Legislation
In order to show your support or disapproval of these bills you must contact your Congressmember. Tell them how you feel! Also note when you write that many of these issues were referred to a committee long ago and nothing has been done since then. Encourage them to resume action.
H.R. 1188 Zero Chlorine Discharge Act.
Legislative Status: April 3, 1997 Referred to the Subcommittee on Resources an Environment.
This is a beneficial bill that aims to eliminate the discharge of chlorine compounds by amending the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. It found that even low levels, chlorine discharges can cause reproductive failures, birth defects, immune suppression, cancer, as well as other problems. Humans can be effected by these discharges due to bioaccumulation, where the chemicals are passed up through the food chain. This bill takes a strong stance because it recognizes that even low levels of discharge are dangerous. This bill specifically targets pulp paper manufacturing facilities and would require them to reach a zero discharge level into navigable waters in five years. No later than one year after the enactment of the sanction, the administrator of a facility must present a report on alternate technology.
H.R. 2609 To make a regulatory correction concerning methyl bromide to meet the obligations of the Montreal Protocol without placing the farmers of the United States at a competitive disadvantage versus foreign growers.
Legislative Status: October 27, 1997 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.
This bill is very harmful to the environmental movement because it actually encourages the use of a harmful pesticide. The Environmental Protection Agency ordered the termination of use of methyl bromide by the year 200, but this bill seeks to repeal this order under the premise that it is not significantly harmful.
Learn more about the EPA's efforts.
H.R. 1395 Brownfields and Environmental Cleanup Act of 1997.
Legislative Status: May 1, 1997 Referred to the Subcommittee on water Resources and the Environment.
This bill recognizes that there are many facilities that are are suspected of having environmental contamination. These facilities are termed, "brownfields." These sights have little environmental contamination and may not be cleaned under normal circumstances. This bill seeks to encourage cleaning of these sights for economic reasons, namely the reuse of the sights, but the region will experience environmental benefits as a result.
H.R. 1393 To amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to establish certain requirements regarding the approval of facilities for the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls, and for other purposes.
Legislative Status: April 29, 1997 Referred to the Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials.
This amendment to the Toxic Substances Control Act intends to make sure that if a facility is constructed for the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls, it will be done in a manner such that it will protect the environment and public health. A public release of the owner/operators prior violations is required for approval to begin construction on the facility.
S. 866 Environmental Protection Partnership Act.
Legislative Status: June 10, 1997 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
I encourage you to read this bill yourself to form your own opinion but it seems apparent to me that this is a bill that will allow people and companies to evade environmental regulations and the consequences of their violations. Lines such as "granting limited protection from disclosure of voluntary environmental audits. . . " combined with " an environmental audit report that is prepared in good faith, or a finding, opinion, or other communication that is made in good faith by a person or government entity and that is related to, and essentially constitutes a part of, an environmental audit report, shall not be subject to discovery or any other investigative procedure; or admissible as evidence in any judicial action or administrative proceeding." I believe this bill seeks to allow a safeguard for violators of environmental law and should never be passed.
S.CON.RES. 28 Expressing the sense of Congress that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency should take immediate steps to abate emissions of mercury and release to Congress the study of mercury required under the Clean Air Act, and for other purposes.
Legislative Status: May 22, 1997 Referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
I urge you to write your senate member in order to remind them of this one. I also urge you to read it yourself because it is very straightforward and contains interesting information.
H.R. 778 Hardrock Mining Royalty Act of 1997.
Legislative Status: February 21, 1997 Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
H.R. 780 Abandoned Hardrock Mines Reclamation Act of 1997.
Legislative Status: February 21, 1997 Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Both these bills are beneficial because they will give funds procured to the Abandoned Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund. This fund's moneys are used for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources that were adversely affected by mineral material mining. Another bill that pertains to mining is the Mineral Exploration and Development Act of 1997 (H.R. 253), which is helpful because it wishes to raise the price of lands to be mined which will force mining companies to make sure the sight is plentiful before they start thus they will not invest in low yield sites meaning less all together.