[Senate Report 108-270]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 525
108th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 108-270
======================================================================
MANHATTAN PROJECT NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK STUDY ACT
_______
May 20, 2004.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Domenici, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 1687]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 1687) 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, reports favorably thereon with an
amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu
thereof the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Manhattan Project National Historical
Park Study Act''.
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.--
(A) In general.--The term ``study area'' means the
historically significant sites associated with the
Manhattan Project.
(B) Inclusions.--The term ``study area'' includes--
(i) Los Alamos National Laboratory and
townsite in the State of New Mexico;
(ii) the Hanford Site in the State of
Washington; and
(iii) Oak Ridge Reservation 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 1 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 1 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 the
conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to
carry out this Act.
PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE
As ordered reported, the purpose of S. 1687 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
The Manhattan Project was a top-secret program implemented
during World War II which 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.
As ordered reported, S. 1687 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.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
S. 1687 was introduced by Senators Bingaman, Cantwell, and
Murray on September 30, 2003. Senators Domenici and Alexander
are cosponsors. A companion bill, H.R. 3207, was introduced by
Representative Hastings on September 30, 2003.
The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on S.
1687 on March 9, 2004. At the business meeting on April 28,
2004, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee ordered
S. 1687 favorably reported with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in
open business session on April 28, 2004, by a unanimous voice
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S.
1687, if amended as described herein.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
During its consideration of S. 1687, the Committee adopted
an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The substitute
amendment makes several clarifying changes, removes the
statement of findings, eliminates the Trinity Site in New
Mexico from the list of sites specifically included in the
study area, and increases the time allowed the Secretary of the
Interior to produce the report to Congress from one year to
two. The amendment is described in detail in the section-by-
section analysis, below.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1 entitles the bill the ``Manhattan Project
National Historical Park Study Act''.
Section 2 defines terms used in the Act.
Section 3(a)(1) directs the Secretary of the Interior
(Secretary), in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, to
conduct a special resource study to assess the national
significance, suitability and feasibility of designating the
various historic sites and structures of the study area as a
unit of the National Park System.
Paragraph (2)(A) directs the Secretary to consult with
interested Federal, State, tribal, and local officials,
organizations and members of the public.
Subparagraph (B) directs the Secretary to evaluate the
compatibility of designating one or more parts of the study
area as a unit of the National Park System, with maintaining
security, productivity and management goals of the Department
of Energy and the Department of Defense, as well as public
health and safety.
Subparagraph (C) directs the Secretary to consider the
Department of Energy's existing research on the historical
significance of the various sites within the study area, as
well as the feasibility of preserving and interpreting them.
Subsection (b) requires the Secretary to submit a report to
Congress documenting the findings, conclusions and
recommendations of the study, not later than two years after
funds have been made available.
Section 4 authorizes the appropriation of such sums as are
necessary to carry out this Act.
COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The Congressional Budget Office estimate of the costs of
this measure has been requested but was not received at the
time the report was filed. When the report is available, the
Chairman will request it to be printed in the Congressional
Record for the advice of the Senate.
REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out S. 1687.
The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of
imposing Government-established standards or significant
economic responsibilities on private individuals and
businesses. No personal information would be collected in
administering the program. Therefore, there would be no impact
on personal privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the
enactment of S. 1687.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources requested
legislative reports setting forth Executive agency
recommendations on S. 1687 from the Department of the Interior
and the Office of Management and Budget on March 1, 2004, and
from the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy on
March 2, 2004. These reports had not been received when this
report was filed. The testimony provided by the Department of
the Interior at the Subcommittee hearing on S. 1687 follows:
Statement of P. Daniel Smith, Special Assistant to the Director,
National Park Service, Department of the Interior
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present the
Department's views on S. 1687, 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.
The Department does not oppose S. 1687, if amended as
described in this testimony. This study would provide an
opportunity to determine appropriate ways to preserve and
interpret resources associated with the Manhattan Project,
through which the United States developed the atomic bomb
during World War II. While we agree that it is wholly
appropriate to study ways to preserve the sites where the
nuclear age began, we are concerned about the feasibility for
management of these sites by the National Park Service (NPS),
as the sites involve extremely large facilities with tremendous
potential costs of maintenance and possible issues about safety
in some of the buildings. In light of the President's
commitment to devote more resources to addressing the backlog
of deferred maintenance in existing units of the National Park
System, we have made an effort to curtail taking on new
responsibilities. For this reason, we believe that the study
should focus on evaluating alternatives for preservation and
interpretation including what, if any, role might best be
played by the NPS or other partners. We would suggest that S.
1687 be amended to specify that the study concentrate on those
options, and we would be happy to work with the committee to
develop an amendment for that purpose.
The NPS is in various stages of progress on 34 studies
previously authorized by Congress, 23 of which are being funded
through the special resource study budget. We completed five
studies in FY 2003, and we expect to complete about nine in FY
2004. Our highest priority is to complete these pending
studies, though we expect to start newly authorized studies as
soon as funds are made available. Given the type of facilities
involved, the study authorized by S. 1687 is anticipated to
cost more than most studies, which average around $250,000. We
estimate that this study would cost between $500,000 and
$750,000 assuming that we could rely on available data,
including environmental evaluations, to make initial
determinations about the structural condition of the facilities
and the status of potential hazardous materials.
