[Senate Report 106-47]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
106th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 106-47
_______________________________________________________________________
REPORT TO THE SENATE ON ACTIVITIES
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
FOR THE
ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS
May 11, 1999.--Ordered to be printed
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
69-010 WASHINGTON : 1999
COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
one hundred sixth congress
JOHN H. CHAFEE, Rhode Island, Chairman
JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia MAX BAUCUS, Montana
ROBERT SMITH, New Hampshire DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN, New York
JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey
CRAIG THOMAS, Wyoming HARRY REID, Nevada
CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri BOB GRAHAM, Florida
GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut
MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho BARBARA BOXER, California
ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah RON WYDEN, OREGON
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas
Jimmie Powell, Staff Director
J. Thomas Sliter, Minority Staff Director
(ii)
C O N T E N T S
__________
Page
Summary.......................................................... 1
Committee jurisdiction........................................... 2
Committee activities:
Surface transportation....................................... 3
Fish and wildlife............................................ 6
Wildlife conservation........................................ 7
Coastal barriers............................................. 8
Wetlands..................................................... 10
Estuary habitat.............................................. 11
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation........................ 11
Miscellaneous fish and wildlife measures..................... 12
Environmental policy:
Environmental policy and conflict resolution............. 14
National environmental education......................... 14
Superfund:
Superfund Cleanup and Acceleration Act................... 15
Solid waste disposal......................................... 16
Nuclear regulations.......................................... 17
Air pollution................................................ 17
Water resources.............................................. 18
Public buildings............................................. 18
Federal emergency disaster assistance........................ 19
Economic Development Administration.......................... 20
Nominations.................................................. 20
Hearings and meetings:
Full committee hearings...................................... 22
Full committee field hearings................................ 28
Full committee business meetings............................. 29
Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure hearings... 37
Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure field
hearings................................................... 40
Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Control, and Risk Assessment
hearings................................................... 41
Subcommittee on Drinking Water, Fisheries, and Wildlife
hearing.................................................... 42
Subcommittee on Clean Air, Wetlands, Private Property, and
Nuclear Safety hearings.................................... 42
Subcommittee on Clean Air, Wetlands, Private Property, and
Nuclear Safety field hearing............................... 45
Publication list--105th Congress................................. 46
(iii)
106th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 106-47
======================================================================
REPORT TO THE SENATE ON ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND
PUBLIC WORKS FOR THE 105TH CONGRESS
_______
May 11, 1999.--Ordered to be printed
_______
R E P O R T
Mr. Chafee, from the Committee on Environment and Public
Works, and in accordance with section 8(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, submits the following report on
the committee's activities for the 105th Congress.
summary
This report describes the activities of the Senate
Committee on Environment and Public Works during the 105th
Congress. Under the leadership of Chairman John H. Chafee and
Ranking Minority Member Max Baucus, the 105th Congress was a
productive one for the committee. The committee assumed an
active role, reporting a number of bills that were later
enacted into law, holding numerous hearings on several
important environmental issues, considering a number of
Presidential nominations, and conducting extensive legislative
work on matters within the committee's jurisdiction. Overall,
the committee and its subcommittees conducted 65 hearings, held
20 business meetings, and reported 59 measures, 30 of which
were enacted into law.
One of the major legislative accomplishments of the 105th
Congress was the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
(TEA-21). This landmark legislation took over two years to
complete and was enacted into law on June 9, 1998 (Public Law
105-178). TEA-21 establishes a responsible and innovative
course for our national transportation policy into the 21st
century by investing in the nation's transportation
infrastructure, improving safety, protecting the environment,
and improving our quality of life. This historic bill, which
was met with strong bipartisan support, authorizes a record
$218 billion in funding for surface transportation over the
next six years.
In addition to the transportation bill, the committee
developed several other significant measures that were enacted
into law, including a bill to reauthorize the North American
Wetlands Conservation Act (Public Law 105-312), the Economic
Development Administration Reform Act (Public Law 105-393), and
the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (Public Law
105-265). The signing into law of the Atlantic Striped Bass
Conservation Act (Public Law 105-146) and the Border Smog
Reduction Act (Public Law 105-286) represent additional
achievements of the Environment and Public Works Committee
during this legislative session. The committee also reported
legislation authorizing the construction, renovation, and
naming of courthouses and other public buildings.
The Environment and Public Works Committee worked
diligently, conducting extensive hearings on legislation to
provide oversight of new clean air regulations, curb greenhouse
gas emissions, reform the Superfund program, and protect and
preserve wildlife habitats, wetlands, refuges, estuaries, and
endangered species. Much of the legislation which was reported
by the committee but not enacted into law may serve as a strong
foundation for further action in the next legislative session.
In the last days of the 105th Congress, the committee spent
a considerable amount of time to complete the Water Resources
Development Act (WRDA), a biennial authorization of projects
and programs for the civil works activities of the Army Corps
of Engineers. The committee reported WRDA on August 25, 1998,
and it passed the Senate on October 8, 1998. Although WRDA was
not enacted before the end of the 105th Congress, the effort
put forth by the committee will provide solid groundwork for
consideration by the future Congress.
During the course of the 105th Congress, the committee also
approved 20 Presidential nominations, including two
commissioners to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, numerous
positions within the Environmental Protection Agency, and the
Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife.
The remainder of this report provides further detail on the
activities of the Environment and Public Works Committee.
Committee Jurisdiction
(Pursuant to rule XXV, sec. 2, Standing Rules of the Senate.)
The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is one
of 16 standing committees established by rule XXV of the
Senate, under which committee jurisdictions were last revised
by the adoption of S. Res. 4, Senate Committee Reorganization,
February 11, 1977.
Section 2 of rule XXV as amended on January 5, 1981,
provides that the committee shall consist of 16 Senators. On
March 29, 1996, two additional members were added by Senate
Resolution 236.
Section (h) of rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate
states that the Committee on Environment and Public Works, ``.
. . shall be referred all proposed legislation, messages,
petitions, memorials, and other materials relating to the
following subjects:
1. Air pollution.
2. Construction and maintenance of highways.
3. Environmental aspects of outer continental shelf lands.
4. Environmental effects of toxic substances, other than
pesticides.
5. Environmental policy.
6. Environmental research and development.
7. Fisheries and wildlife.
8. Flood control and improvement of rivers and harbors,
including -- environmental aspects of deepwater ports.
9. Noise pollution.
10. Nonmilitary environmental regulation and control of
nuclear energy.
11. Ocean dumping.
12. Public buildings and improved grounds for the United
States generally, including Federal in the District of
Columbia.
13. Public works, bridges, and dams.
14. Regional economic development.
15. Solid waste disposal and recycling.
16. Water pollution.
17. Water resources.
(2) Such committee shall also study and review, on a
comprehensive basis, matters relating to environmental
protection and resource utilization and conservation, and
report thereon from time to time.''
surface transportation
The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
In 1991, under the leadership of the committee, Congress
enacted the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
(ISTEA), which dramatically improved the nation's highway
program. ISTEA's three principle goals of intermodalism,
flexibility and efficiency carried out the larger policy goal
of a productive and effective national transportation system.
The national intermodal transportation system established in
ISTEA connects all forms of surface transportation in a unified
and integrated manner. It includes the National Highway System,
which consists of the Interstate System and those principal
arterial roads that are essential for national defense,
intermodal transfer facilities, and international commerce and
border crossings. ISTEA was revolutionary in its emphasis on
intermodalism, efficiency, environmental protection and public
involvement. Throughout the 105th Congress, the committee spent
a considerable amount of time and effort reauthorizing ISTEA.
S. 1173, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency
Act of 1997, was introduced by the Chairman of the Subcommittee
on Transportation and Infrastructure, Senator John H. Warner,
on September 12, 1997, with 19 cosponsors, including Chairman
John H. Chafee and Ranking Minority Member Max Baucus. Prior to
introduction of S. 1173, the Subcommittee on Transportation and
Infrastructure held seven oversight hearings and four field
hearings on the reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act. Additionally, the full Committee
on Environment and Public Works held a field hearing in
Warwick, Rhode Island. On September 17, the full committee held
a business meeting and the bill was unanimously reported as
amended. S. 1173 was reported and placed on the Senate calendar
on October 1, 1997 (S. Rept. 105-95).
Consideration of S. 1173 by the full Senate did not proceed
until February 1998. In the interim, S. 1519 was passed. The
purpose of S. 1519 was to provide a six-month extension of
highway, highway safety, and transit programs, pending
enactment of a more comprehensive, six-year reauthorization of
ISTEA. This measure was passed by the Senate on November 10,
1997, and signed into law by President Clinton on December 1,
1997 (Public Law 105-130). In February 1998, S. 1173 was
brought to the Senate floor for consideration. The Senate
overwhelmingly approved S. 1173 on March 12, 1998, by a vote of
96 ayes and 4 nays.
A House/Senate conference was convened on April 22 to
reconcile the House and Senate versions of the bill. The
conference committee held three public meetings and then filed
a conference report (H. Rept. 105-550) on May 22. Also on May
22, the conference report was agreed to in the Senate by a vote
of 88 ayes and 5 nays, and in the House, by a vote of 297 ayes
and 86 nays. The final bill, referred to at the Transportation
Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), was signed into law
by President Clinton on June 9, 1998 (Public Law 105-178). In
addition, several technical corrections and clarifying
provisions were included as Title IX of H.R. 2676, a bill to
amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to restructure and
reform the Internal Revenue Service. H.R. 2676 was signed into
law on July 22, 1998 (Public Law 105-206).
TEA-21 made dramatic changes to the way transportation is
budgeted at the Federal level. It ensures that all Federal gas
tax revenues deposited into the highway trust fund are spent on
transportation programs, thereby reestablishing the link
between the highway trust fund and transportation spending. If
future revenues to the highway trust fund increase from the
various taxes, such as the Federal tax on gasoline, then the
highway spending will increase. If revenues decrease, so will
highway spending. The reestablishment of this link was
accomplished within the balanced budget framework as the
highway trust fund will be deficit neutral.
TEA-21 also made significant changes to the formula by
which funds are distributed among the states. In particular,
the formula in TEA-21 guarantees that every State receive a
minimum of 90.5 cents based on their share of the Federal gas
tax. This results in a more equitable distribution of funds to
the States.
The committee's commitment to safety is evident in TEA-21.
Each year more than 40,000 Americans die and 3 million are
injured in highway related accidents. Given these statistics,
the Federal commitment to improving roadway safety is
substantially increased in TEA-21, reaching an unprecedented
level of $6 billion. Of the $6 billion, $3.6 billion will be
made available for safety construction programs, including
efforts aimed at road hazard elimination and at rail-highway
grade crossings. More than $1 billion of this funding is
structured as incentive grants given directly to states that
engage in actions which increase seat belt usage and reduce
drunk driving. $583 million of the funding is for a state
incentive program to promote seat belt and child safety seat
use. Wearing seat belts can increase a person's chance of
surviving a crash by 45 percent, and avoiding serious personal
injury by 50 percent. An additional $500 million incentive
program is included to encourage states to adopt tough 0.08
blood alcohol concentration standards to further reduce the
incidence of drunk driving.
As valuable as transportation is to our society, it takes a
tremendous toll on our environment. TEA-21 continues ISTEA's
strong commitment to financing and preventing environmental
damage. Funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
improvement program is substantially increased to $9 billion,
which represents more than a 60 percent increase over the ISTEA
level. Funds made available are utilized in air quality
nonattainment and maintenance areas on projects that will
likely produce air quality benefits. The program is expanded to
permit states to enter into partnerships with the private
sector on beneficial projects such as alternative fuel
vehicles, redevelopment projects at rail and subway stops,
``people movers'' and infrastructures that promote pedestrian
and bicycle assess to mass transit, and telecommuting projects,
to name just a few.
Funding for the Transportation Enhancements program was
increased to $3.7 billion, an increase of 38 percent. States
can use these funds for transportation enhancements to
encourage the use of bicycling and walking as alternative modes
of transportation. In addition, this funding also is used for
historic preservation and environmental projects.
One of the goals of TEA-21 was to streamline the Federal
program to make it more efficient. TEA-21 streamlines the Act
in three ways. First, the Act establishes a coordinated
environmental review process for highway projects to encourage
timely consideration of the environmental impacts of a proposed
project. Second, TEA-21 authorizes the use of the design-build
concept in highway construction projects. The design-build
concept combines the design and construction phases of a
highway project, allowing projects to be built faster and at
less cost to the taxpayer. Studies have shown that the design-
build process can reduce project construction and design
timelines by more than 20 percent over traditional methods.
Finally, to reduce the cost of the program, TEA-21 limits
administrative expenses to 1.5 percent of formula funds.
Continuing to build on ISTEA, TEA-21 incorporates the
themes of flexibility and local decisionmaking by allowing
States to transfer up to 50 percent from all highway program
categories to any other highway category, with core protections
for some programs maintained. In addition, TEA-21 deletes the
Major Investment Study as a stand-alone requirement and
integrates it into the planning process.
TEA-21 also provides $1.3 billion over the next six years
to continue and expand the Intelligent Transportation Systems
program (ITS). ITS is a forward-looking initiative that
provides new options for transportation planners to address
safety and capacity concerns without the negative environmental
and social efforts of expanding the current highway system. The
objective of ITS is to move more vehicles in an efficient and
safe manner over existing infrastructure.
To help us meet our infrastructure needs, TEA-21 includes
the Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act
(TIFIA), a new Federal credit assistance program for surface
transportation projects. The program is designed to provide
funding for large complex projects with their own source of
revenue, which can obtain and leverage substantial private
capital with a limited Federal investment. Examples of such
projects include significant highway and bridge improvements,
high-speed passenger rail systems or regional mass
transportation projects.
To offset the loss or degradation of wetlands resulting
from transportation projects carried out before the passage of
the Clean Water Act amendments in 1977, TEA-21 provides for the
use of private sector mitigation banks to help restore wetlands
while reducing cost. The role of wetlands in providing habitat
for fish and wildlife water purification, groundwater recharge
and flood control is well established. This approach should
further wetlands restoration by making it a profitable private
enterprise.
The Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, commonly known as the
Wallop-Breaux Trust Fund, was amended and reauthorized within
the context of TEA-21. Most significantly, the amount of funds
going into this program was increased when fuel tax revenues
were increased to 13.5 cents a gallon from 11.5 cents per
gallon. This program, first created by the Dingell-Johnson Act
of 1950 and expanded by the Wallop-Breaux Amendments of 1984,
is one of the foremost conservation programs of our country.
The Program is commonly identified as a ``user pay--user
benefits'' program, where anglers and boaters pay taxes on
certain items associated with their activities. The tax
revenues are collected by the U.S. Department of the Treasury
and disbursed to States by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and the U.S. Coast Guard. The States use the funds for sport
fish restoration, wetlands conservation, aquatic resources
education, and boating access, so that anglers and boaters
ultimately receive the benefits.
Overall, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
continues to build upon ISTEA's goals. The 900-page
overwhelmingly bipartisan bill, which took over two years to
complete, authorizes a record $218 billion in funding for
surface transportation. This represents a 40 percent increase
that will strengthen the goals of mobility, intermodalism,
efficiency and program flexibility, the hallmark of ISTEA,
while ensuring great progress in addressing the country's
infrastructure needs for the next six years. The national
economic benefits of a healthy and reliable Federal investment
in transportation infrastructure are well documented.
