79–010 

Calendar No. 125 

111TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 111–58 

BLACK CARBON RESEARCH BILL 

JULY 22, 2009.—Ordered to be printed 

Mrs. BOXER, from the Committee on Environment and Public 

Works, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 849] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 849) to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study on black carbon 

emissions, reports favorably thereon without amendment, and recommends that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSES OF THE LEGISLATION

S. 849 would require the Administrator of the Environmental 

Protection Agency to conduct a study of black carbon emissions. 

GENERAL STATEMENT AND BACKGROUND

Scientists have found that black carbon, a key component of soot, 

likely plays a much larger role in global warming than previously 

estimated. Soot is also part of the mix of particles that contribute 

significantly to air pollution related illness and mortality. 

Black carbon is produced from the incomplete combustion of biomass, biofuels, and fossil fuels, particularly diesel. Black carbon absorbs solar radiation, warming the atmosphere. Because black carbon’s atmospheric life span is short, only a matter of days or 

weeks, reducing black carbon emissions likely will have an immediate impact on reducing localized warming effects. Black carbon is 

of particular concern in the Arctic region because it settles on ice 

and snow, reducing its reflectivity and increasing the rate of melting. According to some estimates, black carbon may be responsible 

for up to 30 percent of the warming that is occurring in the Arctic. 


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While significant emissions of black carbon are emitted from the 

developed world, the majority of emissions are from the developing 

world. 

Reducing black carbon emissions in the United States would also 

have the benefit of reducing global premature mortalities and other 

public health impacts. Because of the significant potential benefits 

of reducing black carbon emissions, it is imperative that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency conduct a 

study of the sources and quantities of black carbon emission, climate and health related impacts, potential cost-effective control 

technologies, areas for international action, areas for additional research, and additional actions that the Federal Government should 

take to reduce black carbon emissions. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Findings 

Section 1 includes the following Congressional findings: 

(1) black carbon is a component of ambient particulate matter, the mixture of which has been found to harm public health 

by causing serious respiratory and cardiovascular effects in developed and developing countries; 

(2) black carbon plays a role in climate change by (A) absorbing solar radiation; and (B) reducing the reflectivity of snow 

and ice; 

(3) black carbon is emitted from incomplete combustion of 

fossil fuels, biomass, and biofuels; 

(4) recent studies have shown that, in the United States, old 

diesel engines are a major contributor of black carbon; 

(5) the United States has made great progress in reducing 

black carbon emissions through regulations on new vehicles 

and engines and a voluntary national diesel retrofit program; 

but there remain in the United States more than 11,000,000 

diesel engines lacking the latest diesel emission control technology; and 

(6) the collection of information relating to, and research regarding, black carbon would be useful to identify cost-effective 

methods of reducing black carbon emissions in ways and from 

sources that would have beneficial effects on the public health 

and the climate. 

Section 2. Definitions 

Section 2 defines the following terms: 

(1) The Administrator as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; and 

(2) black carbon as any light-absorbing graphitic (such as 

elemental) particle produced by incomplete combustion. 

Section 3. Study by administrator of black carbon emissions 

Subsection (a)—Study 

Subsection (a) requires the Administrator, in consultation with 

the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of State, and the heads of 

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the United States 

Agency for International Development, the National Institutes of 


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Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other 

relevant Federal departments and agencies and representatives of 

appropriate industry and environmental groups to study the impacts of black carbon and the cost-effective ways to reduce black 

carbon emissions that would have beneficial effects on global public 

health and global warming. The study is in four phases: (1) develops a universal definition of black carbon; (2) identifies global black 

carbon sources and mitigation reduction technologies; (3) identifies 

current and possible international funding opportunities to mitigate black carbon emissions; and 4) identifies opportunities for future research and development. The study is due to Congress over 

the course of a year. 

Subsection (b)—Report 

Subsection (b) requires the Administrator to submit three reports 

to Congress over the course of a year—— 

(1) The first report must be delivered to Congress by no later 

than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, describing 

the results of phases I and II of the study. 

(2) The second report must be delivered to Congress by no later 

than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, describing 

the results of phase III of the study. 

(3) The third report must be delivered to Congress by no later 

than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, describing the 

recommendations developed for phase IV of the study. 

Subsection (c)—Authorization of appropriations 

Subsection (c) authorizes the appropriation of such sums as are 

necessary to carry out this Act. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 849 was introduced by Senators Carper and Inhofe, Boxer, and 

Kerry. The bill was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. The Committee met on 

May 14, 2009, when S. 849 was ordered favorably without amendment reported by voice vote. 

HEARINGS

The Committee did not hold hearings on S. 849 during the 111th 

Congress. 

ROLLCALL VOTES

There were no rollcall votes. The Committee on Environment and 

Public Works met to consider S. 849 on May 14, 2009. A quorum 

of the Committee being present, S. 849 was reported favorably 

without amendment by a voice vote. 

REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that there are not expected to be significant costs to private entities under this legislation. 


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MANDATES ASSESSMENT

In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 

(Public Law 104–4), the Committee finds that S. 849 would impose 

no Federal intergovernmental unfunded mandates on State, local 

or tribal governments. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

In compliance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the Congressional Budget 

Act of 1974, the Committee provides the following estimate, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office: 

MAY 19, 2009. 

Hon. BARBARA BOXER, 

Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MADAM CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has 

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 849, a bill to require the 

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct 

a study on black carbon emissions. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Susanne S. Mehlman. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF. 

Enclosure. 

S. 849—A bill to require the Administrator of the Environmental 

Protection Agency to conduct a study on black carbon emissions 

S. 849 would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

to conduct a study that identifies the major sources of black carbon 

emissions in the United States, their contributions to global warming, and the most effective technologies for removing or reducing 

such emissions. EPA would be required to complete the study not 

later than one year from the bill’s enactment. Based on information 

from EPA, CBO estimates that implementing this legislation would 

cost about $2 million over the 2010–2011 period, assuming availability of appropriated funds. Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or revenues. 

S. 849 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates 

as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not 

affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Susanne S. Mehlman. 

This estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant 

Director for Budget Analysis. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

Section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate requires the committee to publish changes in existing law made by 

the bill as reported. Passage of this bill will make no changes to 

existing law. 

Æ 


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