[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12561-12562]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 CORRECTING THE ENROLLMENT OF H.R. 889

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
concur in the Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 103) to 
correct the enrollment of the bill H.R. 889.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 103

       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That in the enrollment of the bill H.R. 889, the 
     Clerk of the House of Representatives shall make the 
     following corrections:
       (1) In the table of contents in section 2, strike the item 
     relating to section 414 and insert the following:

``Sec. 414. Navigational safety of certain facilities.''.

       (2) Strike section 414 and insert the following:

     ``SEC. 414. NAVIGATIONAL SAFETY OF CERTAIN FACILITIES.

       ``(a) Consideration of Alternatives.--In reviewing a lease, 
     easement, or right-of-way for an offshore wind energy 
     facility in Nantucket Sound under section 8(p) of the Outer 
     Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337(p)), not later 
     than 60 days before the date established by the Secretary of 
     the Interior for publication of a draft environmental impact 
     statement, the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall specify 
     the reasonable terms and conditions the Commandant determines 
     to be necessary to provide for navigational safety with 
     respect to the proposed lease, easement, or right-of-way and 
     each alternative to the proposed lease, easement, or right-
     of-way considered by the Secretary.
       ``(b) Inclusion of Necessary Terms and Conditions.--In 
     granting a lease, easement, or right-of-way for an offshore 
     wind energy facility in Nantucket Sound under section 8(p) of 
     the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337(p)), 
     the Secretary shall incorporate in the lease, easement, or 
     right-of-way reasonable terms and conditions the Commandant 
     determines to be necessary to provide for navigational 
     safety.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alaska.


                             General Leave

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on Senate Concurrent Resolution 
103.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Alaska?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, Senate Concurrent Resolution 103 clarifies the intent of 
the conferees that the Coast Guard review and assess the impacts of any 
proposed offshore energy facility on the navigation safety in Nantucket 
Sound and on the service's capabilities to conduct missions within and 
near the proposed facility.
  The resolution will require the Coast Guard to establish terms and 
conditions that are necessary to safeguard recreational and commercial 
vessel traffic in Nantucket Sound before any draft environmental impact 
statement is made available for public review.
  The resolution also provides that these terms and conditions will be 
incorporated into the requirements of any lease that is granted for the 
construction of a proposed offshore facility.
  This provision will allow us to develop offshore alternative energy 
resources in a way that does not jeopardize the safety and security of 
the maritime community in Nantucket Sound.
  I urge my colleagues to support this concurrent resolution and to 
support the underlying resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution will make changes to the Coast Guard 
conference report that reflects the compromise agreement that was 
worked out concerning the Cape Wind project.
  It will allow the Commandant of the Coast Guard to set the terms and 
conditions on any leasing of Federal waters in Nantucket Sound that may 
be necessary to protect navigational safety. For example, over 3 
million passengers ride ferries that transit through Nantucket Sound, 
and it is vitally important to protect the navigational safety of those 
vessels.
  Recent emergencies have reminded us once again why a well-funded and 
fully operational Coast Guard is paramount for protecting the citizens 
of this Nation.
  The 2006 Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act conference 
report has been delayed for far too long. We are all glad to see that a 
fair agreement based on navigational safety has been worked out and 
that this bill will now move to the President's desk for signature.
  I encourage all my colleagues to support this fair resolution and 
support full funding for the Coast Guard.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. At this time I yield whatever time he may 
consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble).
  Mr. COBLE. I thank the gentleman from Alaska, the distinguished 
chairman of the full committee.
  Mr. Young, I want to commend you and Mr. LoBiondo, the distinguished 
gentleman from New Jersey, for having chaired the full committee and 
the Coast Guard subcommittee, along with your respective ranking 
members, Mr. Oberstar, the gentleman from Minnesota; and Mr. Filner, 
the gentleman from California. You all have done notable work.
  Chairman Young, you and I have talked about this before, but I 
believe the U.S. Coast Guard probably more than any other Federal 
entity assumes additional duties time after time without corresponding 
increased appropriations. I told the Commandant the other day, Admiral 
Allen, I said, You must have a magic wand down there, because you all 
continue to discharge duty after duty, oftentimes newly assigned 
duties, with the same amount of money. And I don't know how they do it, 
but they do.
  I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that, on Monday, the House 
passed S. Con. Res. 103, though I am disappointed by the events that 
necessitated its consideration. Last September, when the House 
considered H.R. 889, the Coast Guard Authorization Act, I expressed my 
concern about a provision that would have altered the existing 
evaluation and approval process for the Cape Wind project, a 420 
megawatt offshore wind farm proposed for Horseshoe Shoal off the coast 
of Massachusetts. That project is currently undergoing a

[[Page 12562]]

thorough review process that is working with numerous federal and state 
agencies, as well as interested parties, to assess potential impacts to 
the environment, navigation and other areas of concern. When the House 
and Senate went to conference, I wrote to the head House conferees, 
explaining the strong support in Rhode Island for the project and 
cautioning about the potential negative ramifications of the provision 
on the growing wind energy industry, which will help diversify our 
Nation's energy supply by providing a clean and renewable source to 
millions of Americans.
  Much to my dismay, during conference negotiations, a much broader 
restriction on the project was inserted--language that had not been 
considered by either the House or Senate--that would essentially 
circumvent the existing project by giving the Governor of Massachusetts 
veto power over this particular project. At a time when our Nation's 
economy is endangered by our dependence on foreign oil, we should be 
encouraging clean and renewable energy development, not blocking it. To 
protest this last-minute back-room conference deal, I joined the 
gentleman from New Hampshire, Mr. Bass, in leading an effort to ask the 
House leadership to prevent the consideration of any final agreement on 
the Coast Guard bill that contained language endangering the Cape Wind 
project in Massachusetts. I am pleased that widespread public 
opposition to the language forced it to be removed from the bill, and I 
will continue my efforts to promote the responsible development of 
clean and renewable energy in Congress.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. 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 Alaska (Mr. Young) that the House suspend the rules and 
concur in the Senate concurrent resolution, S. Con. Res. 103.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate concurrent resolution 
was concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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