106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H.R. 1753

AMENDMENT

TO

SENATE AMENDMENTS
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

April 3, 2000.

Resolved, That the House agree to the amendment of the

Senate to the title; and agree to the amendment of the Senate to the text to the bill (H.R. 1753) entitled ‘‘An Act to

promote the research, identification, assessment, exploration,

and development of gas hydrate resources, and for other purposes’’, with the following

AMENDMENT:

In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the

Senate amendment, insert the following:

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Methane Hydrate

3 Research and Development Act of 2000’’.

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

5 In this Act:

6 (1) CONTRACT.—The term ‘‘contract’’ means a

7 procurement contract within the meaning of section

8 6303 of title 31, United States Code.

9 (2) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.—The term ‘‘co10 operative agreement’’ means a cooperative agreement
2

•HR 1753 EAH

1 within the meaning of section 6305 of title 31, United

2 States Code.

3 (3) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means the

4 Director of the National Science Foundation.

5 (4) GRANT.—The term ‘‘grant’’ means a grant

6 awarded under a grant agreement, within the mean7 ing of section 6304 of title 31, United States Code.

8 (5) INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISE.—The term ‘‘in9 dustrial enterprise’’ means a private, nongovern10 mental enterprise that has an expertise or capability

11 that relates to methane hydrate research and develop12 ment.

13 (6) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The

14 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ means an in15 stitution of higher education, within the meaning of

16 section 102(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965

17 (20 U.S.C. 1002(a)).

18 (7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means

19 the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Assistant

20 Secretary for Fossil Energy.

21 (8) SECRETARY OF COMMERCE.—The term ‘‘Sec22 retary of Commerce’’ means the Secretary of Com23 merce, acting through the Administrator of the Na24 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
3

•HR 1753 EAH

1 (9) SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.—The term ‘‘Sec2 retary of Defense’’ means the Secretary of Defense,

3 acting through the Secretary of the Navy.

4 (10) SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.—The term

5 ‘‘Secretary of the Interior’’ means the Secretary of the

6 Interior, acting through the Director of the United

7 States Geological Survey and the Director of the Min8 erals Management Service.

9 SEC. 3. METHANE HYDRATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

10 PROGRAM.

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—

12 (1) COMMENCEMENT OF PROGRAM.—Not later

13 than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this

14 Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary

15 of Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary

16 of the Interior, and the Director, shall commence a

17 program of methane hydrate research and develop18 ment in accordance with this section.

19 (2) DESIGNATIONS.—The Secretary, the Sec20 retary of Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the Sec21 retary of the Interior, and the Director shall designate

22 individuals to carry out this section.

23 (3) COORDINATION.—The individual designated

24 by the Secretary shall coordinate all activities within
4

•HR 1753 EAH

1 the Department of Energy relating to methane hy2 drate research and development.

3 (4) MEETINGS.—The individuals designated

4 under paragraph (2) shall meet not later than 270

5 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and

6 not less frequently than every 120 days thereafter to—

7 (A) review the progress of the program

8 under paragraph (1); and

9 (B) make recommendations on future ac10 tivities to occur subsequent to the meeting.

11 (b) GRANTS, CONTRACTS, COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS,

12 INTERAGENCY FUNDS TRANSFER AGREEMENTS, AND FIELD

13 WORK PROPOSALS.—

14 (1) ASSISTANCE AND COORDINATION.—In car15 rying out the program of methane hydrate research

16 and development authorized by this section, the Sec17 retary may award grants or contracts to, or enter

18 into cooperative agreements with, institutions of high19 er education and industrial enterprises to—

20 (A) conduct basic and applied research to

21 identify, explore, assess, and develop methane hy22 drate as a source of energy;

23 (B) assist in developing technologies re24 quired for efficient and environmentally sound

25 development of methane hydrate resources;
5

•HR 1753 EAH

1 (C) undertake research programs to provide

2 safe means of transport and storage of methane

3 produced from methane hydrates;

4 (D) promote education and training in

5 methane hydrate resource research and resource

6 development;

7 (E) conduct basic and applied research to

8 assess and mitigate the environmental impacts of

9 hydrate degassing (including both natural

10 degassing and degassing associated with commer11 cial development);

12 (F) develop technologies to reduce the risks

13 of drilling through methane hydrates; and

14 (G) conduct exploratory drilling in support

15 of the activities authorized by this paragraph.

