Recent Developments

Date01 November 2009
39 ELR 11118 ENVIRONMENTAL LAW REPORTER 11-2009
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
In the Congress
“In the C ongress” entries cover activities reported in the Congressional Record from September 1, 2009, through September
30, 2009. Entries are arranged by bill number, with Senate bills listed rst. “In the Congress” covers a ll environment-related
bills that are introduced, reported out of committee, passed by either house, or signed by the President. “In the Congress” also
covers all environmental treaties ratied by the Senate. . is material is updated monthly. For archived materials, visit http://
www.elr.info/NewsAnalysis/archive.cfm.
PUBLIC LAWS
H.R. 838 (Miami Dade College La nd
Conveyance Act), which authorizes for
the conveyance of a parcel of land held
by the Bureau of Prisons of the Depart-
ment of Justice in Miami Dade County,
Florida, to facilitate the construction of
a new educational facility t hat includes
a secure parking area for the Bureau of
Prisons, was signed into law on August
12, 2009. Pub. L. No. 111-48, 155 Cong.
Rec. D968 (daily ed. Sept. 8, 2009).
H.R. 1275 (Utah Recreational Land E x-
change Act of 2009), which directs t he
exchange of certain land in Grand, San
Juan, and Uintah Counties, Utah, was
signed into law on August 19, 2009. Pub.
L. No. 111-53, 155 Cong. Rec. D968
(daily ed. Sept. 8, 2009).
H.R. 2938 (hydroelectric project), which
extends the deadline for commencement
of construction of a hydroelectric project,
was signed into law on August 19, 2009.
Pub. L. No. 111-60, 155 Cong. Rec.
D968 (daily ed. Sept. 8, 2009).
CHAMBER ACTION
S. Res. 247 (National Estuaries Day),
which would designate September 26,
2009, as “National Estuaries Day,” was
passed by the Senate. 155 Cong. Rec.
S9273 (daily ed. Sept. 10, 2009).
H.R. 445 (Heavy Duty Hybrid Vehicle
Research, Development, and Demonstra-
tion Act of 2009), which would establish
a research, development, demonstration,
and commercial application program to
promote research of appropriate technol-
ogies for heavy-duty plug-in hybrid vehi-
cles, was passed by the House. 155 Cong.
Rec. H9355 (daily ed. Sept. 9, 2009).
H.R. 511 (termination of certain ease-
ments), which would authorize the Sec-
retary of Agriculture to terminate certain
easements held by the Secretary on la nd
owned by the Village of Casey ville, Il-
linois, and to terminate associated con-
tractual a rrangements with the Village,
was passed by the House. 155 Cong.
Rec. H9514 (daily ed. Sept. 15, 2009).
H.R. 685 (United States Civil Rights
Trail System Act of 2009), which would
require a study of the feasibility of estab-
lishing the U.S. Civil Rights Trail Sys-
tem, was passed by the House. 155 Cong.
Rec. H10003 (daily ed. Sept. 29, 2009).
H.R. 860 (Coral Reef Conser vation
Act Reauthorization and Enha ncement
Amendments of 2009), which would
reauthorize the Coral Reef C onservation
Act of 2000, was passe d by the House.
155 Cong. Rec. H9744 (daily ed. Sept.
22, 2009).
H.R. 905 (under Bay National Ma-
rine Sanctuar y and Underwater Preserve
Boundary Modic ation Act), which
would expand the boundaries of the
under Bay National Marine Sanctua ry
and Underwater Preserve, was passed by
the House. 155 Cong. Rec. H10007-09,
H10040 (daily ed. Sept. 29, 2009).
H.R. 940 (l and conveyance), which
would provide for the conveyance of Na-
tional Forest Syste m land in the st ate of
Louisian a, was pass ed by the House. 155
Cong. Rec. H9516-17 (daily ed. S ept.
15, 2009).
H.R. 965 (Chesapeake Bay Gateways
and Watertrails Network Continuing
Authorization Act), which would provide
for the continuing authorization of the
Chesapeake Bay Gateways a nd Water-
trails Network, was pa ssed by the House.
