---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Groff, Allyson <Allyson.Groff@mail.house.gov>
Date: Mon, Jun 9, 2008 at 1:23 PM
Subject: House Natural Resources Committee -- The Weekly Preivew, June 9-13
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The Weekly Preview

June 9 – 13, 2008

On the House Floor:

On Monday, the House of Representatives is expected to consider under suspension of the rules the following 5 bills under the jurisdiction of the House Natural Resources Committee:

o H.R. 3022 (Costa): To designate the John Krebs Wilderness in the State of California, to add certain land to the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park Wilderness, and for other purposes.

o H.R. 2632 (T. Udall): To establish the Sabinoso Wilderness Area in San Miguel County, New Mexico, and for other purposes.

o H.R. 3682 (Bono Mack): To designate certain Federal lands in Riverside County, California, as wilderness, to designate certain river segments in Riverside County as a wild, scenic, or recreational river, to adjust the boundary of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, and for other purposes.

o H.Res. 1158 (Boozman): Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Ozark National Forest in Arkansas.

o H.R. 5680 (Grijalva): To amend certain laws relating to Native Americans, and for others purposes.

This Week's Hearings:

Can't make it to our hearings or markups in person? Stay connected with our live video and audio webcasts, available at http://resourcescommittee.house.gov.

On Tuesday, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold an oversight hearing on "How Should the Federal Government Address the Health and Environmental Risks of Coal Combustion Waste?" As coal continues to be a critical component of this nation's energy supply, the federal government has a responsibility to ensure the safe disposal of the roughly 125 million tons of waste generated by coal combustion every year. In light of recent reports by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Research Council on the problems associated with the disposal of coal combustion waste, the Subcommittee will examine the appropriate role of the federal government in assuring the safe disposal of this waste. The hearing will examine the risks posed by waste disposal in mines and landfills, and how the federal government can foster common sense solutions to safeguard our water supplies and communities.

The following witnesses are scheduled to testify: Prof. Mark Squillace, Director, Natural Resources Law Center, University of Colorado School of Law; Ms. Shari Wilson, Secretary of the Environment, State of Maryland; Mr. David Goss, Executive Director, American Coal Ash Association; Mr. Charles Norris, Consultant, GeoHydro, Inc.; Dr. Thomas Burke, Director, Risk Sciences and Public Policy Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Ms. Lisa Evans, Project Attorney, Earthjustice; and Mr. Norman Harvey, Community Activist, Maryland.

Visit the Committee's Web site to access witness testimony following the conclusion of the hearing. (June 10, 2008, at 10:00 a.m., Room 1334 Longworth House Office Building)

Also on Tuesday, the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing on the "Implementation of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 between the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia." This is the first implementation hearing held by the Committee since new Compact terms were agreed to and enacted in 2003. The following witnesses are scheduled to testify: The Honorable Fabian Nimea, Director, Office of Statistics, Budget & Economic Management, Official Development Assistance, & Compact Management, Federated States of Micronesia; Mr. Tom Bussanich, Director, Budget Grants Management Division, Office of Insular Affairs, Department of the Interior; Mr. Glyn T. Davies, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State; and Dr. David B. Gootnick, Director, International Affairs and Trade, U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Visit the Committee's Web site to access witness testimony following the conclusion of the hearing. (June 10, 2008, at 11:00 a.m., Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building)

Later on Tuesday, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans will hold an oversight hearing on the annual International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting that will be held in Santiago, Chile from June 23-27, 2008. The hearing will focus on positions expected to be taken by the U.S. delegation at the upcoming 60^th annual meeting of the IWC. One prominent issue that is likely to be debated at the IWC meeting is efforts by Norway, Iceland and Japan to lift the 1986 whaling moratorium and replace it with a regulated commercial industry. On May 14, 2008, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee Chairwoman Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU), and other Members introduced a resolution (H. Con. Res. 350) calling on U.S. leadership to use all appropriate measures to put an end to commercial whaling around the globe.

Visit the Committee's Web site to access witness testimony following the conclusion of the hearing or to view the press release with more information about H. Con. Res. 350. (June 10, 2008, at 2:00 p.m., Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building)

On Wednesday, the Committee on Natural Resources will meet in open markup session to consider the following 9 bills:

o H.R. 3981 (B. Miller): To authorize the Preserve America Program and Save America's Treasures Program, and for other purposes. "Preserve America and Save America's Treasures Act"

o H.R. 5451 (Bordallo): To reauthorize the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, and for other purposes. "Coastal Zone Reauthorization Act of 2008"

o H.R. 4199 (Turner): To amend the Dayton Aviation Heritage Preservation Act of 1992 to add sites to the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, and for other purposes.

o H.R. 2964 (E.B. Johnson): To amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to treat nonhuman primates as prohibited wildlife species under that Act, to make corrections in the provisions relating to captive wildlife offenses under that Act, and for other purposes. "Captive Primate Safety Act"

o H.R. 5741 (Bordallo): To amend the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to improve the conservation of sharks. "Shark Conservation Act of 2008"

o H.R. 1423 (Visclosky): To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease a portion of a visitor center to be constructed outside the boundary of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in Porter County, Indiana, and for other purposes. "Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center Lease Act"

o H.R. 3702 (Rehberg): To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain land in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Montana, to Jefferson County, Montana, for use as a cemetery. "Montana Cemetery Act of 2007"

o H.R. 5710 (T. Udall): To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance to the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Authority for the planning, design, and construction of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System, and for other purposes. "Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System Authorization Act"

o H.R. 5511 (Lamborn): To direct the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to remedy problems caused by a collapsed drainage tunnel in Leadville, Colorado, and for other purposes. "Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel Remediation Act of 2008"

Visit the Committee's Web site to view the markup report following the markup. (June 11, 2008, at 11:00 a.m., Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building)

On Thursday, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold an oversight hearing on "Spinning Straw Into Black Gold: Enhanced Oil Recovery Using Carbon Dioxide." Enhanced recovery methods involve the injection of a fluid into the reservoir in order to force more oil to the surface, and can also be used as a way to sequester carbon dioxide and keep it out of the atmosphere. While any number of liquids or gases can be used for enhanced oil recovery, this hearing will focus on the growing use of carbon dioxide for these purposes.

Visit the Committee's Web site to access witness testimony following the conclusion of the hearing. (June 12, 2008, at 10:00 a.m., Room 1334 Longworth House Office Building)

Also on Thursday, the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs will hold an oversight hearing on the "Implementation of the Compact of Free Association between the United States and the Republic of Palau (ROP)." The purpose of the hearing is gather testimony on the overall performance of both the ROP government and the U.S. in carrying out the terms of the existing Compact. The financial provisions in the existing Compact, unless renewed, will expire on September 30, 2009.

Visit the Committee's Web site to access witness testimony following the conclusion of the hearing. (June 12, 2008, at 10:00 a.m., Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building)

Later on Thursday, the Subcommittee on Water and Power will hold an oversight hearing on "Hydropower: Providing 75% of America's Current Renewable Energy. Exploring its role as a continued source of Clean, Renewable Energy for the Future."

Visit the Committee's Web site to access witness testimony following the conclusion of the hearing. (June 12, 2008, at 2:00 p.m., Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building)

In Case You Missed It:

On June 4, 2008, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans approved the following 4 bills:

H.R. 2964 (E.B. Johnson): To amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to treat nonhuman primates as prohibited wildlife species under that Act, to make corrections in the provisions relating to captive wildlife offenses under that Act, and for other purposes. (Captive Primate Safety Act)
H.R. 5350 (R. Scott): To authorize the Secretary of Commerce to sell or exchange certain National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration property located in Norfolk, Virginia, and for other purposes.

o H.R. 5451 (Bordallo): To reauthorize the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, and for other purposes. (Coastal Zone Reauthorization Act of 2008)

Visit the Committee's Web site to view the markup report.

Also on June 4, 2008, the Committee on National Resources released "The Truth About America's Energy: Big Oil Stockpiles Supplies and Pockets Profits" outlining why increased domestic drilling on public lands will not lead to lower gasoline prices. Visit the Committee's Web site to view the special report prepared by the Committee's Majority Staff.

Quotable Quotes:

"Even if increased domestic drilling activity could affect the price of gasoline, there is yet no justification to open additional federal lands because oil and gas companies have shown that they cannot keep pace with the rate of drilling permits that the federal government is handing out."

– As stated in a new report, "The Truth About America's Energy: Big Oil Stockpiles Supplies and Pockets Profits," released last week by the House Natural Resources Committee Majority Staff. Visit the Committee's Web site to view the special report.

Calendar:

Click on the text within the calendar to be linked directly to our Web site.

Monday

6/09

Tuesday

6/10

Wednesday

6/11

Thursday

6/12

Friday

6/13