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.
“CONVEYANCE OF DECOMMISSIONED SHIP TO UTROK ATOLL” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H12125-H12126 on Nov. 21, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
CONVEYANCE OF DECOMMISSIONED SHIP TO UTROK ATOLL
Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2584) to provide for the conveyance to the Utrok Atoll local government of a decommissioned National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2584
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
TITLE I--UTROK ATOLL RADIOLOGICAL MONITORING SUPPORT
SEC. 101. UTROK ATOLL RADIOLOGICAL MONITORING SUPPORT.
(a) In support of radiological monitoring, rehabilitation, and resettlement of Utrok Atoll, whose residents were affected by United States nuclear testing, the Secretary of Commerce may convey to the Utrok Atoll local government without consideration, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to a decommissioned National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship in operable condition.
(b) The Government of the United States shall not be responsible or liable for any maintenance or operation of a vessel conveyed under this section after the date of the delivery of the vessel to Utrok.
TITLE II--RATIFICATION OF CERTAIN NOAA APPOINTMENTS, PROMOTIONS, AND
ACTIONS
SEC. 201. RATIFICATION OF CERTAIN NOAA APPOINTMENTS,
PROMOTIONS, AND ACTIONS.
All action in the line of duty by, and all Federal agency actions in relation to (including with respect to pay, benefits, and retirement) a de facto officer of the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who was appointed or promoted to that office without Presidential action, and without the advice and consent of the Senate, during such time as the officer was not properly appointed in or promoted to that office, are hereby ratified and approved if otherwise in accord with the law, and the President alone may, without regard to any other law relating to appointments or promotions in such corps, appoint or promote such a de facto officer temporarily, without change in the grade currently occupied in a de facto capacity, as an officer in such corps for a period ending not later than 180 days from the date of enactment of this Act.
TITLE III--INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES REAUTHORIZATION
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``International Fisheries Reauthorization Act of 2003''.
SEC. 302. EXTENSION OF PERIOD FOR REIMBURSEMENT UNDER
FISHERMEN'S PROTECTIVE ACT OF 1967.
Section 7(e) of the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967 (22 U.S.C. 1977(e)) is amended by striking ``2003'' and inserting
``2008''.
SEC. 303. REAUTHORIZATION OF YUKON RIVER SALMON ACT OF 2000.
Section 208 of the Yukon River Salmon Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 5727) is amended by striking ``2000'' and all that follows through ``2003'' and inserting ``2004 through 2008''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands
(Mrs. Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).
General Leave
Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2584, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 2584 will transfer a decommissioned NOAA vessel to the Utrok Atoll local government in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The Utrok Atoll is one of 29 low coral atolls in the Marshall Islands that is inhabited by 600 people.
This small atoll has been exposed to the horrible effects of radioactive pollution during our nuclear bomb testing period. These citizens require ongoing tests, monitoring and medical care; and it is currently difficult for them to obtain access to that care.
The fundamental goal of this legislation is to provide these citizens with a reliable, safe means of transportation to the city of Majuro. This city is the capital of the Marshall Islands and is more than 300 miles from the Utrok Atoll.
The NOAA vessel likely affected by this measure is the McArthur. The ship is 175 feet long, has a cruising speed of 10 knots, a cruising range of over 6,000 nautical miles and a draft of 12 feet. It was commissioned as a NOAA research vessel in 1966 and decommissioned on May 20, 2003.
Under the terms of H.R. 2584, all rights, title, and interest in the ship are transferred to the Utrok Atoll government. The vessel must be in operable condition prior to the actual transfer; but in the future, all maintenance, responsibility, and liabilities are conveyed to the Utrok Atoll government.
{time} 1115
Title II of the bill is a corrective measure for the Department of Commerce which may approve appointments and confirmations made for the NOAA Corps in the Clinton and Bush administrations. This measure has been unanimously adopted by the other body.
Title III of the bill reauthorizes two important laws dealing with international fisheries, the Fisherman's Protective Act and the Yukon River Salmon Act. Identical language was incorporated in H.R. 2048 which unanimously passed the House of Representatives on October 20 of this year. This title is noncontroversial and simply extends these two acts for an additional 5 years at existing funding levels.