Transportation and related industries employ 9.9 million people
in the United States, slightly more than 7 percent of the total
civilian work force. As one of the largest sectors of the
economy, transportation accounts for nearly 11 percent of the
gross domestic product. TEA-21 includes several key reforms
that will make the Act more effective and efficient, ensuring
the health of our transportation system into the next century.
fish and wildlife
Endangered Species
During the 105th Congress, the committee worked diligently
on efforts to reauthorize the Endangered Species Act.
The Endangered Species Act was enacted in 1973 to establish
a program to identify and conserve species of fish, wildlife,
and plants that are declining to the point where they are now,
or may be within the foreseeable future, at risk of extinction.
While the Act's goal of promoting the recovery of threatened
and endangered species enjoys widespread public support,
implementation of the Act has been the source of controversy in
many areas of the country.
Senator Dirk Kempthorne, along with committee members
Senators Chafee, Baucus, and Reid as cosponsors, introduced on
September 16, 1997, the Endangered Species Recovery Act of 1997
(S. 1180). This legislation had three fundamental goals: first,
to maintain and improve conservation of endangered and
threatened species; second, to improve and expedite recovery of
those species; and third, to reduce the regulatory burden on,
and uncertainty for, property owners.
S. 1180 makes significant improvements to a number of major
provisions of the Endangered Species Act. Including the
increased emphasis on the use of sound science, requiring
independent peer review for listing and delisting decisions,
and streamlining the consultation process by allowing the
Federal action agencies to make an initial determination that a
project is unlikely to adversely affect a species. S. 1180 also
provides a broad range of incentives for private landowners,
ranging from a new more streamlined conservation plan for low
effect activities and habitat reserve agreements to
comprehensive multiple species conservation plans for listed
and unlisted species.
The bill was the product of more than three years of
hearings and extensive negotiations. The Subcommittee on
Drinking Water, Fisheries, and Wildlife held a series of
hearings on the Act. Over 100 witnesses testified, including
conservation biologists, state fish and wildlife directors,
small woodlot owners, large developers, environmental
advocates, commercial fishermen, and the Secretary of the
Interior, identifying problems with the current law and
suggesting improvements to the Act.
On September 23 and 24, 1997, a full committee hearing was
held. At an October 1 business meeting, the committee approved
the bill by a vote of 15-3. On October 31, 1997, S. 1180 was
reported from the committee (S. Rept. 105-128) and placed on
the Senate calendar. The full Senate did not consider the
Endangered Species Recovery Act during this legislative
session.
wildlife conservation
The Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997 (S. 1287)
promotes the conservation of Asian elephants by providing
direct grants and encouraging additional assistance for
projects and programs in nations within the range of the Asian
elephant. The bill creates a dedicated fund for activities
related to Asian elephant conservation, and authorizes up to $5
million for annual appropriations for the fund through fiscal
year 2002.
S. 1287 was introduced by Senator James Jeffords on October
9, 1997. H.R. 1787, the House companion measure, was received
from the House of Representatives and referred to the committee
on October 22. The committee held a hearing on both bills on
November 4, 1997. On November 6, the committee held a business
meeting to consider the bills. Senator Chafee offered an
amendment to S. 1287. This amendment conformed the Senate bill
with the House bill. S. 1287, as amended, was favorably
reported by the committee by a voice vote (S. Rept. 105-142).
H.R. 1787 was also favorably reported by the committee by a
voice vote. H.R. 1787 was considered and passed in the Senate
by unanimous consent on November 8. On November 19, 1997, H.R.
1787 was signed into law (Public Law 105-96).
The African Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act (S.
627) reauthorizes the Act through fiscal year 2002. S. 627 was
introduced by Senator Jeffords on April 22, 1997. H.R. 39, the
African Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act of 1997 was
received from the House and referred to the committee on April
24. The committee held a hearing on S. 627 on November 4, 1997,
and favorably reported out both bills by a voice vote on May
21, 1998 (S. Rept 105-222). H.R. 39 was considered and passed
in the Senate on July 23 by unanimous consent, and signed into
law on August 5, 1998 (Public Law 105-217).
The Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1998 (S. 361)
prohibits the sale, importation and exportation of products
intended for human consumption or application containing, or
labeled or advertised as containing, any substance derived from
any species of rhinoceros or tiger. The bill also establishes
an educational outreach program for the conservation of these
species. S. 361 was introduced by Senator James Jeffords and
referred to the committee on February 26, 1997. On July 7, 1998
the committee held a hearing and subsequently favorably
reported out the bill as amended by voice vote on July 22 (S.
Rept. 105-282). The Senate considered and passed H.R. 2807, the
House of Representatives companion measure, on October 13, 1998
by unanimous consent. H.R. 2807 was signed into law on October
30, 1998 (Public Law 105-312).
The Neotropical Bird Conservation Act (S. 1970) requires
the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to provide
assistance in the conservation of neotropical migratory birds.
S. 1970 was introduced by Senator Spencer Abraham and referred
to the committee on April 22, 1998. The committee held a
hearing on July 7, 1998, and subsequently favorably reported
out the bill as amended by voice vote on July 22 (S. Rept. 105-
284). The Senate considered and passed S. 1970 on October 8,
1998 by unanimous consent.
The Bear Protection Act of 1998 (S. 263) will ensure the
long-term viability of the world's eight bear species by:
prohibiting international trade in bear viscera and products
containing bear viscera; promoting bilateral and multilateral
efforts to eliminate trade in bear viscera; and ensuring that
adequate Federal legislation exists with respect to domestic
trade in such items.
S. 263 was introduced by Senator Mitch McConnell on
February 5, 1997. On July 7, 1998 the committee held a hearing
on and subsequently favorably reported out the bill as amended
by voice vote on July 22 (S. Rept. 105-281). No further Senate
action was taken.
coastal barriers
Congress passed the Coastal Barrier Resources Act of 1982
in an effort to address problems caused by development along
coastal barriers. The Coastal Barrier Resources Act restricted
Federal expenditures and financial assistance, including
Federal flood insurance, in the Coastal Barrier Resource System
(CBRS). By restricting funding for Federal programs that
encourage development of coastal barriers, Congress sought to
minimize loss of human life, reduce wasteful expenditure of
Federal funds, and protect the natural resources associated
with coastal barriers.
The Coastal Barrier Improvement Act of 1990 added
``Otherwise Protected Areas'' (OPAs) to the System. OPAs are
undeveloped coastal barriers within the boundaries of lands
reserved for conservation purposes, such as wildlife refuges
and parks. In addition, the 1990 Act added to the System
coastal barriers in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the
Great Lakes, and along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The CBRS
currently includes 850 units, comprising approximately 3
million acres and approximately 2,500 shoreline miles.
Undeveloped coastal barriers were identified and mapped
using criteria developed by the Department of the Interior and
later approved by Congress. Aerial photographs and ground
inspections were used to verify the boundaries, and the results
were then mapped on U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle maps.
Except for minor and technical modifications to the CBRS unit
boundaries to reflect changes that have occurred as a result of
natural forces, modifications of CBRS unit boundaries require
Congressional approval.
S. 2469 makes a technical boundary adjustment to Unit FL-
35P of the Coastal Barrier Resources System map. Unit FL-35P
was designated as an ``otherwise protected area'' and included
in the Coastal Barrier Resources System in 1990. S. 2469 was
introduced by Senator Bob Graham and referred to the committee
on September 15, 1998. The committee favorably reported the
bill as amended on September 23 (S. Rept. 105-351). The measure
was considered and passed by the Senate on October 2. Language
similar to S. 2469 was included in H.R. 4328, the Conference
Report on the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act of 1999. H.R. 4328 was considered and passed
in the Senate and subsequently signed into law on October 21
(Public Law 105-277).
S. 2351 makes a technical boundary adjustment to Unit DE-
03P of the Coastal Barrier Resources System map. Unit DE-03P
has been included in the Coastal Barrier Resources System since
1990. S. 2351 was introduced by Senator Joseph Biden and
referred to the committee on July 24, 1998. During committee
consideration of the bill Senator Chafee offered an amendment
to include approximately 245 acres in the northwestern section
of the Cape Henlopen State Park that was mistakenly excluded
when the boundary was originally drawn. S. 2351, as amended,
was favorably reported by voice vote (S. Rept. 105-350). The
measure was considered and passed by the Senate on October 2.
S. 2470 makes a technical boundary adjustment to Unit FL-35
of the Coastal Barrier Resources System map. Unit FL-35 has
been included in the Coastal Barrier Resources System since
1990. S. 2470 was introduced by Senator Graham and referred to
the committee on September 15, 1998. The committee held a
hearing on September 22, and subsequently favorably reported S.
2470, as amended, by a voice vote on September 23, 1998 (S.
Rept. 105-352). The measure was considered and passed by the
Senate on October 2. Language similar to S. 2470 was included
in H.R. 4328, the Conference Report on the Department of
Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1999.
H.R. 4328 was considered and passed the Senate and subsequently
was signed into law on October 21 (Public Law 105-277).
S. 2474 makes a technical boundary adjustment to Unit SC-03
of the Coastal Barrier Resources System map. Unit SC-03 has
been included in the Coastal Barrier Resources System since
1990. S. 2474 was introduced by Senator Ernest Hollings and
referred to the committee on September 15, 1998. S. 2474, as
amended, was favorably reported by voice vote (S. Rept. 105-
353). The measure was considered and passed by the Senate on
October 2. Language similar to S. 2474 was included in H.R.
4328, the Conference Report on the Department of Transportation
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1999. H.R. 4328 was
considered and passed the Senate and subsequently was signed
into law on October 21 (Public Law 105-277).
S. 1104 directs the Secretary of the Interior to restore
the boundary of Unit M09 (Edisto Island) of the Coastal Barrier
Resources System map to the original September 30, 1982
boundary. S. 1104 was introduced by Senator Ernest Hollings and
referred to the committee on July 31, 1997. The committee
favorably reported the bill on May 21, 1998 by voice vote (S.
Rept. 214). The measure was considered and passed the Senate on
June 18, 1998. Language similar to S. 1104 was included in H.R.
4328, the Conference Report on the Department of Transportation
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1999. H.R. 4328 was
considered and passed the Senate and subsequently was signed
into law on October 21 (Public Law 105-277).
wetlands
S. 1677, the Wetlands and Wildlife Enhancement Act will
reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act
(NAWCA) through 2003 at an annual level of $30 million. NAWCA
encourages voluntary public and private sector partnerships to
conserve wetlands for waterfowl, migratory birds, and other
species that depend on wetlands habitat. This highly successful
program has helped ducks and other waterfowl populations to
recover to their highest levels since the 1970s. Last year,
state and Federal surveys counted 42 million breeding ducks,
the highest level since the surveys began in 1955. Since 1989,
the Act has provided more than $200 million in funds, matched
by more than $420 million non-Federal funds.
S. 1677, introduced by Senator Chafee, on February 25,
1998, was reported by the committee on June 19, 1998 by a voice
vote (S. Rept. 105-218). This measure passed the Senate on
September 30 by a voice vote The text of S. 1677 was added to
the Rhino Tiger Conservation Act (H.R. 2807), which the Senate
considered and passed on October 15, by unanimous consent.
President Clinton signed the measure into law on October 30,
1998 (Public Law 105-312).
estuary habitat
Estuaries are those bays, gulf, sounds, and inlets where
fresh water meets and mixes with salt water from the ocean.
They provide some of the most economically and ecologically
productive habitat for an extensive variety of species of
plants, fish, wildlife, and waterfowl. According to the U.S.
Department of Commerce, more than 75 percent of the commercial
fish and shellfish catch and 80 to 90 percent of the
recreational fish catch in the United States depend on
estuaries at some stage in their lifecycles. The commercial
fishing industry alone contributes $11 billion per year to the
national economy.
On September 25, 1997, Senator Chafee, along with 16
cosponsors, introduced the Estuaries Habitat Restoration Act
(S. 1222). The stated goal of this bill is to restore a total
of 1 million acres of estuary habitat by 2010. The bill would
provide incentives and other tools to help communities carry
out restoration projects. If enacted, the bill could stretch
limited federal resources by encouraging state environmental
agencies, local communities, as well as private and not-for-
profit organizations to help share the cost of recreation
projects, and to coordinate the restoration activities among
the multitude of Federal and State organizations, and private
conservation interests. The committee considered the bill on
July 22, 1998, and incorporated provisions from the National
Estuary Conservation Act (S. 1321) sponsored by Senator
Torricelli; the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Act (S. 618) and
Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Act (S. 619) sponsored
by Senator Sarbanes; and the Pfiesteria Research Act (S. 1219)
sponsored by Senator Faircloth. The committee reported S. 1222,
as amended, on July 29, 1998 (S. Rept. 105-273).
On October 13, 1998, parts of S. 1222 were attached to H.R.
2807, which then passed the Senate. The President signed H.R.
2807 into law on October 30, 1998 (P.L. 105-312). Although S.
1222, as amended, passed the Senate on October 14, 1998, the
House did not take further action on the full measure.
national fish and wildlife foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act
Amendments of 1998 (S. 2095) makes several significant changes
to the Foundation's enabling legislation. First, it expands
board membership from the current number of 15 to 25. Second,
the bill expands the Foundation's jurisdiction to accept and
administer private gifts of property from any agency within the
Department of the Interior or the Department of Commerce to
further the conservation of fish, wildlife and plants. Third,
it authorizes annual appropriations through fiscal year 2003 to
the Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce.
S. 2095 was introduced by Senator Chafee on May 20, 1998,
and the committee subsequently favorably reported the bill as
amended by voice vote on May 21 (S. Rept. 105-224). The measure
was considered and passed in the Senate on October 6, 1998, but
was not enacted into law.
miscellaneous fish and wildlife measures
The Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act Amendments of
1997 (H.R. 1658) unifies existing studies of striped bass into
one authorization and modifies its objectives to reflect
current issues in the striped bass fisheries, and extends its
authorization until FY 2000.
H.R. 1658 was received by the Senate from the House on July
9, 1997, and was referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation. At a business meeting on October
8, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
ordered the bill favorably reported as amended by a voice vote.
Consistent with a consent agreement made on September 2, 1997,
H.R. 1658 was sequentially referred to the Committee on
Environment and Public Works for a period not to exceed 20
session days. H.R. 1658 was favorably reported by the committee
as amended by a voice vote on October 29 (S. Rept. 105-149).
H.R. 1658 was considered and passed in the Senate by unanimous
consent on November 10, 1997. On December 16, H.R. 1658 was
signed into law (Public Law 105-146).
S. 1883, directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey
the Marion National Fish Hatchery and the Claude Harris
National Aquaculture Research Center to the State of Alabama.
S. 1883 was introduced by Senator Richard Shelby on March 31,
1998, and favorably reported by the committee by a voice vote
on July 22 (S. Rept. 105-263). S. 1883 was considered and
passed in the Senate by unanimous consent on July 31, and
signed into law on September 23, 1998 (Public Law 105-239).
The Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Promotion
Act of 1998 (S. 2319) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior
to deduct up to $1 million a year in Duck Stamp revenue until
2003 to market Federal Duck Stamps. It is expected that a
budget for advertising and promotion will increase duck stamp
sales. Senator Chafee introduced S. 2319 on July 16, 1998, and
the committee favorably reported out the bill on July 22 (S.
Rept. 105-266). H.R. 4248, the House companion measure was
considered and passed in the Senate by unanimous consent on
October 6, and signed into law on October 19, 1998 (Public Law
105-269).
The National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and
Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998 (S. 2244) will foster the
Fish and Wildlife Service's efforts with respect to volunteers,
partnerships and donations. While these efforts are already
underway and have proven to be successful in both alleviating
financial constraints and fostering public awareness and
appreciation of the Refuge System, this legislation reinforces
existing administrative actions and creates new authorities and
mandates to expand these actions.
