Volume 163, No. 85 covering the 1st Session of the 115th Congress (2017 - 2018) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Senate section on pages S3007-S3008 on May 17, 2017.
More than half of the Agency's employees are engineers, scientists and protection specialists. The Climate Reality Project, a global climate activist organization, accused Agency leadership in the last five years of undermining its main mission.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS
The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:
POM-17. A resolution adopted by the House of Representatives of the State of Michigan memorializing the United States Congress to repeal the standards set forth by the United States Environmental Protection Agency on portable fuel container design; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
House Resolution No. 38
Whereas, The United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) adopted rules to limit emissions from portable fuel containers, such as gas cans, in 2007. The standard was meant to force design changes in fuel containers to reduce evaporation, permeation, and spillage and was part of a larger package on reducing toxic air emissions from mobile sources like passenger vehicles. Since 2009, all containers manufactured now need to be designed to meet these standards; and
Whereas, Portable fuel containers are responsible for a relatively small portion of toxic air emissions from mobile sources. In 1999, these containers accounted for only 2 percent of these emissions. The EPA projects that the new portable fuel container standard will account for 6 percent of the reduction in toxic air emissions under the 2007 rule. Passenger vehicles and gasoline regulations will account for 94 percent of projected reductions; and
Whereas, Gas cans and other portable fuel containers designed to meet the new standard do not work effectively and are a continual source of frustration for consumers. To meet the standard, containers are being designed without a vent, resulting in slow, uneven flow out of the cans; and
Whereas, The portable fuel container emissions standard is not an effective way to limit toxic air emissions. Containers that work improperly may result in more spills as users are paying more attention to getting gas out of the container than how much gas is in the tank. Frustrated users may resort to modifying the container to create a vent, eliminating any environmental benefit from the design, or using other containers illegally; and
Whereas, The portable fuel container standards are yet another example of the EPA adopting regulations without properly accounting for real life use and impact. These regulations provide minimal environmental gain and make something as simple as filling a lawn mower tank an exercise in frustration; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to repeal the standards set forth by the United States Environmental Protection Agency on portable fuel container design; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation. Adopted by the House of Representatives, May 4, 2017.
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POM-18. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of North Dakota requesting the United States Congress and the President of the United States to enact legislation to expand and extend the current federal tax credit for carbon capture, utilization, and storage under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code; to provide appropriations to the United States Department of Energy Sufficient to achieve and sustain a robust carbon capture research, development, demonstration, and deployment program; to support the inclusion of economically and environmentally beneficial carbon capture projects in any forthcoming federal infrastructure initiative; to support policies to increase the operational efficiency; and to support the preservation of a fuel-diverse electric generation portfolio critical to our domestic economic, energy, and national security; to the Committee on Finance.
House Concurrent Resolution No. 3037
Whereas, fossil fuels including coal, natural gas, and oil provide more than three-quarters of global and United States' primary energy demand and, according to the International Energy Agency, will continue to do so for the next quarter-century or more under current energy and environmental policies; and
Whereas, recognition of the value and enduring role of fossil fuels as an essential source of energy around the world and in the United States for decades to come has led environmental advocates to support the accelerated development and broad deployment of carbon capture technologies for fossil fuels as part of a sustainable energy future; and
Whereas, recognition of the role carbon capture can play in creating new opportunities for fossil fuels has led fossil energy advocates to similarly support the development and deployment of carbon capture technologies for fossil fuels; and
Whereas, the United States and North Dakota have abundant supplies of fossil energy, the production and use of which provide important economic, energy, and national security benefits to our nation and our state; and
Whereas, North Dakota is the nation's 6th largest producer of fossil energy, 2nd largest producer of oil, 2nd largest producer of lignite coal, 11th largest producer of natural gas, the largest consumer of coal for industrial use, and the 10th largest consumer of coal for electricity generation; and
Whereas, according to the Department of Energy, ``A diverse portfolio of energy resources is critical to U.S. energy and national policy . . . being more robust and resilient in comparison to a system that is heavily dependent on a limited set of energy resources . . . [and] helps insulate the economy from certain risks, including price volatility and risks from supply disruptions''; and
Whereas, reliable and affordable electricity is vital to economic growth and job creation in North Dakota and the overall welfare of our citizens; and
Whereas, 73 percent of the electricity generated in North Dakota is produced from fossil fuels and the average residential price of electricity in North Dakota is the 6th lowest in the nation and is 18 percent below the national average; and
Whereas, continued research and development of carbon reduction strategies for fossil fuels is an essential element of a forward-looking sustainable energy strategy for North Dakota, our nation, and the world which will simultaneously maximize both environmental quality and economic opportunity; and