Madam Speaker, I compliment the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) for sponsoring this bill, and urge my colleagues to support this important humanitarian effort.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, as stated by the previous speaker, H.R. 2584 is noncontroversial legislation that would convey a decommissioned research vessel formerly operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to the local government of Utrok Atoll located in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Congress should do whatever we can to help the residents of Utrok Atoll. It is imperative that they receive the critical medical testing and treatment necessary to address the increased rates of thyroid cancer and birth defects that have arisen as a result of the U.S. nuclear testing program we conducted in the Northern Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958.
The conveyance of this former NOAA vessel will allow more convenient and less expensive transportation for these residents who have to make a 265-mile trip to the neighboring islands of Majuro where the medical facilities are located.
I commend the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) for introducing this legislation to help the residents of this very remote atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
This legislation also contains a very important amendment to address a problem regarding serious lapses in procedure affecting past appointments and promotions for NOAA's Uniformed Corps of Officers.
It is important that the chain of command of the NOAA Corps not be disrupted. And while any future repeat of these procedural lapses may not be tolerated, this matter must be addressed expeditiously to prevent any operational or command dysfunction from arising.
I urge all Members to support this legislation.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2584, a bill I introduced to assist our friends from Utrok Atoll as they continue efforts to resettle and rehabilitate their islands as a result of the effects of the United States nuclear testing in the Marshal Islands. I would like to express my gratitude to Chairman Richard Pombo and Ranking Member Nick Rahall of the Resources Committee for their continued support of Pacific Island issues. I would also like to thank my distinguished colleagues and co-sonsors--Congressmen Anibal Acevedo-
Vila (PR), Dan Burton (IN), John Doolittle (CA), Elton Gallegly (CA), Jeff Flake (AZ) and Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo (Guam).
The purpose of this proposed legislation is simply to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to convey a decommissioned, operable NOAA vessel to the Government of Utrok. The vessel would be used to provide support for radiological monitoring, rehabilitation and resettlement of Utrok, an atoll that is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
As you know, many of the Marshall Islands atolls were devastated by the effects of the U.S. Nuclear Testing activities during the 1940's and 50's. Utrok was one of four atolls acknowledged by the U.S. Government and suffering unsafe radiologicval exposure and its residents were forced to evacuate 72 hours after the miscalculated Bravo shot. Two months later, the people of Utrok were assured it was safe to return home. We know now that this was a grave mistake because Utrok residents have since suffered increased radiological illnesses and birth defects. Today, the people of Utrok are seeking to rehabilitate their home island so that it is a safe place to live.
Last year a comprehensive scientific report recommended a potassium fertilizer treatment to accompany the ongoing resettlement process on Utrok, a treatment which would suppress the remaining radioactive Cesium-137 in the soil and prevent its further uptake in the food supply. In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy concluded a MOU with Utrok that committed the DOE to build a Whole body Counting (WBC) facility in order to monitor radioactivity levels in the people of Utrok. This new facility is located about 265 miles away in Majuro and will be used to ensure that the potassium fertilizer regime is effective and the administration of the fertilizer treatment is done properly. However, Utrok residents are responsible for their own transportation to Majuro. Transportation by plane is expensive and available only once per week, and is unreliable, as the Utrok runway is in disrepair and the airline often declines to land. Travel by commercial ships, although less expensive, is infrequent and unfeasible.
One solution to help facilitate transportation between Utrok and Majuro is to transfer a decommissioned NOAA vessel to the Utrok Atoll Local Government. In addition to transport of Utrok residents to the WBC facility, the vessel will be used for moving several tons of potassium fertilizer, transporting equipment and materials for radiological remediation, and transporting USDA food supplies. Because of the Cesium-137 contamination is locally grown food, at least 50% of the diet of Utrok residents must be imported to limit the risk of radiological poisoning.
The Utrok Atoll Local Government also fully supports this measure and adopted are solution (022-03) on July 4th 2003 stating that the NOAA vessel transfer would be ``one of the crucial needs that will fully support our future goals to develop, rehabilitate and resettle the atoll after the aftermath of the `Bravo' fallout''. The Utrok Government also expects the ship to be available for use by other atolls for their respective communities, who will help pay for the ongoing maintenance of the vessel.
Mr. Speaker, I am hopeful that this bill will remind the Congress of our ongoing responsibility to the people of RMI for the mistakes the United States made regarding its nuclear testing activities in the Asia Pacific region. Once again, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation and I thank my colleagues for their support.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2584, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to provide for the conveyance to the Utrok Atoll local government of a decommissioned National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship, and for other purposes.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________
