John Chafee

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Well, we are waiting for the Senator from California.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, the second amendment which I have is by the senior Senator from New Mexico, Senator Domenici. I send it to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. CHAFEE. I say to the distinguished Senator from Florida, I would be very reluctant to set this aside. It has been my experience in this place, once you set it aside, if we had 10 problems now, we will have 30 problems by tomorrow as everybody's staff gins up more problems in response to the legislation before us. I don't know----

Mr. CHAFEE. Yes.

Mr. CHAFEE. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 1693 To Amendment No. 1676 (Purpose: To clarify the planning provisions of the bill)

Mr. CHAFEE. We want to be sure she is going to show. The Senator from Oklahoma has been very patient.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. CHAFEE. We are prepared to vote.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator from Nevada for his kind comments. He has been a very valuable member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I guess, ever since he came here to the Senate. We have worked closely together on a whole series of matters. He has particularly been involved with the Endangered Species Act, revisions of which I hope we can bring to a conclusion pretty soon. So I thank the Senator for all his very constructive work in our committee and on this legislation likewise. amendment no. 1687

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, the Senator from California has no objection. So let us proceed with the approval on a voice vote.

Mr. CHAFEE. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. CHAFEE. All right.

Mr. CHAFEE. In the interim, if Senators wish to talk on this subject or others, I will reserve the time at 3 o'clock to proceed with this unanimous consent request.

Mr. CHAFEE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. CHAFEE. We, obviously, hope the Senator will not have an amendment, but should he have one, we shall be delighted to receive it.

Mr. CHAFEE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. CHAFEE. Madam President, I rise in support of the amendment which has been offered by my colleague who is the chairman of the Clean Air Subcommittee of the Environment Committee. He has identified some important concerns about the implementation of the recently revised so- called National Ambient Air Quality Standards. This is a very complicated area. The Senator from Oklahoma has invested a good deal of time and energy studying this and educating our committee about it. His subcommittee, as he mentioned, held seven hearings on the subject here in Washington and another in Oklahoma. He and his staff led the sometimes difficult negotiations on this amendment to, as he noted, a successful conclusion. I want to applaud the Senator from Oklahoma for his efforts both on this amendment and on the larger issue of the NAAQs rule. He has invested a great deal of energy and time in studying this complicated matter and educating the Environment and Public Works Committee about it. His subcommittee held seven hearings on the issue here in Washington, and another in Oklahoma. He and his staff led the sometimes difficult negotiations on this amendment to a successful conclusion. His efforts and patience have served us all well because the amendment before us will improve the implementation of the NAAQs. This amendment seeks to ensure that commitments made last year about how the standards would be implemented are upheld. The Environmental Protection Agency said it would cover 100 percent of the costs associated with installing and operating the new monitors needed to measure fine particulate matter. Having made the promise, the federal government must ensure that it is kept. This amendment would do that. The amendment would also require three years of data collection before planning starts for additional pollution controls. The EPA has decided that it needs three years of data to ensure that chronic sources of particulate matter are accurately identified. Complete data will enable states to develop appropriate control strategies. Reducing PM 2.5 is important to the public health but we must be sure that new controls are used where they are needed. Without sufficient monitoring data, we will not be certain the right sources are targeted for controls, and we may not achieve the improved air quality or the health benefits that we are seeking. Along the same lines, we need to be sure we can chemically distinguish one type of particulate from another. That is the only way State air officials will know if they need to reduce pollution from wood stoves or power plants. This amendment requires a field study of the monitors to ensure that they are serving this purpose effectively. The EPA promised the States that they would have both the resources and the information necessary to implement the NAAQs rule. Through this amendment, the Senator from Oklahoma is attempting to enforce those commitments. All of the goals of this amendment are worthy and reasonable and I urge everyone to support it. Essentially what the amendment does is the following: There have to be monitors set up to measure particulate matter and ozone levels and other matter. The question is, Who is going to pay for these monitors? Is it going to be the Federal Government? The Administrator indicated it would be the Federal Government, but there seems to be some backing off from that. The amendment of the Senator from Oklahoma says that the Environmental Protection Agency would cover 100 percent of the costs of installation. You have to install these things and operate them. You have to go out and check these new monitors to measure the fine particulate matter. That is the first thing the Senator has accomplished in this amendment. That is a very welcome provision because the State budgets are having trouble keeping up with the requirements of the Clean Air Act. The other part of his amendment would codify the requirement under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. That calls for 3 years of data collection before there can be a designation of nonattainment for this particular part of so-called particulate matter. So, the EPA has decided that 3 years of data are necessary to ensure that chronic sources of particulate matter are accurately identified. As I understand the amendment of the Senator, it requires 3 years. Am I correct?

Mr. CHAFEE. I would like to extend the thanks of all of us to the Senator from Oklahoma, Senator Inhofe, because he was willing to compromise. He talked with the Administrator of EPA, Ms. Browner, several times. I did, too. He was willing to give. He did not demand it only be his way. It was a successful compromise. I congratulate the Senator.

Mr. CHAFEE. Yes.

Mr. CHAFEE. So, this is a difficult area. The assurance that the Senator from Oklahoma has put in, dealing with both the period and also who is going to pay for these monitors, is a good one. We are glad to accept it on this side.

Mr. CHAFEE. If the distinguished Senator from Florida is talking about a few moments, he is stirring my heart.

Mr. CHAFEE. You have a few moments. Come on back and see us in a few moments. Let's all agree that a few moments isn't very long.

Mr. CHAFEE. Yes, to the Senator from Oklahoma.

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, we spent a good deal of time this afternoon without any action on the floor, in quorum calls. We want very much to get on with this bill. People ought to bring over their amendments. If they have problems--as you know, we are just dealing solely with the so-called Chafee amendment, which is the major amendment dealing with the increased financing for a whole series of programs. I see no reason why we should not go to a vote. No one has brought over any amendments. Nobody is proposing anything here on the floor. We have worked out the ones who have. We have worked them out. Others say they are going to get together. They may be along. It is all very indefinite. I see no reason why at a quarter of 3 we should not have a vote. So, Mr. President, that is the tilt I have, because I want to get on with this bill. There are other lengthy amendments after this. This is not the last amendment by a long shot. There are other amendments that we have to consider. We have one involving disadvantaged business enterprises and a whole series of others. There are some 100-plus amendments out there. Clearly, hopefully, they are not all going to be brought up, but we ought to get on with this. If people have problems, come on over here. Several Senators addressed the Chair.

Mr. CHAFEE

Mr. CHAFEE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 191 submitted earlier today by Senator Lott.