Whereas, the Energy and Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota, the Great Plains Synfuels Plant in Beulah, and the Lignite Energy Council are engaged in efforts to address environmental, health, and economic impacts of energy production and use through collaborations on applied carbon dioxide research, practical applications, workforce development, and public education; and
Whereas, legislation was introduced in the 114th Congress to enhance and extend federal tax incentives, under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code, which serve to sustain and promote such collaborations and to encourage private industry in energy generation, manufacturing, and agriculture to adopt and deploy existing and emerging technologies that increase carbon capture, utilization, and storage; and
Whereas, the coming together of environmental and energy advocates in support of carbon capture is reflected in the groundbreaking coalition of environmental advocacy groups, labor unions, and energy producers from the coal, oil and gas, ethanol, and algae-biomass industries working together in support of federal legislation; and
Whereas, similar legislation is now under consideration in the 115th Congress, and Congress and the President also are considering enactment of a large-scale federal infrastructure initiative to strengthen our nation's transportation, public works, and energy infrastructure that also could serve as a vehicle for advancing ``jobs-ready'' carbon capture projects; and
Whereas, according to the Department of Energy, ``A combination of tax incentives and research, development, demonstration, and deployment will be critical to developing transformational carbon capture technologies and to driving down the costs of capture''; Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives of North Dakota, the Senate concurring therein: That the Sixty-fifth Legislative Assembly requests Congress and the President of the United States to enact legislation to expand and extend the current federal tax credit for carbon capture, utilization, and storage under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code; to provide appropriations to the United States Department of Energy sufficient to achieve and sustain a robust carbon capture research, development, demonstration, and deployment program; to support the inclusion of economically and environmentally beneficial carbon capture projects in any forthcoming federal infrastructure initiative; to support policies to increase the operational efficiency, and thereby the environmental performance, of existing electric-generating units in the United States; and to support the preservation of a fuel-diverse electric generation portfolio critical to our domestic economic, energy, and national security; and be it further
Resolved, that the Secretary of State forward copies of this resolution by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the President of the United States, the President and Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the Secretary of the United States Department of Energy, and to each member of the North Dakota Congressional Delegation.
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POM-19. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of Florida condemning the Boycott; Divestment and Sanctions movement and the increasing incidence of acts of anti-Semitism; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Senate Resolution No. 1184
Whereas, Floridians have, as a matter of public policy, long opposed bigotry, oppression, discrimination, and injustice, and
Whereas, Florida and Israel have enjoyed a long history of friendship and are great allies, each supporting the best interests of the other, and
Whereas, the State of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, is the greatest friend and ally of the United States in the region, and
Whereas, the elected representatives of the state recognize the importance of expressing Florida's unwavering support for the Jewish people and the State of Israel's right to exist and right to self-defense, and
Whereas, the incidence of acts of anti-Semitism is increasing throughout the world, including in the United States and in Florida, and is reflected in official hate crime statistics, and
Whereas, the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is one of the main vehicles for spreading anti-Semitic perspectives and advocating the elimination of the Jewish State, and
Whereas, the level of activities promoting BDS against Israel has increased in this state, in communities and on college campuses, and contributes to the promotion of anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist propaganda, and
Whereas, the increase in BDS campaign activities on college campuses nationwide has resulted in an increase in confrontations with, intimidation of, and discrimination against Jewish students, and
Whereas, leaders of the BDS movement express that their goal is to eliminate Israel as the national home of the Jewish people, and
Whereas, the BDS campaign's call for academic and cultural boycotts has been condemned by many of our nation's largest academic associations, more than 250 university presidents, and many other leading scholars as a violation of the bedrock principle of academic freedom, Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: That the Florida Senate condemns the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against the State of Israel and calls upon the governmental institutions of this state to denounce hatred and discrimination whenever they appear and be it further
Resolved that the Florida Senate urges the President of the United States to order withdrawal of the United States Customs and Border Protection statement dated January 23, 2016, entitled ``West Bank Country of Origin Marking Requirements,'' so that goods made in the West Bank can continue to be properly labeled ``Made in Israel.'' and be it further
Resolved that copies of this resolution be presented to the President of the United States, the President and Secretary of the United States Senate, and the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and to the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C., for transmission to the proper authorities of the State of Israel as a tangible token of the sentiments expressed herein.
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POM-20. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of Florida opposing United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 and requesting its repeal or fundamental alteration; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Senate Resolution No. 574
Whereas, the United States has long supported a negotiated settlement leading to a sustainable two-state solution with the democratic, Jewish state of Israel and a demilitarized, democratic Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security, and
Whereas, since 1993, the United States has facilitated direct, bilateral negotiations between both parties toward achieving a two-state solution and ending all outstanding claims, and
Whereas, it is the long-standing policy of the United States that a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will only come through direct, bilateral negotiations between the two parties, and
Whereas, it was the long-standing position of the United States to oppose and, if necessary, veto United Nations Security Council resolutions dictating additional binding parameters on the peace process, and
Whereas, it was also the long-standing position of the United States to oppose and, if necessary, veto one-sided or anti-Israel United Nations Security Council resolutions, and
Whereas, the United States has stood in the minority internationally over successive administrations in defending Israel in international forums, including vetoing one-sided resolutions in 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2011 before the United Nations Security Council, and
Whereas, the United States recently signed a new memorandum of understanding with the Israeli government regarding security assistance, consistent with long-standing support for Israel among successive administrations and Congresses and representing an important United States commitment toward Israel's qualitative military edge, and
Whereas, on November 29, 2016, the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed House Concurrent Resolution 165, expressing and reaffirming long-standing United States policy in support of a direct, bilaterally negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and in opposition to United Nations Security Council resolutions that impose a solution to the conflict, and
Whereas, on December 23, 2016, the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations disregarded House Concurrent Resolution 165 and departed from long-standing United States policy by abstaining and permitting United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 to be adopted under Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter, and
Whereas, the United States' abstention on United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 contradicts the Oslo Accords and its associated process that is predicated on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict between the parties through direct, bilateral negotiations, and
Whereas, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 claims that ``the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace,'' and
Whereas, by referring to the ``4 June 1967 lines'' as the basis for negotiations, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 effectively states that the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, are ``occupied territory,'' thereby equating these sites with outposts in the West Bank which the Israeli government has deemed illegal, and
Whereas, passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 effectively legitimizes efforts by the Palestinian Authority to impose its own solution through international organizations and unjustified boycotts or divestment campaigns against Israel by calling ``upon all States, bearing in mind paragraph 1 of this resolution, to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967,'' and will require the United States and Israel to take effective action to counteract the resolution's potential harmful impacts, and
Whereas, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 did not directly call upon Palestinian leadership to fulfill their obligations toward negotiations or mention that part of the eventual Palestinian state is currently controlled by Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, and
Whereas, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 sought to impose or unduly influence solutions to final-status issues and is biased against Israel, Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: That the Florida Senate finds that:
(1) The passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 undermined the long-standing position of the United States to oppose and veto United Nations Security Council resolutions that seek to impose solutions to final-status issues or are one-sided and anti-Israel, reversing decades of bipartisan agreement.
(2) The passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 undermines the prospect of Israelis and Palestinians resuming productive, direct, bilateral negotiations.
(3) The passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 contributes to the politically motivated acts of boycotting, divesting from, and sanctioning Israel and represents a concerted effort to extract concessions from Israel outside of direct, bilateral negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, which must be actively rejected.
(4) Any future measures taken by any organization, including the United Nations Security Council, to impose an agreement or parameters for an agreement will set back the peace process, harm the security of Israel, contradict the enduring bipartisan consensus on strengthening the United States-Israel relationship, and weaken support for such organizations.
(5) A durable and sustainable peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians is only possible with direct, bilateral negotiations between the parties resulting in a Jewish, democratic state living next to a demilitarized Palestinian state in peace and security.
(6) The United States government should work to facilitate serious, direct, unconditional negotiations between the parties toward a sustainable peace agreement.
(7) The United States government should oppose and veto future one-sided, anti-Israel United Nations Security Council resolutions that seek to impose solutions to final-status issues. And be it further
Resolved that the Florida Senate opposes and requests the repeal of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 or the fundamental alteration of the resolution so that it:
(1) Is no longer one-sided and anti-Israel.
(2) Authorizes all final-status issues toward a two-state solution to be resolved through direct, bilateral
`negotiations between the parties involved. And be it further
Resolved that copies of this resolution be presented to the President of the United States, the President and Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., for transmission to the proper authorities of the State of Israel as a tangible token of the sentiments expressed herein.
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