16 (2) COMPETITIVE MERIT-BASED REVIEW.—Funds

17 made available under paragraph (1) shall be made

18 available based on a competitive merit-based process.

19 (c) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall establish an

20 advisory panel consisting of experts from industrial enter21 prises, institutions of higher education, and Federal agen22 cies to—

23 (1) advise the Secretary on potential applica24 tions of methane hydrate;
6

•HR 1753 EAH

1 (2) assist in developing recommendations and

2 priorities for the methane hydrate research and devel3 opment program carried out under subsection (a)(1);

4 and

5 (3) not later than 2 years after the date of the

6 enactment of this Act, and at such later dates as the

7 panel considers advisable, submit to Congress a report

8 on the anticipated impact on global climate change

9 from—

10 (A) methane hydrate formation;

11 (B) methane hydrate degassing (including

12 natural degassing and degassing associated with

13 commercial development); and

14 (C) the consumption of natural gas pro15 duced from methane hydrates.

16 Not more than 25 percent of the individuals serving on the

17 advisory panel shall be Federal employees.

18 (d) LIMITATIONS.—

19 (1) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Not more than

20 5 percent of the amount made available to carry out

21 this section for a fiscal year may be used by the Sec22 retary for expenses associated with the administration

23 of the program carried out under subsection (a)(1).

24 (2) CONSTRUCTION COSTS.—None of the funds

25 made available to carry out this section may be used
7

•HR 1753 EAH

1 for the construction of a new building or the acquisi2 tion, expansion, remodeling, or alteration of an exist3 ing building (including site grading and improve4 ment and architect fees).

5 (e) RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SECRETARY.—In car6 rying out subsection (b)(1), the Secretary shall—

7 (1) facilitate and develop partnerships among

8 government, industrial enterprises, and institutions of

9 higher education to research, identify, assess, and ex10 plore methane hydrate resources;

11 (2) undertake programs to develop basic infor12 mation necessary for promoting long-term interest in

13 methane hydrate resources as an energy source;

14 (3) ensure that the data and information devel15 oped through the program are accessible and widely

16 disseminated as needed and appropriate;

17 (4) promote cooperation among agencies that are

18 developing technologies that may hold promise for

19 methane hydrate resource development; and

20 (5) report annually to Congress on accomplish21 ments under this section.

22 SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO THE MINING AND MINERALS POL23 ICY ACT OF 1970.

24 Section 201 of the Mining and Minerals Policy Act

25 of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1901) is amended—
8

•HR 1753 EAH

1 (1) in paragraph (6)—

2 (A) in subparagraph (F), by striking ‘‘and’’

3 at the end;

4 (B) by redesignating subparagraph (G) as

5 subparagraph (H); and

6 (C) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the

7 following:

8 ‘‘(G) for purposes of this section and sec9 tions 202 through 205 only, methane hydrate;

10 and’’;

11 (2) by redesignating paragraph (7) as para12 graph (8); and

13 (3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the fol14 lowing:

15 ‘‘(7) The term ‘methane hydrate’ means—

16 ‘‘(A) a methane clathrate that is in the form

17 of a methane-water ice-like crystalline material

18 and is stable and occurs naturally in deep-ocean

19 and permafrost areas; and

20 ‘‘(B) other natural gas hydrates found in

21 association with deep-ocean and permafrost de22 posits of methane hydrate.’’.

23 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

24 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec25 retary of Energy to carry out this Act—
9

•HR 1753 EAH

1 (1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2001;

2 (2) $7,500,000 for fiscal year 2002;

3 (3) $11,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;

4 (4) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and

5 (5) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.

6 Amounts authorized under this section shall remain avail7 able until expended.

8 SEC. 6. SUNSET.

9 Section 3 of this Act shall cease to be effective after

10 the end of fiscal year 2005.

11 SEC. 7. NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL STUDY.

12 The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the

13 National Research Council for such council to conduct a

14 study of the progress made under the methane hydrate re15 search and development program implemented pursuant to

16 this Act, and to make recommendations for future methane

17 hydrate research and development needs. The Secretary

18 shall transmit to the Congress, not later than September

19 30, 2004, a report containing the findings and rec20 ommendations of the National Research Council under this

21 section.

22 SEC. 8. REPORTS AND STUDIES.

23 The Secretary of Energy shall provide to the Com24 mittee on Science of the House of Representatives copies of
10

•HR 1753 EAH

1 any report or study that the Department of Energy pre2 pares at the direction of any committee of the Congress.

Attest:

Clerk.