Recent Developments

• Date: 01 July 2009

39 ELR 10688 EnviRonmEntaL Law REpoRtER 7-2009

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

In the Congress

ese entries cover activities reported in t he Congressional Record from May 1, 2009, through May 31, 2009. Entries are

arranged by bill number, with Senate bills listed rst. “In the Congress” covers all environment-related bills that are intro-

duced, reported out of committee, pa ssed by either house, or signed by t he President. “In the Congress” also covers all envi-

ronmental treaties ratied by t he Senate. is material is updated monthly. For archived materials, visit http://www.elr.info/

NewsAnalysis/archive.cfm.

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 689 (land exchange) was reported

by the Committee on Natural Resources.

H. Rep. No. 111-108, 155 Cong. Rec.

H5663 (daily ed. May 14, 2009). e bill

would interchange the administ rative

jurisdiction of certain federa l lands be-

tween the U.S. Forest Service and BLM.

BILLS INTRODUCED

S. 901 ( Merkle y, D-Or.) (su stain-

abilit y) would est ablish the Oregon

Task Force on Sustai nable Revenue

for Cou nties. 155 Cong. R ec. S4755

(daily ed. A pr. 27, 2009). e bil l was

referr ed to t he Committ ee on E nergy

and Natura l Resource s.

S. 918 (Schumer, D-N.Y.) (sheries)

would a mend the Magnus on-Stevens

Fishery Conser vation and Ma nage-

ment Act to add Ne w York to the New

Engla nd Fishery Management Counci l.

155 Cong. Rec. S 4807 (daily ed . Apr.

28, 2009). e bill was re ferred to the

Commit tee on C ommerce, Science ,

and Transportat ion.

S. 923 (Murkowski, R-Alaska) (renew-

able energy) would promote the develop-

ment and use of marine renewable en-

ergy technologies. 155 Cong. Rec. S4891

(daily ed. Apr. 29, 2009). e bill was

referred to the Committee on Energy

and Natural Resource s.

S. 952 (Snowe, R-Me.) (algal blooms)

would develop and promote a compre-

hensive plan for a national strategy to ad-

dress harmf ul algal blooms and hypox ia

through baseline rese arch, forecasting

and monitoring, and mitigation and con-

trol while helping communities detect,

control, and mitigate coastal and Great

Lakes harm ful algal blooms and hypoxia

events. 155 Cong. Rec. S5013 (daily ed.

May 1, 2009). e bill was referred to

the Committee on Commerce, Science,

and Transportation.

S. 959 (Rockefeller, D-W. Va.) (energy)

would provide for the extension of a cer-

tain hydroelectric project located in the

state of West Virginia. 155 Cong. Rec.

S5014 (daily ed. May 1, 2009). e bill

was referred to the Committee on En-

ergy and Natural Resources.

S. 967 (Bingaman, R-N.M.) (energy)

would amend the Energy Policy and

Conservation Act to create a petroleum

product reserve. 155 Cong. Rec. S5065

(daily ed. May 4, 2009). e bill was re-

ferred to the Committee on Energy and

Natural Resources.

S. 989 (Menendez, D-N.J.) (energy)

would amend the Public Ut ility Regu-

latory Policie s Act of 1978 to promote

energy i ndependence, i ncrease com-

petition, demo cratize energy genera-

tion, and prov ide for the c onnection of

certa in smal l electric energy generation

systems. 155 Cong. Rec. S5232 (daily

ed. May 6, 2009). e bill was refer red

to the Committee on Ene rgy and Natu-

ral Resources.

S. 995 (Ensign, R-Nev.) (energy) would

amend the Energ y and Policy Act of

2005 to reauthoriz e a provision relat-

ing to geotherma l lease revenue and to

direct the Secretary of the Interior to

establish a pi lot project to stream line

certain federal renewa ble energy permit-

ting process es. 155 Cong. Rec. S5281

(daily ed. May 7, 2009). e bill was re-

ferred to the Comm ittee on Energy a nd

Natural Re sources.

S. 1014 (Collins, R-Me.) (Water Re-

sources Development Act) would amend

the Water Resources Development Act

of 2007 to make technica l corrections to

a provision relating to project deautho-

rizations. 155 Cong. Rec. S5327 (daily

ed. May 11, 2009). e bill was referred

to the Committee on Environment and

Public Works.

S. 1017 (Landrieu, D-La.) (national heri-

tage area) would reauthorize the Ca ne

River National Heritage Area C ommis-

sion and expand the boundaries of the

Cane River National Heritage A rea in

the state of Louisiana. 155 Cong. Rec.

S5328 (daily ed. May 11, 2009). e bill

was referred to the Committee on En-

ergy and Natural Resources.

S. 1018 (Landrieu, D-La.) (national

parks) would authorize the Secretar y of

the Interior to enter into an agreement

with Northwestern State University in

Natchitoches, Louisiana, to constr uct a

curat orial center for t he use of Ca ne

River Creole Nation al Historic al Park,

the Nat ional Cente r for Preser va-

tion Techn ology and Tra ining, and

the Uni versity. 155 Cong. Re c. S5328

(daily ed. M ay 11, 2009). e bil l was

referr ed to t he Committ ee on E nergy

and Natura l Resource s.

S. 1030 (Lincoln, D-Ark.) (energy)

would amend the Internal Revenue Code

of 1986 to eliminate the reduction in the

credit rate for certain facilities produc-

ing electricity from renewable resources.

155 Cong. Rec. S5435 (daily ed. May 13,