S. 2244 was introduced by Senator Chafee on June 26, 1998.
H.R. 1856, the House companion measure was received and
referred to the committee on November 5, 1997. The committee
met and considered both bills on July 22, 1998, and S. 2244 was
favorably reported by voice vote (S. Rept. 105-270). Senator
Chafee offered a substitute amendment to H.R. 1856, which was
accepted by voice vote, to make it conform with S. 2244. H.R.
1856 as amended was also favorably reported by voice vote. The
Senate considered and passed H.R. 1856 on September 11, 1998.
H.R. 1856 was signed into law on October 5, 1998 (Public Law
105-242).
The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1998
(S. 659) will develop and implement proposals, based on the
results of the Great Lakes Fishery Resources Study done by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for the restoration of fish and
wildlife resources in the Great Lakes Basin. S. 361 was
introduced by Senator John Glenn and referred to the committee
on April 25, 1997. The committee held a hearing on July 7,
1998, and subsequently favorably reported the bill as amended
on July 22 (S. Rept. 105-283). The Senate considered and passed
H.R. 1481, the House companion measure, on October 2, 1998, by
unanimous consent. H.R. 1481 was signed into law on October 19,
1998 (Public Law 105-265).
The Fish and Wildlife Revenue Enhancement Act of 1998 (S.
2094) would amend the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978
to make proceeds from the disposal of abandoned fish, wildlife,
plants and other property available to the Secretaries of the
Interior and Commerce. In addition, it would expand the use of
funds received pursuant to the Lacey Act, the Endangered
Species Act, and the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act to pay
costs associated with appraisal, sale, storing and shipping of
forfeited and abandoned items, as well as for rewards under the
Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act.
S. 2094 was introduced by Senator Wayne Allard and referred
to the committee on May 20, 1998. The committee held a hearing
on July 7, and favorably reported the bill as amended by voice
vote on July 22, 1998 (S. Rept. 105-285). The Senate considered
and passed the measure on September 11, 1998, by unanimous
consent. S. 2094 was signed into law on October 30, 1998
(Public Law 105-328).
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1998
(S. 2317) was drafted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
introduced at the request of the Administration by Senator John
H. Chafee on July 16, 1998. S. 2317 makes three changes to the
National Wildlife Refuge System. First, the bill removes three
areas from the Refuge System because they have lost the
wildlife values that first led to their inclusion into the
System. Second, it modifies the name of the Klamath Forest
National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Finally, the bill amends
the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966
to provide for a lower penalty for unintentional violations of
the Act. The committee favorably reported the bill as amended
on July 29 (S. Rept. 105-310). H.R. 2807, the House of
Representatives companion measure, was considered and passed in
the Senate on October 15, 1998. H.R. 2807 was signed into law
on October 30 (Public Law 105-312).
S. 2505, directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey
the Tunnison Lab Hagermen Field Station in Gooding Idaho to the
University of Idaho. S. 2505 was introduced by Senator Larry
Craig on September 21, 1998, and favorably reported by the
committee, as amended, by a voice vote on September 23 (S.
Rept. 105-354). S. 2505 was considered and passed in the Senate
by unanimous consent on October 5, and signed into law on
November 2, 1998 (Public Law 105-346).
The Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 1998 (H.R. 2863)
modifies the standard liability applicable to hunting with bait
or over baited areas. Specifically, the standard is changed
from one of strict liability to one requiring a degree of
knowledge. It also makes baiting a separate offense, increases
the penalties for baiting related offenses and requires a study
of the impacts of this legislation. On November 13, 1997,
Senator John Breaux introduced S. 1533, a bill nearly identical
to H.R. 2863. H.R. 2863 was received in the Senate and referred
to the committee on September 14, 1998. H.R. 2863, as amended,
was favorably reported by voice vote on October 2, 1998. The
text of H.R. 2863 was inserted in H.R. 2807 on October 13 and
the measure was considered and passed in the Senate by
unanimous consent. The Senate agreed to amendments by the House
on October 15. President Clinton signed H.R. 2807 into law on
October 30, 1998 (Public Law 105-312).
environmental policy
Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution
The Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National
Environmental Policy Act of 1992 was signed into law by
President Bush. The Act established the Morris K. Udall
Foundation for several purposes, including to award
scholarships and fellowships to outstanding students intending
to pursue careers in the environment, to provide for a panel of
experts to meet annually to discuss contemporary environmental
issues, and to establish a program for environmental conflict
resolution.
On March 5, 1997, Senator John McCain introduced the
Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution Act (S. 399). This
bill establishes the United States Institute for Environmental
Conflict Resolution through the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and
Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation. S. 399
also provides funds and establishes procedures for conflict
resolution and mediation for environmental, public lands, or
natural resources disputes, thus providing an alternative means
to costly litigation in the resolution of such disputes.
S. 399, as amended, was favorably reported by the committee
on July 31, 1997 (S. Rept. 105-60). The Senate passed S. 399 on
October 9, 1997 by unanimous consent. H.R. 3042, the House
companion measure, was received in the Senate on January 28,
1998, and placed on the calendar. On January 29, 1998, the
Senate passed H.R. 3042 by unanimous consent and President
Clinton signed the Act into law on February 11, 1998 (Public
Law 105-156).
National Environmental Education
The National Environmental Education Act of 1990 was signed
into law by President Bush. The Act establishes a comprehensive
environmental education program at the Federal level to support
State and local efforts. It established an Office of
Environmental Education within the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). The Office was charged with developing and
supporting environmental education programs and other related
efforts to improve the understanding of the natural and built
environment and the relationship between humans and their
environment.
The Act also created a National Environmental Education
Advisory Council and Federal Task Force. The Advisory Council
was charged to represent the various education constituent
groups and to advise, consult with, and make recommendations to
the Administrator of the EPA on environmental education
matters.
Finally, the Act created the National Environmental
Education and Training Foundation. The Foundation was
established in order to enhance environmental education and
training by facilitating the cooperation, coordination, and
contribution of public and private resources to create an
environmentally advanced educational system. The Foundation
seeks to achieve this goal by fostering an open and effective
partnership among Federal, State, and local government,
business, industry, academic institutions, community bases
environmental groups, and international organizations.
Senator James Inhofe introduced S. 2359 on July 27, 1998,
to authorize a total of $10 million annually to extend until
2004 the programs of the National Environmental Education Act.
The bill makes several changes to the Environmental Education
Act, allowing the program to operate more efficiently and
effectively. Perhaps the most significant change would ensure
that environmental education's programs supported by the Act
are balanced and scientifically sound.
The committee reported S. 2359 on August 25, 1998 (S. Rept.
105-287), but the Senate failed to consider the measure before
the end of the legislative session.
superfund
The Superfund Cleanup Acceleration Act
During the 105th Congress, considerable time and effort was
devoted by the Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Control, and
Risk Assessment to reform the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA).
CERCLA originally was enacted in large part to address
contamination at abandoned sites and other facilities that were
not covered by the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act.
When the law first was enacted, it was expected that only a few
hundred sites would require Federal attention and that cleanups
could be accomplished with relatively limited Federal funding.
The statistics associated with the Superfund program, however,
certainly suggest that cleanups take too long, the costs are
too high, and too many parties are caught in the web of
Superfund liability. Senator Bob Smith, Chairman of the
subcommittee, along with 21 original cosponsors, introduced on
January 21, 1997, the Superfund Cleanup Acceleration Act (S. 8)
to reauthorize and amend CERCLA.
A subcommittee hearing on S. 8 was held on March 4, 1997,
on brownfields issues and focused in part on brownfields
legislation introduced by Senator Lautenberg. In addition,
another subcommittee hearing was held on March 5, 1997, at
which time extensive testimony was received from a number of
State, local, medical, and public interest groups. On September
4, 1997, a full committee hearing was held, with some of the
same groups represented at the subcommittee hearing present to
provide additional testimony on the revised draft of S. 8.
On March 26, 1998, after three days of markup and the
consideration of many amendments, the committee voted to report
the bill, by a vote of 11-7 (S. Rept. 105-192).
S. 8 would make significant improvements in each of the
major provisions of the law.
Fear of potential or actual Superfund liability has proven
to be a substantial obstacle to the redevelopment of
contaminated industrial property, and S. 8 would establish a
federal Brownfields Program to provide grants to states for
revitalization and rehabilitation of abandoned, derelict, idle,
or underused industrial facilities. The brownfields provisions
in S. 8 also defined the federal and state relationship at
state cleanup sites, and provided liability protection for
certain property owners.
A principal controversial feature of the Superfund program
is its liability scheme: strict, retroactive, joint, and
several liability. While this liability structure has made it
relatively easy for the government to prosecute claims for
response costs, it also has served to substantially increase
litigation, bring thousands of parties into the Superfund
process who were never intended to be included, and delay the
cleanup of countless sites.
S. 8 would create a fair-share allocation process for
multiparty sites and eliminate liability for certain eligible
parties, for example, many small businesses, parties who have
disposed of municipal solid waste, and generators of truly
minimal amounts of waste (de micromis parties). Most
importantly, the bill was intended to expedite the cleanup
process by speeding up site cleanup time and reducing
litigation.
Among the bill's other provisions, S. 8 takes a common
sense approach to site cleanup by considering future use when
selecting a cleanup remedy. It also improves participation by
states and local communities to ensure that affected or
interested parties have adequate input into cleanup decisions,
and protects public health and the environment by ensuring that
federal and state cleanup standards are enforced.
The Superfund program plays a key role among our
environmental protection laws, but despite significant
administrative improvements, it still has serious flaws. S. 8
was the product of more than two years of hard work, and was
intended to correct those flaws in order to make the Superfund
program more reasonable and workable. The full Senate did not
consider this measure before the end of the 105th Congress.
solid waste disposal
On April 10, 1997, Senator Allard introduced the Leaking
Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund Amendments Act of 1998 (S.
555). S. 555 was intended to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act
to require that at least 85 percent of funds appropriated to
the Environmental Protection Agency from the Leaking
Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund be distributed to States to
carry out cooperative agreements for undertaking corrective
action and for enforcement of subtitle I of that Act.
The committee reported S. 555 as amended on October 1, 1998
(S. Rept. 105-360). The bill was placed on the calendar, but
the Senate did not consider S. 555 during this legislative
session.
nuclear regulations
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fairness in Funding Act
of 1998 (S. 2090) was introduced by Senator Chafee on May 18,
1998, and was referred to the committee. The committee reported
this legislation to the Senate on June 25, 1998 (S. Rept. 105-
223). S. 2090 extends the authority of the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission to collect fees through 2003. By reauthorizing fee
authority to the NRC, the agency is allowed to continue its
efforts to provide sensible regulation and promote public
health and safety with regard to nuclear energy. The
legislation also contained provisions to ensure fairness and
equity in the collection and use of fees. The Senate did not
consider the measure before the end of the session.
air pollution
During the 105th Congress, the committee oversaw the
inclusion of provisions relating to air quality in the landmark
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (Public Law 105-
178). Of great significance was the settlement of an ongoing
dispute on the particulate matter and ozone rule. The committee
ensured that funding was available for the monitoring of ozone
and particulate matter and that future nonattainment
designations be based on appropriate data.
Also included in TEA-21 was language codifying the
timetable established by the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) for activities aimed at reducing haze. Prior to enactment
of this provision, the law required states to submit to EPA
paperwork that would not have included any plans for
implementing pollution controls. EPA had indicated that this
paperwork was not needed and would do nothing to expedite
improved air quality. Accordingly, the unnecessary filing
requirement on states was eliminated. This provision does not
allow for any delay in implementing the EPA requirements to
reduce haze.
The Border Smog Reduction Act (H.R. 8), was received in the
Senate and referred to the committee on July 21, 1998. H.R. 8
was reported by the committee to the Senate on September 28,
1998 (S. Rept. 105-355). The Senate passed the bill by
unanimous consent on October 5, and President Clinton signed
this bill into law on October 27 (Public Law 105-286). The
purpose of H.R. 8 is to reduce pollution emitted by
noncommercial, foreign-registered vehicles operated in border
states with certain ozone pollution problems. Specifically, the
bill would amend the Clean Air Act to deny entry to vehicles,
not complying with California's strict vehicle emissions
standards, attempting to enter southern California from Mexico
more than twice in one month. For a third, and any subsequent
crossing by a vehicle that fails to comply with California's
standards, the bill imposes a fine and bars entry into the
State. H.R. 8 also requires the General Accounting Office to
study the impact of the amendment on the Clean Air Act and
report its findings to Congress by July 1, 1999. This law is
expected to help California reduce excess emissions from cars
and truck in the San Diego area by an estimated 13 percent.
On October 10, 1998, Senator Chafee introduced the Credit
for Early Action Act of 1998 (S. 2617), which then was referred
to the committee. This bill amends the Clean Air Act to
implement a mechanism to encourage businesses to voluntarily
reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation would
authorize the President to enter into binding agreements with
U.S. businesses that voluntarily reduce their emissions. The
participating companies would receive regulatory credit, usable
in any future domestic program that requires the mitigation of
greenhouse gases before 2008. Credit also could be earned
through sequestration of carbon, as well as through reductions.
No action was taken by the committee.
water resources
At the request of the Administration, Senator Chafee
introduced on June 4, 1998, the Water Resources Development Act
of 1998 (S. 2131), which was referred to the committee. S. 2131
provides for the conservation and development of water and
related resources, and authorizes the Secretary of the Army to
construct various projects for improvements to rivers and
harbors of the United States.
On June 22, 1998, the Subcommittee on Transportation and
Infrastructure held a hearing, at which testimony was received
from Joseph W. Westphal, Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Civil Works, among other distinguished professionals in the
field. The committee began consideration of the legislation on
July 22, 1998, and on August 25, the committee reported S. 2131
(S. Rept. 105-286). On October 8, 1998, S. 2131 passed the
Senate by unanimous consent. On October 10, the bill was
received in the House of Representatives and on October 21, was
referred to the House Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure. No further action on the Water Resources
Development Act was taken by the House.
This legislation authorizes the Secretary of the Army to
construct some 365 projects for flood control, navigation, and
environmental restoration. The bill also modifies 43 existing
Army Corps projects and authorizes 20 project studies. In
total, this bill and the manager's amendment authorizes an
estimated Federal cost of $2.3 billion.
S. 2131 includes other project-specific and general
provisions related to Army Corps operations. The bill provides
funds for shoreline protection and restoration projects. The
funds are most often used to assist states in repairing damage
caused by coastal storms. S. 2131 also includes a modified
version of the administration's so-called Challenge 21
initiative to encourage more non-structural flood control and
environmental protections. Instead of using levees, flood
walls, or dams to control flooding, the Army Corps would use
alternative methods such as restoration of natural wetlands or
removal of structures from floodplains to limit the impact of
high water on low lying communities. S. 2131 provides $75
million over two years for Challenge 21 projects.
public buildings
During the 105th Congress, the committee reported 25 bills
naming Federal facilities and buildings after some of our most
distinguished Americans; 15 of these bills are now public law.
The committee, in addition, approved the General Service
Administration's annual requests for repair and alteration,
construction, and leases for Federal agency buildings and
facilities, helping promote improved Federal service to
taxpayers.
Of significance, the committee directed the General
Services Administration to proceed with procurement of a lease
for the Department of Transportation (DOT), ensuring that DOT
employees will work in a safe and efficient workplace. The
committee effort ended a year-long dispute between the Congress
and the Administration regarding housing for the agency and was
attached to the Treasury Postal Appropriations bill, which
passed the Senate and was signed into law by President Clinton
on October 21, 1998 (Public Law 105-277).
The committee requested and received from the Office of
Management and Budget the plans for fiscal year 1999 Federal
courthouse projects, identifying which projects are considered
priorities in aiding the Federal judiciary's efficient
administration of justice. After careful study of these plans
and a full committee hearing on September 17, 1998, all
fourteen projects were unanimously approved.
The committee played a key role in the August 12, 1998,
enactment of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Authorization Act (S. 2038), introduced by Senator Chafee, at
the request of the Administration, on May 6, 1998. S. 2038
authorizes funding for the capital repair, operation, and
maintenance of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts, the living presidential memorial in our nation's capital.
A companion measure was introduced in the House (H.R. 3504) and
reported by the committee, without written report, on July 22,
1998. The House measure subsequently passed the full Senate on
July 31, 1998 (Public Law 105-226).
On September 16, 1998, Senator Baucus introduced the Public
Buildings Reform Act (S. 2481), cosponsored by Chairman Chafee
and Senator Warner, to overhaul and reform Federal public
building policy. On September 17, 1998, a hearing was held by
the committee to receive testimony, including that of Public
Building Service Commissioner Robert A. Peck, regarding S.
2481.
federal emergency disaster assistance
The committee has principal jurisdiction over programs of
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, authorized by the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
(``Stafford Act'').
On July 27, 1998, Senator Inhofe and Senator Graham
introduced the Disaster Mitigation Act of 1998 (S. 2361), to
amend the Stafford Act to authorize programs for predisaster
mitigation, to streamline the administration of disaster
relief, and to control the Federal costs of disaster
assistance. The legislation also authorizes a ground-breaking
pre-disaster mitigation program, ``Project Impact,'' which is
intended to save lives and prevent property damage. The levels
provided in this five-year authorization are intended to
formally authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency to
encourage and promote predisaster mitigation in different
localities throughout the country.
On July 23, 1998, a hearing was held by the Subcommittee on
Clean Air, Wetlands, Private Property, and Nuclear Safety to
receive testimony on the issue of disaster mitigation. S. 2361
was introduced on July 27, and on September 11, 1998, the
legislation was reported (S. Rept. 105-310) and placed on the
Senate Calendar. No further action was taken.
Economic Development Administration
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is
responsible for providing assistance to States, local units of
government, and private, nonprofit entities for activities
related to enhancing regional economic development. The EDA
programs are directed toward those areas of the United States
that are experiencing severe economic distress.
On July 28, 1998, Senators Chafee, Baucus and Warner
introduced the Economic Development Administration Reform Act
of 1998 (S. 2364), legislation to reform and reauthorize the
EDA and its programs and operations. Joining them as original
cosponsors of the bill were Senators Snowe, Kempthorne,
Lieberman, Moynihan, Reid, Boxer, Lugar, Hollings, Collins, and
Mikulski.
As reported by the committee on September 14, 1998, S. 2364
reauthorizes EDA for five years, with declining authorization
levels that are consistent with the Administration's budget
request (S. Rept. 105-332). S. 2364 also better targets EDA
assistance to communities suffering high economic distress by
tightening the criteria for eligibility and requires 50/50
Federal/local cost-sharing, with limited exceptions, for all
EDA programs. This legislation provides for increased
evaluation of EDA programs and operations and codifies
administrative reforms recently undertaken by the agency.
The Senate passed S. 2364 on October 12, 1998, and the
measure was signed into law by President Clinton on November
13, 1998 (Public Law 105-393).
nominations
The Committee on Environment and Public Works approved 20
Presidential nominations during the 105th Congress. The
nominations which the committee approved and for which the
Senate gave advice and consent were as follows:
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Isadore Rosenthal, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for a term of
five years (new position).
Andrea Kidd Taylor, of Michigan, to be a Member of the
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for a term of
five years (new position).
Department of the Interior
Donald J. Barry, of Wisconsin, to be Assistant Secretary
for Fish and Wildlife, vice George T. Frampton, Jr., resigned.
Jamie Rappaport Clark, of Maryland, to be Director of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, vice Molly H. Beattie.
Department of Transportation
Kenneth R. Wykle, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the
Federal Highway Administration, vice Rodney E. Slater.
Environmental Protection Agency
Romulo L. Diaz, Jr., of the District of Columbia, to be
Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,
vice Jonathan Z. Cannon, resigned.
J. Charles Fox, of Maryland, to be Assistant Administrator
of the Environmental Protection Agency, vice Mary Dolores
Nichols, resigned.
Sallyanne Harper, of Virginia, to be Chief Financial
Officer, Environmental Protection Agency, vice Johnathan Z.
Cannon, resigned.
Norine E. Noonan, of Florida, to be an Assistant
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, vice
Robert James Headgate, resigned.
Robert W. Perciasepe, of Maryland, to be an Assistant
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
(reappointment)
Nikki Rush Tinsley, of Maryland, to be Inspector General,
Environmental Protection Agency, vice John C. Martin, resigned.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Michael J. Armstrong, of Colorado, to be an Associate
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, vice
Richard Thomas Moore, resigned.
Mississippi River Commission
Brig. Gen. Robert Bernard Flowers, U.S. Army, to be a
Member and President of the Mississippi River Commission.
William Clifford Smith, of Louisiana, to be a Member of the
Mississippi River Commission for the term expiring October 21,
2005, vice Frank H. Walk, term expired.
Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental
Policy Foundation
Terrence L. Bracy, of Virginia, to be Member of the Morris
K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental
Policy Foundation for a term expiring October 6, 2004
(reappointment).
D. Michael Rappoport, of Arizona, to be a Member of the
Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National
Environmental Policy Foundation for a term expiring October 6,
2002 (reappointment).
Judith M. Espinosa, of New Mexico, to be a Member of the
Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National
Environmental Policy Foundation for a term of 4 years (new
position).
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Greta Joy Dicus, of Arkansas, to be a Member of the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission for the term of five years expiring June
30, 2003.
Jeffrey S. Merrifield, of New Hampshire, to be a Member of
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the term expiring June
30, 2002, vice Kenneth C. Rogers, term expired.
Tennessee Valley Authority
Johnny H. Hayes, of Tennessee, to be a member of the Board
of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term
expiring May 18, 2005, a reappointment.
meetings and hearings
The first session of the 105th Congress was convened on
January 7, 1997 and was adjourned sine die on November 13,
1997. The second session of the 105th Congress was convened on
January 27, 1998 and was adjourned sine die on October 21,
1998. During the 105th Congress the following committee
meetings and hearings were held, pursuant to the authority of
Senate Rule XXVI and the rules of the Committee on Environment
and Public Works, adopted on January 28, 1997.
Full Committee Hearings
The full committee held the following hearings:
On January 31, 1997, to receive testimony from Secretary of
Transportation-designate, Rodney E. Slater.
On February 12, 1997, to conduct oversight of the Clean Air
Act requirements that the Environmental Protection Agency set
standards for ozone and particulate matter, receiving testimony
from Carol Browner, Administrator, Environmental Protection
Agency; and Sally Katzen, Administrator, Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget.
On March 14, 1997, on the nominations of Johnny H. Hayes,
of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the
Tennessee Valley Authority, Brig. Gen. Robert Bernard Flowers,
USA, to be a Member and President of the Mississippi River
Commission, and Judith M. Espinosa, of New Mexico, and D.
Michael Rappoport, of Arizona, each to be a Member of the Board
of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence
in National Environmental Policy Foundation.
On March 18, 1997, on proposals to authorize State and
local governments to enact flow control laws and to regulate
the interstate transportation of solid waste, receiving
testimony from Senators Coats, Specter, and Levin;
Representatives Franks and Pascrell; Mayor John E. Rooney,
Northvale, NJ, on behalf of the Mayors' Task Force Against Flow
Control; Deputy Mayor for Operations Randy M. Mastro, New York,
NY; Randy Johnson, Hennepin County, Minnesota, on behalf of the
National Association of Counties; David K. Leff, Connecticut
Department of Environmental Protection, Hartford, CT; Grover G.
Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform; John Broadway, Richmond,
VA, on behalf of the National Federation of Independent
Business; James M. Seif, Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection, Harrisburg, PA; John Cahill, New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY;
David L. Olson, Max, ND, on behalf of the Dakota Resource
Council/Western Organization of Resource Councils; and Anthony
Ciofalo, Allied Waste Industries, Scottsdale, AZ, on behalf of
the National Solid Wastes Management Association/Environmental
Industry Associations.
On June 4, 1997, on the nomination of Michael J. Armstrong,
of Colorado, to be an Associate Director of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency. The nominee was introduced by
Senators Campbell, Allard, Conrad, Dorgan and Representatives
Skaggs and Pomeroy, and testimony was received from James Lee
Witt, Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
On June 10, 1997, on oversight of the relationship between
Federal and State governments in the enforcement of
environmental laws, receiving testimony from Lois J. Schiffer,
Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources
Division, Department of Justice; Steven H. Herman, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance,
and Nikki L. Tinsley, Acting Inspector General, both of the
Environmental Protection Agency; Joseph Rubin, Assistant
Attorney General for the State of Connecticut, Hartford, CT;
Mark Coleman, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality,
Oklahoma City, OK, on behalf of the Environmental Council of
States; Becky Norton Dunlop, Virginia Department of Natural
Resources, Richmond, VA; Patricia S. Bangert, Office of the
Attorney General for the State of Colorado, Denver, CO;
Christophe A.G. Tulou, Delaware Department of Natural Resources
and Environmental Control, Dover, DE; Todd E. Robins, U.S.
Public Interest Research Group, Washington, DC; Robert R.
Kuehn, Tulane Law School, New Orleans, LA; and Robert E.
Harmon, Harmon Industries, Blue Springs, MO.
On July 10, 1997, to examine issues relative to the science
of global climate change, receiving testimony from Eric J.
Barron, Pennsylvania State University; John R. Christy,
University of Alabama, Huntsville; Richard S. Lindzen,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Dale W. Jorgenson,
Harvard University; and Stephen H. Schneider, Stanford
University.
On July 16, 1997, on the nomination of Jamie Rappaport
Clark, of Maryland, to be Director of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.
On July 17, 1997, to examine issues relative to government
policies concerning global climate change, after receiving
testimony from Timothy E. Wirth, Under Secretary of State for
Global Affairs; Janet Yellen, Chair, Council of Economic
Advisers; Kevin J. Fay, International Climate Change
Partnership, Arlington, VA; and William O'Keefe, Global Climate
Coalition, Washington, DC.
On July 30, 1997, to consider S. 1059, the National
Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act of 1997, after receiving
testimony from Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior; Gary
J. Taylor, International Association of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies; James R. Waltman, Wilderness Society; and James A.
Mosher, Izaak Walton League of America, Gaithersburg, MD.
On September 4, 1997, to consider on S. 8, A bill to
authorize funds for fiscal years 1998 through 2002 for the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (Superfund), receiving testimony from Carol M.
Browner, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency;
Governor E. Benjamin Nelson, State of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, on
behalf of the National Governors' Association; Mayor James P.
Perron, Elkhart, Indiana, on behalf of the United States
Conference of Mayors; New York State Assistant Attorney General
Gordon J. Johnson, New York, New York, on behalf of the
National Association of Attorneys General; and Wilma Subra,
Subra Company, New Iberia, Louisiana.
On September 23 and 24, 1997, to consider S. 1180, the
Endangered Species Recovery Act of 1997, receiving testimony on
September 23 from Jamie Rappaport Clark, Director, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; Terry D.
Garcia, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and
Atmosphere, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
and Governor Marc Racicot, State of Montana, Helena, MT, on
behalf of the National Governors' Association and the Western
Governors' Association. On September 24, 1997, the committee
continued consideration of S. 1180, Endangered Species Recovery
Act of 1997, receiving testimony from former Senator James
McClure, on behalf of the National Endangered Species Act
Reform Coalition; Duane L. Shroufe, Arizona Game and Fish
Department, Phoenix, on behalf of the International Association
of Fish and Wildlife Agencies; and former Representative W.
Henson Moore, on behalf of the American Forest and Paper
Association and the Endangered Species Coordinating Council;
Mark Van Putten, National Wildlife Federation; and Michael J.
Bean, Environmental Defense Fund.
On October 23, 1997, to examine the proposed flood control
project at Devils Lake, North Dakota, receiving testimony from
Senators Conrad and Dorgan; Representative Pomeroy; John H.
Zirschky, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil
Works; Michael J. Armstrong, Associate Director for Mitigation,
Federal Emergency Management Agency; David A. Sprynczynatyk,
North Dakota State Water Commission, Bismarck, ND; Gary L.
Pearson, Dakota Prairie Audubon Society, Jamestown, ND; and Joe
Belford, Ramsey County Lake Emergency Management Committee,
Devils Lake, ND.
On October 30, 1997, to examine the Environmental
Protection Agency's enforcement and compliance assurance
program and EPA's enforcement relationship with the States
regarding State audit laws, and related measures, including S.
1332, A bill to recognize and protect State efforts to improve
environmental mitigation and compliance through the promotion
of voluntary environmental audits, including limited protection
from discovery and limited protection from penalties, and
provisions of S. 866, a bill to provide that certain voluntary
disclosures of violations of Federal law made as a result of a
voluntary environmental audit shall not be subject to discovery
or admitted into evidence during judicial or administrative
proceedings, after receiving testimony from Senators Enzi and
Hutchison; Steven A. Herman, Assistant Administrator, Office of
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Environmental Protection
Agency; Barry R. McBee, Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission, Austin, TX; Patricia S. Bangert, Colorado Office of
the Attorney General, Denver, CO; Paul G. Wallach, Hale and
Dorr, on behalf of the National Association of Manufacturers
and the Corporate Environmental Enforcement Counsel; and Mark
Woodall, Sierra Club, Woodland, GA, on behalf of the U.S.
Public Interest Research Group.
On November 4, 1997, to consider S. 627 and H.R. 39, bills
authorizing funds through fiscal year 2002 for programs of the
African Elephant Conservation Act, and S. 1287 and H.R. 1787,
bills to assist in the conservation of Asian elephants by
supporting and providing financial resources for the
conservation programs of nations within the range of Asian
elephants and projects of persons with demonstrated expertise
in the conservation of Asian elephants, receiving testimony
from Senator Jeffords; Representative Saxton; Marshall P.
Jones, Assistant Director for International Affairs, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; Ginette
Hemley, World Wildlife Fund, and John W. Grandy, Humane Society
of the United States; and Stuart A. Marks, Safari Club
International, Herndon, VA.
On February 3, 1998, to consider the nominations of Donald
J. Barry, of Wisconsin, to be Assistant Secretary of the
Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, and Sallyanne Harper,
of Virginia, to be Chief Financial Officer, Environmental
Protection Agency.
On April 1, 1998, to examine issues relating to indoor air
quality, focusing on the health effects of second-hand tobacco
smoke in the workplace and in homes, and related provisions of
the proposed tobacco settlement between State Attorneys General
and the tobacco industry, receiving testimony from Carol M.
Browner, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency;
Michael P. Eriksen, Director, Office on Smoking and Health,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Department of Health and Human Services; State Attorney General
Carla J. Stovall, Topeka, KS; Gregory N. Connolly,
Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA; Alfred
Munzer, Washington Adventist Hospital, Takoma Park, MD, on
behalf of the American Lung Association; Robert K. Lemons,
Building Owners and Managers Association of Boston, Cambridge,
MA; and Michael Sternberg, Sam & Harry's Restaurants,
Washington, DC, on behalf of the National Restaurant
Association.