155 Cong. Rec. H9402 (daily ed. Sept.
10, 2009).
H.R. 1002 (boundary adjustment),
which would adjust the boundaries of
Pisgah National Forest in McDowell
County, North Carolina, was pas sed by
the House. 155 Cong. Rec. H9519 (daily
ed. Sept. 15, 2009).
H.R. 1035 (Morris K. Udall Scholarship
and Excellence in National Environ-
mental Policy Amendments Act), which
would amend the Morris K. Udall Schol-
arship and Excellence in Nationa l Envi-
ronmental and Native American Public
Policy Act of 1992 to honor the legacy
of Stewart L. Udal l, was passed by the
Senate. 155 Cong. Rec., S9757 (daily ed.
Sept. 23, 2009).
H.R. 1043 (Deafy Glade Land Exchange
Act), which would provide for a land ex-
change involving certa in National Forest
System lands in the Mendocino National
Forest in the state of California, wa s
passed by the House. 155 Cong. Rec.
H9288 (daily ed. Sept. 8, 2009).
H.R. 1053 (Chesapeake Bay Account-
ability and Recovery Act of 20 09), which
would require OMB to prepare a cross-
cut budget for restoration activities in the
Chesapeake Bay watershed and to re-
quire EPA to develop and implement an
adaptive management plan, was passed
by the House. 155 Cong. Rec. H10122
(daily ed. Sept. 30, 2009).
Copyright © 2009 Environmental Law Institute®, Washington, DC. reprinted with permission from ELR®, http://www.eli.org, 1-800-433-5120.
11-2009 NEWS & ANALYSIS 39 ELR 11119
H.R. 1080 (Illegal, Unreported, and
Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act
of 2009), which would strengthen en-
forcement mechanisms to stop illegal,
unreported, and unregu lated shing, was
passed by the House. 155 Cong. Rec.
H9750 (daily ed. Sept. 22, 2009).
H.R. 1771 (Chesapeake Bay Science,
Education, and Ecosystem Enh ancement
Act of 2009), which would reauthorize
the Chesapeake Bay Oce of NOAA,
was passed by the House. 155 Cong.
Rec. H10122 (daily ed. Sept. 30, 2009).
H.R. 1858 (boundary adjustment),
which would provide for a boundary ad-
justment and land conveyances involving
Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado, to
correct the eects of an erroneous la nd
survey that resulted in approximately 7
acres of the Crystal L akes Subdivision,
Ninth Filing, encroaching on National
Forest System land, was passed by the
House. 155 Cong. Rec. H9292-93 (daily
ed. Sept. 8, 2009).
H.R. 2265 (Magna Water District Water
Reuse and Groundwater Recharge Act
of 2009), which would amend the Rec-
lamation Wastewater and Groundwater
Study and Facilities Act to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to participate
in the Magna Water District water reuse
and groundwater recharge project, was
passed by the House. 155 Cong. Rec.
H9756 (daily ed. Sept. 22, 2009).
H.R. 2522 (Calleguas Municipal Water
District Recycling Project), which would
raise the ceiling on the federal share of
the cost of the Callegu as Municipal Wa-
ter District Recycling Project, was pa ssed
by the House. 155 Cong. Rec. H9757
(daily ed. Sept. 22, 2009).
H.R. 2741 (Reclamation Wastewater and
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act),
which would amend the Reclamation
Wastewater and Groundwater Study and
Facilities Act to authorize the Secreta ry
of the Interior to participate in the city of
Hermiston, Oregon, water recycling and
reuse project, was passed by the House.
155 Cong. Rec. H9757 (daily ed. Sept.
22, 2009).
H.R. 2950 (Uintah Water Conservancy
District), which would direct the Secre-
tary of the Interior to allow for prepay-
ment of repayment contracts between
the United States and the Uintah Water
Conservancy District, was passed by
the House. 155 Cong. Rec. H10006-07
(daily ed. Sept. 29, 2009).
