions apply only to OCA information in the form 
submitted to the Administrator

[[Page 19084]]

(New section 112(r)(7)(H)(xii)). In other words, no information, except 
OCA information submitted to the Administrator, in the form in which it 
was submitted, is affected by the amendment. Even identical information 
that is made available to members of the public (unless there is a 
legally-binding restriction) or that is submitted to state or local 
agencies is not affected by the constraints on disclosure established 
by the Act.
  Official use (New section 112(r)(7)(H)(i)(III) and (vi)): The 
amendment defines ``official use'' broadly--``an action . . . intended 
to carry out a function relevant to preventing, planning for or 
responding to accidental releases or criminal releases''--to reflect 
the sense that there are a broad range of official uses to which the 
OCA information may appropriately be put, so long as its public 
availability is constrained in accord with the regulations developed 
under the amendment. The bill does not authorize the Administrator to 
establish restrictions on such official use.
  State and local official access to all OCA information (New section 
112(r)(7)(H)(ii)(II)(ee)): The amendment requires that any covered 
State and local official be provided, upon request, OCA information on 
any facility in the country, not just on facilities in the individual's 
State or community. This reflects, among other things, the fact that a 
comprehensive evaluation of the facility next door should include 
comparison with other facilities, including those owned by the same 
company or its competitors. Similarly, a comprehensive evaluation of 
the hazard reduction programs of Community A requires a comparison of 
the hazards presented by facilities in Community A with those presented 
in Community B.
  Public access to OCA information regardless of geographic location 
(New section 112(r)(7)(H)(ii)(II)(aa)): The amendment makes clear that 
the regulations shall allow any member of the public access to the OCA 
information for a limited number of facilities regardless of geographic 
location. This reflects the fact that the need to compare the 
neighborhood facility with facilities in other locations, or to compare 
one's community with others, is just as important and appropriate for 
the public as it is for officials.
  Voluntary disclosure of OCA information: New section 
112(r)(7)(H)(v)(III): The amendment directs any facility that chooses 
to provide its OCA information to the public without legally-binding 
restriction to inform the public, through EPA, of that voluntary 
disclosure.
  Qualified researchers (New section 112(r)(7)(H)(vii)): The amendment 
directs the Administrator, in consultation with the Attorney General, 
to develop a system for providing access to OCA information for 
``qualified researchers.'' The Administrator is given authority to 
determine whether researchers are ``qualified,'' but is otherwise given 
no authority to screen researchers nor to deny them access to OCA 
information on the basis of political persuasion, likely findings, 
purpose to which findings would be put, or any other such factor.
  Interaction with State law (New section 112(r)(7)H)(x)(II)): The 
amendment makes clear that States with existing or new laws that 
collect even data that is identical to OCA information are not 
precluded from making the State- or local-gathered data available.
  Reports on vulnerability to criminal activity (New section 
112(r)(7)(H)(xi)): The amendment directs the Attorney General to submit 
a preliminary report in one year and a final report in three years on 
the extent to which the Risk Management Program regulations have 
resulted in actions, by stationary sources among others, that are 
effective in detecting, preventing, and minimizing the consequences of 
releases caused by criminal activity. The Comptroller General is 
specifically directed to study the ``design and maintenance of safe 
facilities'' so that Congress may learn the extent to which the best 
protection against criminal activity is to maintain a facility that is 
inherently safe.
  Reevaluation of disclosure regulations (Section 3(c)): The Act 
directs the President to reevaluate the regulations governing 
disclosure within six years. This reevaluation should be made on the 
same basis used to promulgate the regulations--i.e. the President 
should perform two separate assessments: (1) an assessment of the 
increased risk of criminal activity associated with the internet 
posting of OCA information, and (2) an assessment of the incentives 
created by public disclosure of OCA information for reduction in the 
risk of accidental releases. Written documentation of the two 
assessments and all information and data the President utilizes in 
preparation of the assessments should be a part of the administrative 
record associated with any determination the President makes regarding 
the regulations, or any modification of the regulations.
  General duty; Finally, the Act leaves the general duty clause of 
section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act unchanged, in recognition of the 
fact that the Environmental Protection Agency believes that the general 
duty clause applies to releases caused by criminal or terrorist 
activities.
  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss my legislation, S. 
880, the Fuels Regulatory Relief Act, which passed Congress today, and 
according to the Administration should be signed into law shortly. This 
bill was passed in the Senate by unanimous consent on June 23, 1999, 
and passed by the House with amendments, on July 21, 1999.
  I appreciate the speediness with which the House acted on this 
legislation and the support of my good friend Chairman Tom Bliley. 
Unfortunately the Senate is forced to act just as quickly on this 
legislation because of delays created by the administration. In early 
1998, I raised concerns to the administration regarding the security 
risks posed by disseminating the worst-case scenario data on the 
Internet. The FBI agreed with my concerns. Despite the acknowledgment 
of the risks involved the administration did not cooperate with 
Congress to fix this problem until the eleventh hour.
  Because of the urgency in passing this legislation I have decided 
that a conference would not be beneficial. While I agree with most of 
the changes incorporated in the House-passed version, due to the haste 
of their consideration, I feel the necessity to explain in more detail 
my view, as the lead sponsor, of one particular provision.
  Section 3 of the act requires the ``Attorney General, and in 
consultation with appropriate State, local, and Federal governmental 
agencies, affected industry, and the public, shall review the 
vulnerability of covered stationary sources to criminal and terrorist 
activity, current industry practices regarding site security, and 
security of transportation of regulated substances.''
  In carrying out this provision, I ask the Attorney General, in 
consulting with the Federal governmental agencies, to work with the 
Intelligence Community as well as the FBI. If any technical assistance 
regarding chemicals is needed I direct the Attorney General to work 
with the Department of Energy facilities, particularly the Hazardous 
Material Spill Center at the Nevada Test site and the Sandia laboratory 
in New Mexico. Regarding the transportation issues, the Attorney 
General should consult with the Department of Transportation. In 
addition, I would like to emphasize that any confidential information 
or national security information should be closely safeguarded.
  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
concur in the amendments of the House.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________