On June 23, 1998, to consider S. 2131, A bill to authorize
funds for the conservation and development of water and related
resources, and to authorize the Secretary of the Army to
construct various projects for improvements to rivers and
harbors of the United States, receiving testimony from Joseph
W. Westphal, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works;
Michael Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil
Works; Maj. Gen. Russell L. Fuhrman, Director of Civil Works
for the Army Corps of Engineers; Mayor Kenneth E. Pringle,
Borough of Belmar, NJ; Councilwoman Louisa M. Strayhorn, City
of Virginia Beach, VA; Grover Fugate, Rhode Island Coastal
Resources Management Council, Wakefield, RI; Kurt J. Nagle,
American Association of Port Authorities, Alexandria, VA; Scott
C. Faber, American Rivers; and Stephen H. Higgins, Broward
County Department of Natural Resource Protection, Broward
County, Florida, on behalf of the American Coastal Coalition.
On July 7, 1998, to consider S. 263, A bill to prohibit the
import, export, sale, purchase, possession, transportation,
acquisition, and receipt of bear viscera or products that
contain or claim to contain bear viscera; S. 361, A bill to
amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to prohibit the sale,
import, and export of products labeled as containing endangered
species; S. 659, A bill to amend the Great Lakes Fish and
Wildlife Restoration Act of 1990 to provide for implementation
of recommendations of the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service contained in the Great Lakes Fishery Restoration Study
Report; S. 1970, A bill to require the Secretary of the
Interior to establish a program to provide assistance in the
conservation of neotropical migratory birds; S. 2094, A bill to
amend the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978 to enable
the Secretary of the Interior to more effectively use the
proceeds of sales of certain items; S. 2244, A bill to amend
the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to promote volunteer programs
and community partnerships for the benefit of national wildlife
refuges; H.R. 2807, A bill to amend the Rhinoceros and Tiger
Conservation Act of 1994 to prohibit the sale, importation, and
exportation of products labeled as containing substances
derived from rhinoceros or tiger; and H.R. 3113, A bill to
authorize funds through fiscal year 2004 for the Rhinoceros and
Tiger Conservation Fund, receiving testimony from John Rogers,
Deputy Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of
the Interior; Ginette Hemley, World Wildlife Fund; Wayne
Pacelle, Humane Society of the United States; Gary Taylor,
International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies;
Kristin L. Vehrs, American Zoo and Aquarium Association,
Bethesda, MD; Molly Krival, Ding Darling Wildlife Society,
Sanibel, FL; and Thomas Crane, Great Lakes Commission, Ann
Arbor, MI.
On July 9, 1998, to consider S. 1222, A bill to catalyze
restoration of estuary habitat through more efficient financing
of projects and enhanced coordination of Federal and non-
Federal restoration programs; S. 1321, A bill to authorize
funds to permit grants for the national estuary program to be
used for the development and implementation of a comprehensive
conservation and management plan, and H.R. 2207, A bill to
require the owner or operator of the Mayaguez, Puerto Rico,
publicly owned treatment works, in order to be eligible to
apply for a waiver of secondary treatment requirements, to
transmit to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency the results of a study of the marine environment of
coastal areas in the Mayaguez area to determine the feasibility
of constructing a deep ocean outfall for the treatment works,
and to authorize funds through fiscal year 1998 for the
National Estuary Program, receiving testimony from Senators
Faircloth, Breaux, and Torricelli; Robert H. Wayland III,
Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, Office of
Water, Environmental Protection Agency; Michael L. Davis,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works; H.
Curtis Spalding, Save the Bay, Providence, RI; JoAnn M.
Burkholder, North Carolina State University, Raleigh; J. Walter
Milon, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; Ted Morton,
American Oceans Campaign; Xavier Romeu, Puerto Rico Federal
Affairs Administration, San Juan, PR; and Juan C. Martinez-
Cruzado, Mayaguezanos for Health and Environment, Inc.,
Mayaguez, PR.
On July 15, 1998, to consider the nomination of Nikki Rush
Tinsley, of Maryland, to be Inspector General, Environmental
Protection Agency.
On July 30, 1998, to consider the nominations of Romulo L.
Diaz, Jr., of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant
Administrator for Administration and Resources Management, and
J. Charles Fox, of Maryland, to be Assistant Administrator for
Water, both of the Environmental Protection Agency, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
Mr. Fox was introduced by Senator Sarbanes.
On September 9, 1998, to consider nominations of Terrence
L. Bracy, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Board of Trustees
of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National
Environmental Policy, and Norine E. Noonan, of Florida, to be
Assistant Administrator for Research and Development of the
Environmental Protection Agency, after the nominees testified
and answered questions in their own behalf. Mr. Bracy was
introduced by Senators McCain and Warner, and Ms. Noonan was
introduced by Senator Graham.
On September 16, 1998, to examine the use of methyl
tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) in gasoline and S. 1576, A bill to
amend the Clean Air Act to permit the exclusive application of
California State regulations regarding reformulated gasoline in
certain areas within the State, receiving testimony from
Senator Feinstein: Representative Bilbray; John D. Dunlap III,
California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board,
Sacramento, CA; Edward O. Sullivan, Maine Department of
Environmental Protection, Augusta, GA; Daniel S. Greenbaum,
Health Effects Institute, Cambridge, MA; Al Jessel, Chevron
Products Company, San Francisco, CA; and Douglas A. Durante,
Clean Fuels Development Coalition, Arlington, VA.
On September 17, 1998, on the proposed General Services
Administration's Capital Investment and Leasing Program request
for fiscal year 1999, the proposed Judicial Conference of the
United States courthouse construction request for fiscal year
1999, and S. 2481, A bill to improve the process of
constructing, altering, and acquiring public buildings,
receiving testimony from Robert A. Peck, Commissioner, Public
Buildings Service, General Services Administration; Judge
Norman H. Stahl, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit,
on behalf of the Judicial Conference of the United States; A.
Peter Burleigh, Acting United States Representative to the
United Nations, on behalf of the United States Mission to the
United Nations; Judge Michael A. Ponsor, United States District
Court for the District of Massachusetts; and Judge B. Avant
Edenfield, United States District Court for the Southern
District of Georgia.
On September 22, 1998, to consider S. 2470, A bill to
modify the boundaries within the Coastal Barrier Resources
System in Florida by removing the 25-acre island of Pumpkin
Key, receiving testimony from Gerry Jackson, Assistant Director
of the Interior for Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service; Jacqueline Savitz, Coast Alliance; and Ralph
DeGennaro, Taxpayers for Common Sense; and Thomas Z. Hayward,
Jr., Terra Cotta Realty, Inc., Key Largo, FL.
On September 23, 1998, to examine the Patent and Trademark
Office plan to consolidate its facilities and operations,
receiving testimony from Robert A. Peck, Commissioner, Public
Buildings Service, General Services Administration; Bruce A.
Lehman, Assistant Secretary and Commissioner, and Jo-Anne
Barnard, Director for Space Acquisition, both of the Patent and
Trademark Office, Department of Commerce; Johnnie E. Frazier,
Acting Inspector General, Department of Commerce; Michael K.
Kirk, American Intellectual Property Law Association,
Arlington, VA; Peter J. Sepp, National Taxpayers Union,
Alexandria, VA; David E. Williams, Citizens Against Government
Waste; and Allan V. Burman, Jefferson Solutions; and Samuel R.
Collins, Deva & Associates, Bethesda, MD.
On September 29, 1998, to consider H.R. 2863, A bill to
amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to clarify restrictions
under that Act on baiting, and to facilitate acquisition of
migratory bird habitats, receiving testimony from Senators
Cochran and Breaux; Kevin Adams, Chief, Office of Law
Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the
Interior; Brent Manning, Illinois Department of Natural
Resources, Springfield, IL, on behalf of the International
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies; Douglas B. Inkley,
National Wildlife Federation, Vienna, VA; Tanya K. Metaksa,
National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action,
Fairfax, Virginia; and Laura C. Hood, Defenders of Wildlife.
On October 1, 1998, to consider nominations of Greta Joy
Dicus, of Arkansas, and Jeffrey S. Merrifield, of New
Hampshire, each to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, after the nominees testified and answered questions
in their own behalf. Ms. Dicus was introduced by Senator
Bumpers, and Mr. Merrifield was introduced by Senator Robert
Smith of New Hampshire.
Full Committee Field Hearings
On April 21, 1997, at the Community College of Rhode
Island, Warwick, RI, hearing to consider proposals to
reauthorize the Intermodal Surface Transportation Act of 1990,
receiving testimony from Governor Lincoln Almond, State of
Rhode Island, Providence, RI; Rodney Slater, Secretary,
Department of Transportation; William Ankner, Director, Rhode
Island Department of Transportation, Providence, RI; Beverly
Scott, Director, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority,
Providence, RI; Col. Edmond S. Culhane, Jr., Superintendent,
Rhode Island State Police, Providence, RI; Edward F. Sanderson,
Executive Director, Rhode Island Preservation and Heritage
Commission, Providence, RI; Barry Schiller, Sierra Club; Dan
Baudouin, Executive Director, The Providence Foundation;
Kenneth Bianchi, DOTWatch; Curt Spalding, Executive Director,
Save the Bay; and James RePass, President and CEO, the
Northeast Corridor Initiative, Inc.
On December 9, 1997, in Sacramento, CA, hearing to consider
possible water pollution by methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE),
receiving testimony from Tom Hayden, California State Senator,
Sacramento, CA; Richard Mountjoy, California State Senator,
Arcadia, CA; Craig Perkins, Director, Environment and Public
Works Management, City of Santa Monica, CA; Cynthia Dougherty,
Director, Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water,
Environmental Protection Agency; John Zogorski, Chief, National
Synthesis on Volatile Organic Compounds and MTBE, U.S.
Geological Survey, Reston, VA; Peter M. Rooney Secretary,
California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, CA;
David Spath, Chief, Drinking Water and Environmental Management
Division, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento,
CA; Stephen K. Hall, Executive Director, Association of
California Water Agencies, Sacramento, CA; Nachman Brautbar,
Professor of Clinical Medicine University Southern California,
School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA; Nancy J. Balter,
Principal, Center for Environmental Health and Human
Toxicology, Former Associate Professor Pharmacology Georgetown
University Medical Center; and Gary Patton, The Planning and
Conservation League, Sacramento, CA.
On February 17, 1998, in Helena, MT, hearing to consider
the Federal building leasing process, receiving testimony from
Robert A. Peck, Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, General
Services Administration; Paul Prouty, Assistant Regional
Administrator, General Services Administration, Denver, CO;
Colleen McCarthy, Mayor, Helena, MT; Alan Nicholson, Helena,
MT; Mark Kennedy, Council Member, Billings, MT; Mechelle
Schultz, Downtown Business Association, Billings, MT; Jack
Lynch, Chief Executive, Butte-Silver Bow County, Butte, MT;
Colleen Fine, Director, Urban Revitalization Agency, Butte, MT;
and Barbara Handy Pahl, Regional Director, National Trust for
Historic Preservation, Denver, CO.
On June 7, 1998, in Helena, MT, hearing to consider S.
1913, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1998,
receiving testimony from Peggy Trenk, on behalf of Rick Hill,
U.S. Representative from the State of Montana; Robert J.
Robinson, Canyon Ferry Recreation Association, Helena, MT;
Michael Vashro, Prickly Pear Sportsmen, Helena, MT; and William
Orsello, Montana Wildlife Federation, Helena, MT.
Full Committee Business Meetings
On January 28, 1997, ordered reported an original
resolution (S. Res. 26) requesting $2,431,871 for operating
expenses for the period from March 1, 1997, through February
28, 1998, and $2,494,014 for operating expenses for the period
from March 1, 1998, through February 28, 1999. Agreed to
committee rules for the 105th Congress and subcommittee
assignments.
On March 20, 1997, ordered reported the nominations of
Johnny H. Hayes, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of
Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority, and Judith M.
Espinosa, of New Mexico, and D. Michael Rappoport, of Arizona,
each to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K.
Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental
Policy Foundation.
On June 5, 1997, ordered reported:
Nominations of Michael J. Armstrong, to be Associate
Director of Mitigation for the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, and of Maj. Gen. Robert B.
Flowers, to be a member of the Mississippi River
Commission;
S. 797, the ``John F. Kennedy Center Parking Improvements
Act'';
S. 289, designating the ``Carl B. Stokes U.S. Courthouse,''
Cleveland, OH;
S. 347, designating the ``Sam Nunn Federal Center,''
Atlanta, GA;
S. 478, designating the ``William Augustus Bootle Federal
Building and U.S. Courthouse,'' Macon, GA;
S. 628, designating the ``Reynaldo G. Garza U.S.
Courthouse,'' Brownsville, TX;
S. 681, designating the ``David W. Dwyer Federal
Courthouse,'' Miami, FL;
S. 715, designating the ``J. Roy Rowland Federal
Courthouse,'' Dublin, GA;
S. 819, designating the ``Martin V.B. Bostetter, Jr. U.S.
Courthouse,'' Alexandria, VA.
Public building resolution, Orlando, FL, courthouse;
Public building resolution, Montgomery, AL, courthouse;
Public building resolution, Washington, DC, Metropolitan
Area, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
Headquarters Building;
Water resource resolution, Sabine-Neches Waterway, Texas
and -Water resource resolution, Point Fox Hurricane
Barrier, Rhode Island;
Water resource resolution, Eastern Shore, Maryland; Havre
de Grace, Maryland;
Water resource resolution, Tillamook Bay, Oregon; and
Water resource resolution, Embry Dam, Fredericksburg,
Virginia.
On June 26, 1997, ordered reported:
S. 833, designating the ``Howard M. Metzenbaum United
States Courthouse,'' Cleveland, OH;
Public building resolution, U.S. Secret Service training
facility --Beltsville, MD;
Public building resolution, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and
Firearms laboratory--Suburban Maryland;
Public building resolution, Department of Veterans Affairs
(Lafayette Building)--Washington, DC;
Public building resolution, Department of the Interior
Department Headquarters--Washington, DC;
Public building resolution, United States Geological Survey
laboratory -- Lakewood, CO;
Public building resolution, Interstate Commerce Commission
Headquarters -- Washington, DC
Public building resolution, Department of Health and Human
Services--Washington, DC;
Public building resolution, Department of Health and Human
Services--Chicago, IL;
Public building resolution, Department of Health and Human
Services (Control Data Building)--Montgomery
County, Maryland;
Public building resolution, Department of Health and Human
Services (Executive Plaza)--Montgomery County,
Maryland;
Public building resolution, Department of Defense (Century
Building)-- Arlington, VA;
Public building resolution, Department of Defense (3100
Clarendon Boulevard)--Arlington, VA;
Public building resolution, Department of Defense (Crystal
Park 5)--Arlington, VA;
Public building resolution, Department of Defense (Crystal
Park 6)--Arlington, VA;
Public building resolution, Fish and Wildlife Service--
Arlington, VA; and
Public building resolution, Department of Defense (Devon
Center)--Northern Virginia.
On July 24, 1997, ordered reported the nomination of Jamie
Rappaport Clark, of Maryland, to be Director of the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service;
S. 399, A bill to amend the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and
Excellence in National Environmental and Native
American Public Policy Act of 1992 to establish the
United States Institute for Environmental Conflict
Resolution to conduct environmental conflict
resolution training;
S. 1000, A bill designating ``Robert J. Dole United States
Courthouse'' Kansas City, KS;
S. 1043, A bill designating the ``Lloyd D. George United
States Courthouse,'' Las Vegas, NV;
Water resource resolution, Llagas Creek Watershed Project,
California;
Water resource resolution, Deerfield River sub-basin,
Vermont and Massachusetts.
On September 17, 1997, ordered reported with amendments, S.
1173, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of
1997.
On October 29, 1997, ordered reported:
Nomination of Kenneth R. Wykle, of Virginia, to be
Administrator of the Federal Highway
Administration, Department of Transportation;
H.R. 1658, (when the measure is referred to the Committee
on Environment and Public Works from the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation), A bill
authorizing funds for fiscal years 1998 through
2000 for programs of the Atlantic Striped Bass
Conservation Act, with an amendment;
S. 1258, A bill to prohibit illegal aliens from receiving
relocation assistance associated with Federal
projects and grants, with an amendment;
S. 1219, A bill to require the establishment of a research
and grant program for the eradication or control of
Pfiesteria piscicida and other aquatic toxins, with
an amendment;
S. 1324, A bill to deauthorize a portion of the Federal
navigation channel at Bernard Bayou, Mississippi;
Water resource resolution, Ohio and Lower Mississippi
Rivers in Kentucky;
Water resource resolution, Hamilton Army Airfield and San
Pablo Bay, California; and
Water resource resolution, Christina River Watershed,
Delaware River.
On November 6, 1997, ordered reported:
S. 1287, A bill to assist in the conservation of Asian
elephants by supporting and providing financial
resources for the conservation programs of nations
within the range of Asian elephants and projects of
persons with demonstrated expertise in the
conservation of Asian elephants;
H.R. 1787, A bill to assist in the conservation of Asian
elephants by supporting and providing financial
resources for the conservation programs of nations
within the range of Asian elephants and projects of
persons with demonstrated expertise in the
conservation of Asian elephants.
Public building resolution approving a lease for the
headquarters building for the Department of
Transportation.
On February 10, 1998, ordered reported the nominations of
Donald J. Barry , to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior for
Fish and Wildlife and Parks, and of Sallyanne Harper, to be
Chief Financial Officer, Environmental Protection Agency.
On March 24, 25, and 26, 1998, marked up and ordered
reported S. 8, with a substitute amendment, the Superfund
Cleanup Acceleration Act of 1998.
On May 21, 1998, ordered reported:
S. 1677, A bill to authorize funds through fiscal year 2003
for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act
and the Partnerships for Wildlife Act;
S. 2095, A bill to amend and authorize funds through fiscal
year 2003 for the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation Establishment Act, with an amendment;
S. 627, A bill to authorize funds for fiscal years 1997
through 2002 for the African Elephant Conservation
Act;
H.R. 39, A bill to authorize funds for fiscal years 1997
through 2002 for the African Elephant Conservation
Act;
S. 1104, A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
make corrections in maps relating to the Coastal
Barrier Resources System;
S. 2038, A bill to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to
authorize funds through fiscal year 2009 for the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and
to further define the criteria for capital repair
and operation and maintenance, with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 824, A bill to redesignate the Federal building
located at 717 Madison Place, NW., in the District
of Columbia, as the ``Howard T. Markey National
Courts Building'';
S. 1800, A bill designating the ``Joseph P. Kinneary United
States Courthouse,'' Columbus, OH;
S. 1898, A bill designating the ``Ronald V. Dellums Federal
Building,'', Oakland, CA;
S. 1355, A bill designating the ``Richard C. Lee United
States Courthouse,'' New Haven, CT;
S. 1298, A bill designating the ``Justice John McKinley
Federal Building,'' Florence, AL;
S. 2032, A bill designating the ``Hurff A. Saunders Federal
Building,'' Juneau, AK;
S. 2090, A bill to extend the authority of the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission to collect fees through 2003;
S. 1531, A bill to deauthorize certain portions of the
project for navigation, Bass Harbor, Maine;
S. 1532, A bill to amend the Water Resources Development
Act of 1996 to deauthorize the remainder of the
project at East Boothbay Harbor, Maine.
Public building resolution, Alteration of Edward R. Roybal
Federal Building, Los Angeles, CA;
Water resource resolution, Watershed improvement program in
the East Fork of the Grand River, Iowa and
Missouri; and
Water resource resolution, Modifications in Rhode Island
navigation reports.
On July 22, 1998, ordered reported:
S. 263, A bill to prohibit the import, export, sale,
purchase, possession, transportation, acquisition,
and receipt of bear viscera or products that
contain or claim to contain bear viscera, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 361, A bill to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973
to prohibit the sale, import, and export of
products labeled as containing endangered species,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 659, A bill to amend the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife
Restoration Act of 1990 to provide for
implementation of recommendations of the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service contained in the
Great Lakes Fishery Restoration Study Report, with
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1883, A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey the Marion National Fish Hatchery and the
Claude Harris National Aquacultural Research Center
to the State of Alabama, with an amendment;
S. 1970, A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to
establish a program to provide assistance in the
conservation of neotropical migratory birds, with
an amendment;
S. 2094, A bill to amend the Fish and Wildlife Improvement
Act of 1978 to enable the Secretary of the Interior
to more effectively use the proceeds of sales of
certain items, with an amendment;
S. 2319, A bill to authorize the use of receipts from the
sale of migratory bird hunting and conservation
stamps to promote additional stamp purchases;
S. 2244, A bill to amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956
to promote volunteer programs and community
partnerships for the benefit of national wildlife
refugees;
H.R. 1856, A bill to amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of
1956 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct a volunteer pilot project at one national
wildlife refuge in each United States Fish and
Wildlife Service region, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute;
S. 1700, A bill designating the headquarters building of
the Department of Housing and Urban Development in
Washington, District of Columbia, as the ``Robert
C. Weaver Federal Building'';
H.R. 643, A bill designating the ``Carl B. Stokes United
States Courthouse,'' Cleveland, OH;
H.R. 3504, A bill to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act
to authorize appropriations for the John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts and to further
define the criteria for capital repair and
operation and maintenance; and
S. 1222, A bill to catalyze restoration of estuary habitat
through more efficient financing of projects and
enhanced coordination of Federal and non-Federal
restoration programs, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute.
Also the committee began the markup of S. 2131, A bill to
provide for the conservation and development of water and
related resources, and to authorize the Secretary of the Army
to construct various projects for improvements to rivers and
harbors of the United States.
On July 23, 1998, committee continued markup of S. 2131, A
bill to provide for the conservation and development of water
and related resources, and to authorize the Secretary of the
Army to construct various projects for improvements to rivers
and harbors of the United States.
Ordered reported the nomination of Nikki Rush Tinsley, of
Maryland, to be Inspector General, Environmental
Protection Agency; and
Public building resolution, Robert Duncan Plaza Building,
Portland, Oregon, modification.
On July 29, 1998, ordered reported:
S. 2131, A bill to provide for the conservation and
development of water and related resources, and to
authorize the Secretary of the Army to construct
various projects for improvements to rivers and
harbors of the United States, with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute;
S. 2364, A bill to authorize funds for fiscal years 1999
through 2003 and make reforms to programs
authorized by the Public Works and Economic
Development Act of 1965;
S. 2361, A bill to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize
programs for predisaster mitigation, to streamline
the administration of disaster relief, and to
control the Federal costs of disaster assistance,
with amendments;
S. 2359, A bill to authorize funds for fiscal years 1999
through 2004 for programs of the National
Environmental Education Act;
S. 2317, A bill to improve the National Wildlife Refuge
System, with an amendment; and
H.R. 3453, designating as the ``Dick Cheney Federal
Building,'' Casper, WY.
On September 23, 1998, ordered reported:
Nomination of J. Charles Fox, of Maryland, to be Assistant
Administrator for Water;
Nomination of Romulo L. Diaz, Jr., of the District of
Columbia, to be Assistant Administrator for
Administration and Resources Management;
Nomination of Norine E. Noonan, of Florida, to be Assistant
Administrator for Research and Development, all of
the Environmental Protection Agency; and
Nomination of Terrence Bracy, to be Member of the Morris K.
Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National
Environmental Policy Foundation;
H.R. 8, A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to deny entry
into the United States of certain foreign motor
vehicles that do not comply with State laws
governing motor vehicles emissions;
S. 555, A bill to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to
require that at least 85 percent of funds
appropriated to the Environmental Protection Agency
from the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust
Fund be distributed to States to carry out
cooperative agreements for undertaking corrective
action and for enforcement of subtitle I of that
Act, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 2351, A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
make corrections to a map relating to the Coastal
Barrier Resources System, with an amendment; -
S. 2469, A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
make technical corrections to a map relating to the
Coastal Barrier Resources System, with an
amendment;
S. 2470, A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
make technical corrections to a map relating to the
Coastal Barrier Resources System, with an
amendment;
S. 2474, A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
make corrections to certain maps relating to the
Coastal Barrier Resources System, with an
amendment; and
S. 2505, A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey title to the Tunnison Lab Hagerman Field
Station in Gooding County, Idaho, to the University
of Idaho, with an amendment;
Public building resolution, Appraisers Building, San
Francisco, CA;
Public building resolution, Federal Office Building 10B,
Washington, DC;
Public building resolution, Old Executive Office Building,
Washington, DC;
Public building resolution, Internal Revenue Service
Center, Brookhaven, NY;
Public building resolution, U.S. Courthouse, New York, NY
Byrne-Green Federal Building, Philadelphia, PA;
Public building resolution, J.W. Powell Building, Reston,
VA;
Public building resolution, Advanced Design Alteration
Projects (several buildings);
Public building resolution, U.S. Border Station, Sault
Sainte Marie, MI (site acquistion/design);
Public building resolution, Piegan U.S. Border Station,
Babb, MT (construction);
Public building resolution, Department of Justice,
Washington, DC;
Public building resolution, Internal Revenue Service,
Washington, DC;
Public building resolution, Department of Health and Human
Services, Rockville, MD;
Public building resolution, Internal Revenue Service
Regional Counsel, New York, NY;
Public building resolution, Department of Defense,
Arlington, VA;
Public building resolution, Department of Defense,
Arlington, VA;
Public building resolution, Department of Defense, Falls
Church, VA;
Public building resolution, Department of the Army,
Alexandria, VA;
Public building resolution, Department of Justice, Falls
Church, VA;
Public building resolution, Brooklyn Courthouse, New York
(design/construction);
Public building resolution, Biloxi/Gulfport Courthouse,
Mississippi (site acquisition/design);
Public building resolution, Denver Courthouse, Colorado
(site acquisition/construction);
Public building resolution, Eugene Courthouse, Oregon (site
acquisition/design);
Public building resolution, Laredo Courthouse, Texas (site
acquisition/construction);
Public building resolution, Springfield Courthouse,
Massachusetts (site acquisition/design);
Public building resolution, Jacksonville Courthouse,
Florida (site acquisition/construction);
Public building resolution, Wheeling Courthouse, West
Virginia (site acquisition/design);
Public building resolution, Little Rock Courthouse,
Arkansas (site acquisition/design);
Public building resolution, Cape Girardeau Courthouse,
Missouri (design);
Public building resolution, Greeneville Courthouse,
Tennessee (design/construction);
Public building resolution, Savannah Courthouse, Georgia
(design/construction);
Public building resolution, San Diego Courthouse,
California (site acquistion); and
Public building resolution, San Jose Courthouse, San Jose,
California (site acquisition).
On October 2, 1998, ordered reported:
Nomination of Greta Joy Dicus, of Arkansas, to be a Member
of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Nomination of Jeffrey S. Merrifield, of New Hampshire, to
be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission;
H.R. 81, A bill designating the ``Robert K. Rodibaugh
United States Bankruptcy Courthouse,'' South Bend,
IN;
H.R. 2225, A bill designating the ``Lloyd D. George Federal
Building and United States Courthouse,'' Las Vegas,
NV;
H.R. 2379, A bill designating the ``Hiram H. Ward Federal
Building and United States Courthouse,'' Winston-
Salem, NC;
H.R. 3223, A bill designating the ``J.J. `Jake' Pickle
Federal Building,'' Austin, TX;
S. 2523, A bill designating the ``J.J. `Jake' Pickle
Federal Building,'' Austin, TX;
H.R. 3696, A bill designating the ``James F. Battin Federal
Courthouse,'' Billings, MT;
H.R. 3982, A bill designating the ``Terry Sanford Federal
Building,'' Raleigh, NC;
H.R. 4595, A bill to redesignate a Federal building located
in Washington, D.C., as the ``Sidney R. Yates
Federal Building''; and
H.R. 2863, A bill to amend the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to
clarify restrictions under that Act on baiting, to
facilitate acquisition of migratory bird habitat,
with amendments.
Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure Hearings
On February 13, 1997, hearing on the reauthorization of the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991,
receiving testimony from Mortimer Downey, Deputy Secretary,
U.S. Department of Transportation; Andrew H. Card, Jr.,
president, American Automobile Manufacturers Association;
Darrel Rensink, president, American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Des Moines, IA;
Alan E. Pisarski, Falls Church, VA; and Damian Kulash, ENO
Transportation Foundation, Inc., Landsdowne, VA.
On February 26, 1997, hearing on the reauthorization of the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991,
receiving testimony from Rodney E. Slater, Secretary of
Transportation; William D. Fay, American Highway Users
Alliance; and Hank Dittmar, Surface Transportation Policy
Project.
On March 6, 1997, hearing on the reauthorization of the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, and
innovative transportation financing, technology, construction
and design practices, receiving testimony from Representative
DeLauro; Mortimer L. Downey, Deputy Secretary, Jane Garvey,
Deputy Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, and
Christine Johnson, Director of the Joint Program Office,
Intelligent Transportation Systems, all of the Department of
Transportation; Phyllis F. Scheinberg, Associate Director,
Transportation Issues, Resources, Community, and Economic
Development Division, Joseph Christoff, Assistant Director, and
Yvonne Pufahl, Senior Evaluator, all of the General Accounting
Office; Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Executive Director,
Transportation Research Board, National Academy of Sciences;
Gerald S. Pfeffer, United Infrastructure Company, Chicago, IL;
Daniel V. Flanagan, Jr., Flanagan Consulting Group, Inc.,
Alexandria, VA, on behalf of the Commission to Promote
Investment in America's Infrastructure; and James Costantino,
Intelligent Transportation Society of America.
On March 13, 1997, hearing on the reauthorization of the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991,
receiving testimony from Senators Roth, Jeffords, and Biden;
Michael P. Huerta, Associate Deputy Secretary of
Transportation/Director, Office of Intermodalism, Department of
Transportation; Thomas M. Downs, President and CEO, National
Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak); Leslie White, C-Tran,
Vancouver, Washington, on behalf of the American Public Transit
Association; and Karen Borlaug Phillips, Association of
American Railroads, William E. Loftus, American Short Line
Railroad Association, and Thomas J. Donohue, American Trucking
Associations, Inc.
On March 19, 1997, on the reauthorization of the Intermodal
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, focusing on
environmental programs and statewide and metropolitan planning,
receiving testimony from Jane F. Garvey, Acting Administrator,
Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation;
David M. Gardiner, Assistant Administrator for Policy, Planning
and Evaluation, Environmental Protection Agency; Thomas Walker,
Wisconsin Road Builders Association, Madison, on behalf of the
American Road and Transportation Builders Association; Hal
Hiemstra, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Meg Maguire, Scenic
America, and Hank Dittmar, Surface Transportation Policy
Project, all of Washington, DC; Leon S. Kenison, New Hampshire
Department of Transportation, Concord; Lawrence D. Dahms,
Oakland Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Oakland, CA; M.
Michael Cooke, Board of Douglas County Commissioners, Castle
Rock, CO; Guillermo V. Vidal, Colorado Department of
Transportation, Denver; and Timothy S. Stowe, Anderson and
Associates, Blacksburg, VA, on behalf of the American
Consulting Engineers Council.