H.R. 3113 (Upper Elk River Wild and
Scenic Study Act), which would amend
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to des-
ignate a segment of the Elk River in
the state of West Virginia for study for
potential addition to the National Wild
and Scenic Rivers System, was pas sed by
the House. 155 Cong. Rec. H9755 (daily
ed. Sept. 22, 2009).
H.R. 3123 (Leadville Mine Drainage
Tunnel Remediation Act of 2009), which
would direct the Secretar y of the Inte-
rior, acting through the Bureau of Rec-
lamation, to remedy problems caused by
a collapsed draina ge tunnel in Leadville,
Colorado, was passed by the House.
155 Cong. Rec. H10007 (daily ed. Sept.
29, 2009).
H.R. 3165 (Wind Energy Resea rch and
Development Act of 2009), which would
provide for a program on wind energy re-
search, development, and demonstration,
was passed by the House. 155 Cong.
Rec. H9351 (daily ed. Sept. 8, 2009).
H.R. 3175 (land conveyance), which
would direct the Secretar y of Agriculture
to convey to Miami-Dade County cer-
tain federally owned la nd in Florida, was
passed by the House. 155 Cong. Rec.
H9514 (daily ed. Sept. 15, 2009).
H.R. 3183 (Energy and Water Develop-
ment and Related Agencies Appropria-
tions Act, 2010), which would make
appropriations for energy and water
development and related agencies for the
scal year ending September 30, 2010,
was agreed to go to conference by the
House. 155 Cong. Rec. H9969 (daily ed.
Sept. 25, 2009).
H.R. 3246 (Advanced Vehicle Technol-
ogy Act of 2009), which would provide
for a program of research, development,
demonstration and commercial applica-
tion in vehicle technologies at DOE, was
passed by the House. 155 Cong. Rec.
H9570 (daily ed. Sept. 16, 2009).
H. Res. 81 (hardwoods industry), which
would recognize the importa nce and
sustainability of t he U.S. hardwoods in-
dustry and to urge that U.S. hardwoods
and the products derived from U.S.
hardwoods be given full consideration
in any program directed at constructing
environmentally preferable commercial,
public, or private buildings, was passed
by the House. 155 Cong. Rec. H9517
(daily ed. Sept. 15, 2009).
H. Res. 670 (Hawk Mountain Sanctu-
ary), which would congratulate and
salute the Hawk Mountain Sanctua ry
for celebrating its 75th anniversary, com-
mend the Hawk Mountain Sanctuar y
for its contributions to the preservation
of wildlife and the native ecolog y of the
Appalachian Mountai ns and eastern
Pennsylvania, and commend its dedica-
tion to educating the public and the
international community about wildlife
conservation, was passed by the House.
155 Cong. Rec. H9761 (daily ed. Sept.
22, 2009).
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 511 (termination of certain ease-
ments) was reported by the Committee
on Agriculture. H. Rep. No. 111-253,
155 Cong. Rec. H9441 (daily ed. Sept.
10, 2009). is bill would authorize the
Secretary of Ag riculture to terminate cer-
tain easements held by the Secreta ry on
land owned by the Village of Case yville,
Illinois, and to terminate associated con-
tractual a rrangements with the Village.
H.R. 685 (trail system) was reported by
the Committee on Natural Resou rces.
H. Rep. No. 111-267, 155 Cong. Rec.
H10068 (daily ed. Sept. 29, 2009). e
bill would require a study of the feasibil-
ity of establishing the United States Civil
Rights Trail System.
H.R. 905 (boundar y expansion) was
reported by the Committee on Natural
Resources. H. Rep. No. 111-270, 155
Cong. Rec. H10068 (daily ed. Sept. 29,
2009). e bill would expand the bound-
aries of the under Bay National Ma-
rine Sanctuar y and Underwater Preserve.
H.R. 940 (land conveyance) was report-
ed by the Committee on Agriculture.
H. Rep. No. 111-250, 155 Cong. Rec.
H9441 (daily ed. Sept. 10, 2009). is
bill would provide for the conveyance of
Copyright © 2009 Environmental Law Institute®, Washington, DC. reprinted with permission from ELR®, http://www.eli.org, 1-800-433-5120.

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT