[House Report 108-744]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



108th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     108-744
======================================================================

 
               MANHATTAN PROJECT SITES STUDY ACT OF 2004

                                _______
                                

October 6, 2004.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Pombo, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 3207]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 3207) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 
a study on the preservation and interpretation of the historic 
sites of the Manhattan Project for potential inclusion in the 
National Park System, having considered the same, report 
favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill 
as amended do pass.
  The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Manhattan Project Sites Study Act of 
2004''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

  In this Act:
          (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        the Interior.
          (2) Study.--The term ``study'' means the study authorized by 
        section 3(a).
          (3) Study area.--The term ``study area'' means the following 
        historically significant sites associated with the Manhattan 
        Project sites:
                  (A) Los Alamos National Laboratory and townsite in 
                the State of New Mexico.
                  (B) The Hanford Site in the State of Washington.
                  (C) Oak Ridge Laboratory in the State of Tennessee.

SEC. 3. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.

  (a) Study.--
          (1) In general.--The Secretary in consultation with the 
        Secretary of Energy, shall conduct a special resource study of 
        the study area to assess the national significance, 
        suitability, and feasibility of designating one or more sites 
        within the study area as a unit of the National Park System in 
        accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 
        1a-5(c)).
          (2) Administration.--In conducting the study, the Secretary 
        shall--
                  (A) consult with interested Federal, State, tribal, 
                and local officials, representatives of organizations, 
                and members of the public;
                  (B) evaluate, in coordination with the Secretary of 
                Energy, the compatibility of designating one or more 
                sites within the study area as a unit of the National 
                Park System with maintaining the security, 
                productivity, and management goals of the Department of 
                Energy and public health and safety; and
                  (C) consider research in existence on the date of 
                enactment of this Act by the Department of Energy on 
                the historical significance and feasibility of 
                preserving and interpreting the various sites and 
                structures in the study area.
  (b) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date on which funds are 
made available to carry out the study, the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a report that describes the findings of the study and any 
conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 3207 is to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct a study on the preservation and 
interpretation of the historic sites of the Manhattan Project 
for potential inclusion in the National Park System.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    The Manhattan Project was a top-secret program implemented 
during World War II that was designed to beat Nazi Germany to 
the construction of the first nuclear bomb. The results of the 
three year, multi-million dollar Manhattan Project transformed 
the world of science and technology and ultimately ushered in 
the modern information age. The project was carried out in four 
primary locations including Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where the 
first uranium enrichment facilities and pilot scale nuclear 
reactor were built; Hanford, Washington, the location of the 
first large-scale reactor for producing plutonium; Los Alamos, 
New Mexico, where the first atomic bombs were designed and 
built; and the Trinity Site, New Mexico, where the first 
nuclear device was detonated. Three of these sites have been 
designated as National Historic Landmarks and all are included 
on the National Register of Historic Places. A panel of experts 
convened by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 
reported in 2001 that the development and use of the atomic 
bomb during World War II has been called ``the single most 
significant event of the 20th century.'' The Advisory Council 
recommended that the sites of the Manhattan Project be formally 
established as a collective unit and be administered for 
preservation, commemoration and public interpretation in 
cooperation with the National Park Service.
    H.R. 3207 directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 
a feasibility study of historically significant sites 
associated with the Manhattan Project for inclusion as a unit 
of the National Park System. The purpose of the study is to 
evaluate the compatibility of designating one or more of these 
sites as a national historical park. Additionally, the study 
will evaluate the compatibility of such a designation with 
maintaining the security, productivity and management goals of 
the Department of Energy.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 3207 was introduced by Congressman Doc Hastings (R-WA) 
on September 30, 2003. The bill was referred to the Committee 
on Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands. On September 15, 
2004, the Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill. 
The Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands 
was discharged from further consideration of the bill by 
unanimous consent. Congressman George Radanovich (R-CA) offered 
in the nature of a substitute that made several clarifying 
changes, removed the statement of findings, reduced the number 
of sites for consideration included in the study area, and 
increased the time allowed for the Secretary of the Interior to 
produce its report to Congress. The amendment was adopted by 
unanimous consent. The bill as amended was then favorably 
reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent.

            COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Resources' oversight findings and recommendations 
are reflected in the body of this report.

                   CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

    Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United 
States grants Congress the authority to enact this bill.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

    1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and 
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be 
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) 
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when 
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted 
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
    2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) 
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this 
bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures.
    3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. This bill does 
not authorize funding and therefore, clause 3(c)(4) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives does not 
apply.
    4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 
3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives and section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act 
of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate 
for this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office:

H.R. 3207--Manhattan Project Sites Park Study Act of 2004

    H.R. 3207 would direct the Department of the Interior to 
conduct a special study of the Los Alamos National Laboratory 
in New Mexico and other sites that were associated with the 
Manhattan Project. The various sites, located in New Mexico, 
Tennessee, and Washington, would be evaluated to determine the 
feasibility and suitability of designating them as a unit of 
the National Park System. The bill would require the department 
to report on its findings and recommendations within two years 
of receiving funds.
    Assuming the availability of appropriated funds, CBO 
estimates that it would cost about $250,000 over the next three 
years to complete the required study and report. Enacting the 
bill would not affect direct spending or revenues.
    H.R. 3207 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
    On May 5, 2004, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 
1687, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Study Act, 
as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources on April 28, 2004. S. 1687 and H.R. 3207 are 
very similar, and the estimated cost of the two bills is 
identical.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. 
The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

    This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or 
tribal law.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing 
law.

                                  
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