On May 7, 1997, hearing on the reauthorization of the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991,
focusing on proposed legislation authorizing funds for programs
on transportation safety issues, including related measures S.
284 and S. 412, after receiving testimony from Senators Lugar
and DeWine; Representative Lowey; Philip R. Recht, Deputy
Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
and Anthony R. Kane, Executive Director, Federal Highway
Administration, both of the Department of Transportation; Mayor
Bob Bartlett, Monrovia, CA, on behalf of the Southern
California Association of Governments; Richard D. Crabtree,
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Columbus, OH, and Joan B.
Claybrook, Public Citizen, both on behalf of the Advocates for
Highway and Auto Safety; Katherine P. Prescott, Mothers Against
Drunk Driving, Irving, TX; Thomas J. Donohue, American Trucking
Associations, Inc., James L. Kolstad, American Automobile
Association, Barbara Harsha, National Association of Governors'
Highway and Safety Representatives, and Robert A. Georgine,
Building and Construction Trades Department, and Edward
Wytkind, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO; and Brenda
Berry, CRASH, Woodbridge, VA.
On June 6, 1997, hearing on the reauthorization of the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 and
the replacement of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, receiving
testimony from Jane F. Garvey, Acting Administrator, Federal
Highway Administrator, Department of Transportation; Mayor
Kerry J. Donley, Alexandria, VA; Kenneth Laden, Acting
Administrator of Policy and Planning, District of Columbia
Department of Public Works; Robert E. Martinez, Virginia
Secretary of Transportation, Richmond; David L. Winstead,
Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Annapolis; Wayne K.
Curry, Prince George's County Office of the County Executive,
Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Katharine K. Hanley, Fairfax County
Board of Supervisors, Fairfax, VA; John J. Collins, American
Trucking Associations, Inc., Alexandria, VA;; Jonas Neihardt,
Old Town Civic Association, Alexandria, VA; Robert L. Montague,
III, Alexandria Historical Restoration and Preservation
Commission, Alexandria, VA; Randall Kell, Mark Winkler Company,
on behalf of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce; Michael J.
Lewis, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics,
Reston, VA, on behalf of the Fairfax County Chamber of
Commerce; and Susan J. Williams, Greater Washington Board of
Trade, Washington, DC.
On November 4, 1997, hearing to examine the status of
federal surface transportation programs in the absence of
funding from a federal highway reauthorization act, and
strategies to temporarily assist States to continue to fund
highway programs, receiving testimony from Governor Paul E.
Patton, Frankfort, KY, on behalf of the National Governors'
Association; Peter J. Basso, Acting Assistant Secretary of
Transportation for Budget and Programs; Phyllis F. Scheinberg,
Associate Director, Transportation Issues, Resources,
Community, and Economic Development Division, General
Accounting Office; and Steve L. Massie, Williamsburg, VA, on
behalf of the Transportation Construction Coalition.
On November 5, 1997, hearing to examine the General
Services Administration's proposal to construct or otherwise
acquire a facility to house the headquarters of the Department
of Transportation, after receiving testimony from Paul
Chistolini, Deputy Commissioner, Public Buildings Service,
General Services Administration; and Peter J. Basso, Acting
Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Budget and Programs.
On July 14, 1998, hearing to consider S. 1647, A bill
authorizing funds for fiscal years 1999 through 2002 for the
Economic Development Administration, receiving testimony from
William M. Daley, Secretary of Commerce, and Phillip A.
Singerman, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development,
Department of Commerce; Robert W. Burchell, Center for Urban
Policy Research/Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ; R. Scott
Fosler, National Academy of Public Administration; Floyd G.
Villines, Judge and former Mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, and
Eric P. Thompson, Lower Savannah Council of Governments and the
National Association of Development Organizations, Aiken, South
Carolina, on behalf of the Coalition for Economic Development.
Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure Field Hearings
On March 22, 1997, at Boswell Auditorium, College of
Northern Idaho, Coeur d'Alene, ID, hearing on the
reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act of 1991 receiving testimony from Governor Philip
E. Batt, State of Idaho; Jane Garvey, Acting Administrator,
Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation;
Evan Frasure, State Senator, and Chairman of the Transportation
Committee, Idaho State Senate; Jim Kempton, State
Representative, and Chairman of the House Transportation and
Defense Committee, Idaho House of Representatives; Jack King,
President, Idaho Association of Counties, Shoshone County,
Wallace, ID; John Beaudry, Planning Director, Stillwater
County, Montana; Dwight Bower, Director, Idaho Department of
Transportation, Boise, ID; Marv Dye, Director, Montana
Department of Transportation, Helena, MT; Yvonne Ferrell,
Director, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, Boise, ID;
Michael Kyte, University of Idaho National Center for Advanced
Transportation Technologies, Moscow, ID; Tom Arnold, Director,
Idaho Department of Commerce, Boise, ID; Steve Albert,
Director, Western Transportation Institute, Montana State
University, Bozeman, MT; Basil Barna, Idaho National
Engineering and Environmental Laboratory; Jim Manion, AAA of
Oregon and Idaho, Boise, ID; Carl Schweitzer, Director of
Governmental Affairs, Montana Contractors Association; Dave
Doeringsfeld, Director, Port of Lewiston, Lewiston, ID; Ron
McMurray, U.S. Highway 95 Coalition, Lewiston, ID; and David
Cook, Vice President, Swift Trucking Company, Lewiston, ID.
On March 26, 1997, at U.S. District Court, Grand Street,
Kansas City, MO, hearing on the reauthorization of the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991
receiving testimony from Chrissy and Carolyn Winkler, Moberly,
MO; Mike Right, vice president for public affairs, American
Automobile Association, St. Louis, MO; Barry Seward, president,
Missouri Transportation Development Council, Jefferson City,
MO; Tom Boland, chairman, Missouri Highway and Transportation
Commission, Hannibal, MO; John Wagner, Jr., chairman, Greater
Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Surface Transportation
Committee; Richard C.D. Fleming, president, St. Louis Regional
Commerce and Growth Association; Don Clarkson, vice president,
Clarkson Construction Co., Kansas City, MO; Peter Herschend,
vice chairman, Silver Dollar City, Inc., Branson, MO; Gary
Evans, executive vice president, Farmland Industries, Kansas
City, MO; Malcomb McCance, St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, St.
Joseph, MO; Brian Mills, Cass County Commissioner, Harrison,
MO; and John Lieber, Assistant Secretary for Transportation
Policy, Department of Transportation.
On March 28, 1997, at the Board of County Commissioners'
Chambers, Clark County Government Center, Las Vegas, NV,
hearing on the reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 receiving testimony from
Governor Robert Miller, Carson City, NV; Senator BRYAN;
Representative ENSIGN; Representative RICE; Deborah Redman,
senior planner, Southern California Association of Governments,
Los Angeles, CA; P.D. Kiser, traffic engineering manager,
Parsons Transportation Group, Reno, NV; Steve Teshara,
executive director, Lake Tahoe Gaming Alliance, Stateline, NV;
Wendall W. Hirschfeld, vice president, Hirschfeld Steel
Company, Inc.; Glen Schaeffer, president, Circus Circus
Enterprises, Las Vegas, NV; Dick Landis, Heavy Vehicle Electric
License Plate, Inc.; Christine Johnson, director, Intelligent
Transportation Systems, Federal Highway Administration,
Department of Transportation; Dick Howard, Director for
Intergovernmental Relations, South Dakota Department of
Transportation, Pierre, SD; Peter Rahn, cabinet secretary, New
Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department, Santa Fe,
NM; Yvonne Atkinson Gates, county commissioner, Clark County
Commission, Las Vegas, NV; Bruce Woodbury, county commissioner,
Clark County Commission, Las Vegas, NV; Celia G. Kupersmith,
executive director, Reno Regional Transportation Commission,
Washoe County, Nevada; and Cathy Hanson, Office of the Mayor,
City of Las Vegas, NV.
On April 7, 1997, at Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House,
New York, NY, hearing on the reauthorization of the Intermodal
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 receiving
testimony from Governor George E. Pataki, Albany, NY; Governor
Christine Todd Whitman, Trenton, NJ; Rudolph W. Giuliani,
Mayor, New York City; Senator D'Amato; Mortimer L. Downey,
Deputy Secretary, Department of Transportation; Thomas M.
Downs, president, Amtrak; James Sullivan, acting commissioner,
Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington, CT; Robert
E. Boyle, executive director, Port Authority of New York and
New Jersey, New York, NY; E. Virgil Conway, chairman,
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York, NY; J. William
Van Dyke, chairman, New Jersey Transportation Planning
Authority, Inc., Newark, NJ; Janine G. Bauer, executive
director, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, New York, NY;
Robert Kiley, president, New York City Partnership and Chamber
of Commerce, Inc., New York, NY; Lew Rudin, Rudin Management
Corporation, New York, NY; Phil Beachem, executive director,
New Jersey Alliance for Action on ISTEA, Edison, NJ; Ed Cleary,
president, New York State AFL-CIO, New York, NY; and Raymond
Pocino, regional manager, Laborers International Union of North
America, Cranbury, NJ.
Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Control, and Risk Assessment Hearings
On March 4, 1997, hearing on liability and resource issues
associated with cleanup and redevelopment of abandoned or
underutilized industrial and commercial properties, or
``brownfields,'' focusing on the current state of the
Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative and proposals to
reform the Superfund program, receiving testimony from Timothy
Fields, Jr., Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid
Waste and Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency;
Peter F. Guerrero, Director, Environmental Protection Issues,
Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division,
General Accounting Office; James M. Seif, Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection, Harrisburg, PA; Mayor
J. Christian Bollwage, Elizabeth, NJ, on behalf of the U.S.
Conference of Mayors; Lorrie Louder, St. Paul Port Authority,
St. Paul, MN, on behalf of the National Association of Local
Government Environmental Professionals; William J. Riley,
Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Bethlehem, PA, on behalf of the
American Iron and Steel Institute; J. Peter Scherer, Taubman
Company, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on behalf of the National
Realty Committee; and William K. Wray, Citizens Financial
Group, Providence, RI.
On March 5, 1997, hearing on the Superfund Cleanup
Acceleration Act of 1997, S. 8, A bill to authorize funds for
and reform the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Liability,
and Compensation Act (Superfund), after receiving testimony
from Carol M. Browner, Administrator, Environmental Protection
Agency; Terry D. Garcia, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce
for Oceans and Atmosphere/National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration; New Mexico Assistant Attorney General Charles
De Saillan, Environmental Enforcement Division, Santa Fe, MN;
Richard Gimello, New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection, Trenton, NJ, on behalf of the National Governors'
Association; Linda H. Biagioni, Black and Decker Corporation,
Towson, Maryland; Karen Florini, Environmental Defense Fund;
Barbara Williams, Sunny Ray Restaurant, Gettysburg, PA, on
behalf of the National Federation of Independent Business;
Karen O'Regan, Phoenix Environmental Programs, Phoenix, AZ;
Larry L. Lockner, Shell Oil Company, Houston, TX, on behalf of
the American Petroleum Institute; Robert Spiegel, Edison
Wetlands Association, Edison, NJ; and Rich A. Heig, Kennecott
Corporation, Salt Lake City, UT.
Subcommittee on Drinking Water, Fisheries, and Wildlife Hearing
On October 8, 1998, hearing to examine scientific and
engineering issues relating to Columbia/Snake River system
salmon recovery, after receiving testimony from Col. Eric
Mogren, Deputy Commander, Northwestern Division, Army Corps of
Engineers; Danny Consenstein, Columbia Basin Coordinator,
National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; Daniel D.
Roby, Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, U.S.
Geological Survey-Biological Resources Division, and Department
of Fisheries and Wildlife/Oregon State University, Corvallis,
ID; Joseph Cloud, Department of Biological Sciences/University
of Idaho, Moscow; and Richard K. Fisher, Jr., Voith Hydro,
Inc., York, PA.
Subcommittee on Clean Air, Wetlands, Private Property, and Nuclear
Safetey Hearings
On February 5, 1997, hearing on oversight of the Clean Air
Act's requirement that the Environmental Protection Agency set
standards for ozone and particulate matter, receiving testimony
from George Wolff, General Motors Company, Detroit, MI, and
chairman, Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) for
the Environmental Protection Agency; Morton Lippman, Institute
of Environmental Medicine, New York, NY; Daniel Menzel,
Department of Community and Environmental Medicine, University
of California, Irvine, CA; George Thurston, Department of
Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine,
New York, NY; Roger O. McClellan, president, Chemical Industry
Institute of Toxicology, Research Triangle Park, NC, Anne E.
Smith, vice president, Decision Focus Inc., Mountain View, CA;
Joel Schwartz, associate professor, Harvard University,
Cambridge, MA; and Ron Wyzga, Electrical Power Research
Institute, Palo Alto, CA.
On April 24, 1997, hearing to examine the Environmental
Protection Agency implementation and health effects of proposed
revisions to the national ambient air quality standards for
ozone and particulate matter, receiving testimony from Mary D.
Nichols, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation,
Environmental Protection Agency; Kenneth W. Chilton, Center for
the Study of American Business/Washington University, St.
Louis, MO; Thomas B. Starr, ENVIRON International Corporation,
Raleigh, NC; Susan E. Dudley, Economists Incorporated; Alan J.
Krupnick, Resources for the Future; Paul C. Kerkhoven, American
Highway Users Alliance; Carl M. Shy, University of North
Carolina School of Public Health, Chapel Hill; Morton Lippmann,
New York University Medical Center, New York, NY; Benjamin Y.
Cooper, Printing Industries of America, Alexandria, VA; Pat
Leyden, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Diamond
Bar, CA; and Beverly Hartsock, Texas Natural Resource
Conservation Commission, Austin, TX.
On April 29, 1997, hearing to examine the Environmental
Protection Agency implementation and health and economic
effects of proposed revisions to the national ambient air
quality standards for ozone and particulate matter, receiving
testimony from Mayor Emma Jean Hull, Benton Harbor, MI; Mayor
Richard P. Homrighausen, Dover, OH; Maryland Delegate Leon G.
Billings, Annapolis; New Hampshire State Senator Richard L.
Russman, Exeter; John Selph, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, on behalf
of the National Association of Regional Councils; Robert C.
Junk, Jr., Pennsylvania Farmers Union, Harrisburg, on behalf of
the National Farmers Union; Bob L. Vice, California Farm Bureau
Federation, Sacramento, on behalf of the American Farm Bureau
Federation; Paul Hansen, Izaak Walton League of America,
Gaithersburg, MD; Kevin P. Fennelly, National Jewish Medical
and Research Center, Denver, CO; Christopher M. Grande,
International Trauma Anesthesia and Critical Care Society,
Baltimore, MD; Harry C. Alford, National Black Chamber of
Commerce; Jeffrey C. Smith, Institute of Clean Air Companies,
Inc.; Frank Herhold, Marine Industries Association of South
Florida, Ft. Lauderdale, on behalf of the National Marine
Manufacturers Association; and Glenn Heilman, Heilman Pavement
Specialties, Inc., Freeport, PA.
On June 26, 1997, hearing to conduct oversight relating to
Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act,
focusing on litigation concerning activities subject to Clean
Water Act permitting, mitigation banking, and the Environmental
Protection Agency's Alaska wetlands initiative, after receiving
testimony from Robert H. Wayland III, Director, Office of
Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds, Office of Water,
Environmental Protection Agency; Michael L. Davis, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works; Darrel
Seibert, Seibert Development Corporation, Hudson, OH, on behalf
of the National Association of Home Builders; James Noyes, Los
Angeles County Department of Public Works, Los Angeles, CA, on
behalf of the National Association of Flood and Stormwater
Management Agencies; Donald I. Siegel, Syracuse University,
Syracuse, NY; Donald F. McKenzie, Wildlife Management
Institute, Washington, DC; Derb S. Carter, Jr., Southern
Environmental Law Center, Chapel Hill, NC; and Thomas W.