S. 1687 directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
special resource study on the Manhattan Project sites in
accordance with the law governing these studies, section 8(c)
of Public Law 91-383, except for the provision that calls for
the study to be completed in three years after funding is made
available. Section 4(b) of S. 1687 requires the study to be
completed in one year. We would recommend that this section be
amended to provide the usual three years for completing the
study.
The study area designated by S. 1687 includes: (1) Los
Alamos National Laboratory and the town of Los Alamos in New
Mexico; (2) the Trinity Site on the White Sands Missile Range,
also in New Mexico; (3) the Hanford Site in Washington; (4) Oak
Ridge Laboratory in Tennessee; and (5) other significant sites
relating to the Manhattan Project determined by the Secretary.
The four sites named in the bill are generally viewed as the
most important sites related to the Manhattan Project and are
the areas in which the National Park Service would focus the
study, but we think it is appropriate to include the
flexibility to study other areas as well.
Operating from December, 1942 until September, 1945, the
Manhattan Project was a $2.2 billion effort that employed
130,000 workers at its peak, but was kept largely out of public
view. Like so many of the national mobilization efforts of
American industry and agriculture that led to the Allied
victory in World War II, the Manhattan Project illustrates how
the federal government worked with the private sector to carry
out basic and applied scientific research at a scale unheard of
before the war. This nationwide project had significant results
B shortening the war and averting an invasion of Japanese home
islands. The introduction of nuclear weaponry to our nation's
arsenal changed forever world history and has been recognized
as one of the most important events of the twentieth century.
If directed by Congress and if funds are made available, a
NPS special resource study would build upon the efforts of the
Department of Energy (DOE) and its preservation partners,
including the Atomic Heritage Foundation and the President's
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, which have already
identified the most significant sites associated with the
Manhattan Project.
In 1999, recognizing the significance of the Manhattan
Project sites, DOE prepared a study that identified eight
``Signature Facilities'' as being the most important places for
understanding the development of nuclear weapons at the end of
World War II. Seven of the eight facilities are within the four
study areas specifically named in S. 1687. The eight facilities
are:
Metallurgical Laboratory, University of Chicago
(Chemistry Building and CP-1 site). In August 1942, ``Met Lab''
isolated the first weighable amount of plutonium. The Chemistry
Building is now a National Historic Landmark. On December 2,
1942, CP-1 (Fermi's ``pile'' at Stagg Field) produced the first
self-sustaining nuclear reaction.
X-10 Graphite Reactor, Oak Ridge. Built in 1943,
this facility was designed as the pilot for the Hanford
production reactors. It produced the first significant amounts
of plutonium. It is a National Historic Landmark.
K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Process Building, Oak
Ridge. Completed in 1945, this U-shaped building measures half
a mile by 1,000 feet. Gaseous diffusion was one of three
isotope separations processes that provided uranium-235 for the
Hiroshima weapon (``Little Boy''). Gaseous diffusion was the
only uranium enrichment process used during the Cold War.
Y-12 Beta-3 Racetracks, Oak Ridge. This facility
produced uranium-235 for the Hiroshima weapon. It is the only
surviving production-level electromagnetic isotope separations
facility in the United States.
B Reactor, Hanford. Completed in 1944, this was
the world's first large-scale plutonium production reactor. It
produced plutonium for the Trinity device, the Nagasaki weapon
(``Fat Man''), and Cold War weapons. It is a National Historic
Mechanical Engineering Landmark.
Chemical Separations Building (T Plant), Hanford.
Completed in 1944-45, this plant separated plutonium out of
production reactor fuel rods. It is a massive canyon-like
structure that stands 800 feet long, 65 feet wide, and 80 feet
high.
V-Site Assembly Building, Los Alamos. This
building is among the last remaining Manhattan Project
buildings at Los Alamos. The trinity device and later weapons
were assembled here. Other buildings at this site were
destroyed by the Cerro Grande fire in 2000.
Trinity Site, Alamogordo. The July 16, 1945 test
at this site began the atomic age. The site is now part of
White Sands Missile Range, owned by the Department of Defense.
It is a National Historic Landmark.
In 2001, DOE partnered with the President's Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation to conduct a survey of these
eight facilities (all but two are under DOE ownership) and to
make recommendations regarding their preservation. The panel of
experts who participated in the study determined that each of
the sites qualify not only for National Historic Landmark
status, but also as World Heritage sites.
In 2001, through Public Law 107-66, Congress directed DOE
to prepare a preservation plan for the Manhattan Project. The
FY 2004 Energy and Water Appropriations Act provided $1 million
to DOE to support preservation of the Manhattan Project sites.
Last fall, DOE awarded the Atomic Heritage Foundation a grant
to produce a report on how to best preserve the history of the
Manhattan Project so that the public and future generations can
better understand what the Manhattan Project was, its legacy,
and lessons for today. The report will address: (1) the
Manhattan Project buildings, artifacts, and other aspects of
the history that should be preserved; (2) the estimated costs
of restoration, preservation and long-term stewardship of these
properties, and (3) what roles federal, state, and local
government agencies, nonprofits, the private sector and others
might play in preservation and stewardship. An interim report
was presented to Congress in September 2003.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my testimony. I would be happy
to answer any questions you or other members of the
subcommittee may have.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 1687 as ordered
reported.