Winter, Winter Brothers Material Company, St. Louis, MO, on
behalf of the National Aggregates Association.
On July 24, 1997, hearing to examine the Environmental
Protection Agency implementation and health and economic
effects of regulations issued relative to the national ambient
air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter,
receiving testimony from Mary D. Nichols, Assistant
Adminstrator for Air and Radiation, Environmental Protection
Agency.
On October 22, 1997, hearing to consider S. 1084, A bill to
establish a research and monitoring program for the national
ambient air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter,
receiving testimony from James A. Martin, Martin's Famous
Pastry Shoppe, Inc., Chambersburg, PA, on behalf of the
American Bakers Association; Adam Sharp, American Farm Bureau
Federation; Ande Abbott, International Brotherhood of
Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers &
Helpers, Fairfax, VA; Jason S. Grumet, Northeast States for
Coordinated Air Use Management, Boston, MA; George D. Thurston,
New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY; and Tom
Smith, Griffin, GA, on behalf of the National Coalition of
Petroleum Retailers.
On April 23, 1998, hearing to examine the Environmental
Protection Agency proposed rule to improve visibility and
reduce regional haze in national parks and wilderness areas,
receiving testimony from John S. Seitz, Director, Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards, Office of Air and Radiation,
Environmental Protection Agency; Christine L. Shaver, Chief of
the Air Resources Division, National Park Service, Department
of the Interior; Utah Governor Michael O. Leavitt, Salt Lake
City, on behalf of the Western Governors' Association; Randolph
Wood, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, Lincoln;
Kenneth A. Colburn, New Hampshire Department of Environmental
Services, Concord; and Lynn M. Terry, California Environmental
Protection Agency, Sacramento, CA.
On July 23, 1998, hearing hearing on the activities of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, receiving testimony from
James Lee Witt, Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency;
Mayor Hal Daub, Omaha, Nebraska, on behalf of the National
League of Cities; Joseph F. Myers, Florida Division of
Emergency Management, Tallahassee, on behalf of the National
Emergency Management Association; Albert Ashwood, Oklahoma
Department of Emergency Management, Oklahoma City; and Dan
Summers, New Hanover County Department of Emergency Management,
Wilmington, NC.
On July 30, 1998, hearing to review the structure and
functions of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, focusing on its
license renewal process, after receiving testimony from Shirley
Ann Jackson, Nils J. Diaz and Edward McGaffigan, Commissioners
of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Gary Jones, Associate
Director, Energy, Resources, and Science Issues, Resources,
Community, and Economic Development Division, General
Accounting Office; Joe F. Colvin, Nuclear Energy Institute;
David A. Lochbaum, Union of Concerned Scientists; James T.
Rhodes, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, Atlanta,
Georgia; and Steven M. Fetter, Fitch IBCA Inc., New York, NY.
On October 1, 1998, hearing to examine the state of current
scientific understanding regarding the effects of mercury
pollution on humans, and the Environmental Protection Agency's
progress toward developing a rule to address the problem of
regional haze within National Park areas, after receiving
testimony from Senator Leahy; John S. Seitz, Director, Office
of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Office of Air and
Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency; William H. Farland,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment,
Environmental Protection Agency; Barry L. Johnson, Assistant
Surgeon General/Assistant Administrator, Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry, Department of Health and Human
Services; Colorado State Senator Donald Ament, Denver, CO;
Dianne R. Nielson, Utah Department of Environmental Quality,
Salt Lake City, UT; John Paul Woodley Jr., Virginia Secretary
of Natural Resources, Richmond, VA; C. Mark Smith,
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Boston,
on behalf of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian
Premiers Mercury Task Force; Shawn B. Kendall, Phelps Dodge
Corporation, Phoenix, AZ; Tim Eder, Great Lakes Natural
Resource Center/National Wildlife Federation, Ann Arbor, MI;
Leonard Levin, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto,
CA; and Gary Myers, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
On October 6, 1998, hearing to consider S. 1097, A bill to
reduce acid deposition under the Clean Air Act, receiving
testimony from Senator D'Amato; Representative Solomon; Brian
J. McLean, Director, Acid Rain Division, Office of Air and
Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency; Edward Kropp, West
Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Charleston;
Bernard Melewski, Adirondack Council, Albany, NY; and William
F. Tyndall, Cinergy Corporation, Cincinnati, OH.
Subcommittee on Clean Air, Wetlands, Private Property, and Nuclear
Safety Field Hearing
On March 3, 1997, hearing at the Oklahoma City Community
College, Oklahoma City, OK, on oversight of the Clean Air Act's
requirement that the Environmental Protection Agency set
standards for ozone and particulate matter, receiving testimony
from the Governor Of Oklahoma, Frank Keating, Tulsa, OK; Lt.
Governor of Ohio, Nancy Hollister, Columbus, OH; Oklahoma State
Senator Paul Muegge, Oklahoma City, OK; Mayor M. Susan Savage,
Tulsa, OK; Mark Schwartz, member, Oklahoma City Council, on
behalf of the League of Cities; Mayor Patrick Henry Hayes,
Little Rock, AR; Ron Hammerschmidt, director, Kansas Department
of Health and Environment, Topeka, KS; Bary McBee, chairman,
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, Austin, TX;
Dale Givens, secretary, Department of Environmental Quality,
Baton Rouge, LA; and Richard Grusnick, deputy director, Alabama
Department of Environmental Management, Montgomery, AL.
----------
Publication List--105th Congress
HEARINGS
Hearing No. Title Date
105th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
105-33................................ Testimony of Rodney E. Slater (Full committee) January 31, 1997
105-50, Pt. 1......................... Clean Air Act Oversight: Ozone and Particulate February 5, 1997
Matter Standards (Subcommittee).
(Full committee).............................. February 12, 1997
(Subcommittee) Field Hearing--Oklahoma City, March 3, 1997
OK.
Pt. 2............................. (Subcommittee)................................ April 24, 1997
(Subcommittee)................................ April 29, 1997
(Subcommittee)................................ July 24, 1997
105-113, Pt. 1........................ Reauthorization of ISTEA (Subcommittee)....... February 13, 1997
(Subcommittee)................................ February 26, 1997
(Subcommittee)................................ March 6, 1997
(Subcommittee)................................ March 13, 1997
(Subcommittee)................................ March 19, 1997
Pt. 2............................. (Subcommittee) Field Hearing--Coeur D'Alene, March 22, 1997
ID.
(Subcommittee) Field Hearing--Kansas City, MO. March 26, 1997
(Subcommittee) Field Hearing--Las Vegas, NV... March 28, 1997
(Subcommittee) Field Hearing--New York, NY.... April 7, 1997
(Full committee) Field Hearing--Warwick, RI... April 21, 1997
(Subcommittee)................................ May 7, 1997
(Subcommittee)................................ June 6, 1997
105-42................................ Brownfield Liability and Resource Issues March 4, 1997
(Subcommittee).
105-60................................ Superfund Cleanup Acceleration Act, S. 8 March 5, 1997
(Subcommittee).
105-43................................ Nominations of Johnny Hayes, Judith Espinosa, March 14, 1997
Michael Rappaport and Major General Bernard
Robert Flowers (Full committee).
105-72................................ Transportation and Flow Control of Solid Waste March 18, 1997
(Full committee).
105-132............................... Nomination of Michael J. Armstrong (Full June 4, 1997
committee).
105-173............................... Enforcement of Environmental Laws (Full June 10, 1997
committee).
105-328............................... Wetlands: Review of Regulatory Changes June 26, 1997
(Subcommittee).
105-304............................... Global Climate Change (Full committee)........ July 10, 1997
(Full committee).............................. July 17, 1997
105-151............................... Nomination of Jamie Rappaport Clark (Full July 16, 1997
Committee).
105-286............................... National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement July 30, 1997
Act of 1997 (S. 1059) (Full committee).
105-315............................... Superfund Reform and Reauthorization, S. 8, September 4, 1997
(Full Committee).
105-369............................... Endangered Species Recovery Act (S. 1180) September 23, 1997
(Full Committee).
(Full committtee)............................. September 24, 1997
105-355............................... Ozone and Particulate Matter Research Act (S. October 22, 1997
1084), (Subcommittee).
105-410............................... Flood Control at Devils Lake, North Dakota October 23, 1997
(Full committee).
105-269............................... Nomination of Kenneth R. Wykle, (Full October 28, 1977
committee).
105-305............................... Environmental Audits (Full committee)......... October 30, 1977
105-367............................... ISTEA: Reauthorizing Transportation Programs November 4, 1997
for Six Months (Subcommittee).
105-409............................... Asian and African Elephant Conservation (S. November 4, 1997
1287 & S. 627) (Full committee).
105-408............................... Status of Department of Transportation November 5, 1997
Headquarters Building (Subcommittee).
105-407............................... Water Pollution Risks of Methyl Tertiary Butyl December 9, 1997
Ether: MTBE (Full committee) Field Hearing--
Sacramento, CA.
105TH CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
105-524............................... Nominations of Donald J. Barry and Sallyanne February 3, 1998
Harper (Full committee).
105-621............................... GSA Jurisdiction in Local Communities (Full February 17, 1998
committee) Field Hearing--Helena, MT.
105-678............................... Environmental Tobacco Smoke (Full committee).. April 1, 1998
105-677............................... Clean Air Act: Proposed Regional Haze April 23, 1998
Regulations (Subcommittee).
105-727............................... Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of June 7, 1998
1998 (Full committee) Field Hearing--Helena,
MT.
105-697............................... Water Resources Development Act (S. 2131) June 23, 1998
(Subcommittee).
105-840............................... Wildlife Conservation Legislation (Full July 7, 1998
committee) (S. 263, S. 361, S. 659, S. 1970,.
S 2094, S. 2244, H.R. 2807, H.R. 3113).
105-819............................... Estuary Restoration and Coastal Water July 9, 1998
Conservation Legislation (Full committee) (S.
1222, S. 1321, H.R. 2207).
105-914............................... Economic Development Partnership Act (S. 1647) July 14, 1998
(Subcommittee).
105-852............................... Nominations to Independent Agencies, Boards July 15, 1998
and Commissions: Nikki L. Tinsley (EPA).
Romulo Diaz and J. Charles Fox................ July 30, 1998
Terrence L. Bracy (Udall Foundation) and September 10, 1998
Norine E. Noonan (EPA).
Greta Joy Dicus and Jeffrey S. Merrifield October 1, 1998
(NRC).
Isadore Rosenthal and William Clifford Smith October 7, 1998
(Chemical Safety Board).
Robert Perciasepe (EPA)....................... October 8, 1998
105-915............................... Federal Emergency Management Agency Reforms July 23, 1998
(Subcommittee).
105-918............................... Nuclear Regulatory Commission Oversight July 30, 1998
(Subcommittee).
105-879............................... Use of Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MTBE) in September 16, 1998
Gasoline (S. 1576) (Full committee).
105-921............................... GSA Public Building and Courthouse Program September 17, 1998
(Full committee).
105-920............................... Coastal Barrier Resources System Map September 22, 1998
Correction (S. 2470) (Full committee.).
105-919............................... Patent and Trademark Office Building September 23, 1998
Consolidation (Subcommittee).
105-947............................... Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act (H.R. 2863) September 29, 1998
(Full committee).
105-946............................... Clean Air Act: Regional Haze and Mercury October 1, 1998
Pollution (Subcommittee).
105-945............................... Acid Deposition Control Act (S. 1097) October 6, 1998
(Subcommittee).
105-944............................... Salmon Recovery on the Columbia and Snake October 8, 1998
Rivers (Subcommittee).
105-943............................... Oversight of the Oil Spill Liability Trust December 10, 1998
Fund (Full committee) Field Hearing--
Narragansett, RI.
COMMITTEE PRINTS
Print No. Title Date
105-8................................. Committee Membership list..................... January 1997
105-9................................. Rules, Committee on Environment & Public Works January 28, 1997
105-31................................ Committee Membership list (revised)........... June 23, 1997
105-66................................ Resolutions Adopted by Committee on October 21, 1998
Environment & Public Works.
REPORTS
Report No. Title Date
105-13................................ Activities of the Committee on Environment & April 22, 1997
Public Works, 104th Congress.
105-30................................ John F. Kennedy Center Parking Improvements June 18, 1997
Act (S. 797).
105-60................................ Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution July 31, 1997
Act (S. 399).
105-95................................ Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency October 1, 1997
Act of 1997 (S. 1173).
105-128............................... Endangered Species Recovery Act of 1977(S. October 31, 1997
1180).
105-132............................... Pfiesteria Research Act of 1997 (S. 1219)..... November 4, 1997
105-142............................... Asian Elephant Conservation Act (S. 1287)..... November 7, 1997
105-149............................... Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act of 1997 November 8, 1997
(H.R. 1658).
105-192............................... Superfund Cleanup Acceleration Act of 1998 (S. May 19, 1998
8).
105-214............................... Coastal Barrier Resources System correction June 12, 1998
(S. 1104).
105-215............................... John F. Kennedy Center Act reauthorization (S. June 12, 1998
2038).
105-218............................... Wetlands and Wildlife Enhancement Act (S. June 19, 1998
1677).
105-222............................... African Elephant Conservation Act (S. 627).... June 25, 1998
105-223............................... Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fairness in June 25, 1998
Funding Act (S. 2090).
105-224............................... National Fish and Wildlife Foundation June 25, 1998
Establishment Act (S. 2095).
105-263............................... Marion National Fish Hatchery, Marion, Alabama July 24, 1998
(S. 1883).
105-266............................... Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp July 27, 1998
Promotion Act (S. 2319).
105-270............................... National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and July 28, 1998
Partnership Enhancement Act (S. 2244).
105-273............................... Estuary Habitat Restoration Partnership Act July 29, 1998
(S. 1222).
105-281............................... Bear Protection Act (S. 263).................. July 31, 1998
105-282............................... Rhino and Tiger Product Labeling Act (S. 361). July 31, 1998
105-283............................... Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act July 31, 1998
(S. 659).
105-284............................... Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act July 31, 1998
(S. 1970).
105-285............................... Fish and Wildlife Revenue Enhancment Act (S. July 31, 1998
2094).
105-286............................... Water Resources Development Act of 1998 (S. August 25, 1998
2131).
105-287............................... National Environmental Education Amendments August 25, 1998
Act of 1998 (S. 2359).
105-310............................... National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement September 8, 1998
Act of 1998 (S. 2317).
105-326............................... Disaster Mitigation Act of 1998 (S. 2361)..... September 11, 1998
105-332............................... Economic Development Administration Reform Act September 14, 1998
(S. 2364).
105-350............................... Coastal Barrier Map Correction (S. 2351)...... September 28, 1998
105-351............................... Coastal Barrier Map Correction (S. 2469)...... September 28, 1998
105-352............................... Coastal Barrier Map Correction (S. 2470)...... September 28, 1998
105-353............................... Coastal Barrier Map Correction (S. 2474)...... September 28, 1998
105-354............................... Tunnison Lab Hagerman Field Station Fish September 28, 1998
Hatchery (S. 2505).
105-355............................... Border Smog Reduction Act (H.R. 8)............ September 28, 1998
105-360............................... Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund October 1, 1998
Amendments Act (S. 555).
105-366............................... Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 1998 (H.R. October 5, 1998
2863).