I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2729 

To authorize the designation of National Environmental Research Parks by 

the Secretary of Energy, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 4, 2009 

Mr. LUJA ́N introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Science and Technology 

A BILL 

To authorize the designation of National Environmental Research Parks by the Secretary of Energy, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) The National Environmental Research 

6 Parks are unique outdoor laboratories that provide 

7 opportunities for environmental studies on protected 

8 lands around Department of Energy facilities. 


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1 (2) In 1972, the Atomic Energy Commission 

2 established its first official environmental research 

3 park at the Savannah River site in South Carolina. 

4 (3) In 1976, the Department of Energy defined 

5 the mission for the research parks in accordance 

6 with the recommendations of the multiagency review 

7 team for environmental research activities at the Sa8 vannah River site. 

9 (4) The mission of the research parks is to— 

10 (A) conduct research and education activi11 ties to assess and document environmental ef12 fects associated with energy and weapons use; 

13 (B) explore methods for eliminating or 

14 minimizing adverse effects of energy develop15 ment and nuclear materials on the environment; 

16 (C) train people in ecological and environ17 mental sciences; and 

18 (D) educate the public. 

19 (5) The seven National Environmental Re20 search Parks are located within six major ecological 

21 regions of the United States, covering more than 

22 half of the Nation. 

23 (6) The parks are especially valuable research 

24 sites because within their borders they provide seVerDate Nov 24 2008 01:05 Jun 06, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2729.IH H2729

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1 cure settings for scientists to conduct long-term re2 search on a broad range of subjects including— 

3 (A) plant succession; 

4 (B) biomass production; 

5 (C) population ecology; 

6 (D) radioecology; 

7 (E) ecological restoration; and 

8 (F) thermal effects on freshwater eco9 systems. 

10 (7) The parks maintain several long-term data 

11 sets that are available nowhere else in the United 

12 States or in the world on amphibian populations, 

13 bird populations, and soil moisture and plant water 

14 stress. These data sets are uniquely valuable for the 

15 detection of long-term shifts in climate. 

16 (8) The maintenance of these parks by the De17 partment of Energy is consistent with statutory obli18 gations to promote sound environmental stewardship 

19 of Federal lands and to safeguard sites containing 

20 cultural and archeological resources. 

21 (9) Public education and outreach activities car22 ried out on these sites provide unique learning op23 portunities, promote a stronger connection between 

24 these Federal facilities and the surrounding commu25 nities, and enhance public confidence that the DeVerDate Nov 24 2008 01:05 Jun 06, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2729.IH H2729

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1 partment of Energy is fulfilling its environmental 

2 stewardship responsibilities. 

3 SEC. 2. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH PARKS. 

4 (a) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary of Energy shall 

5 designate the seven National Environmental Research 

6 Parks located on Department of Energy sites, including— 

7 (1) the Savannah River National Environ8 mental Research Park; 

9 (2) the Idaho National Environmental Research 

10 Park; 

11 (3) the Los Alamos National Environmental 

12 Research Park; 

13 (4) the Fermi Lab National Environmental Re14 search Park; 

15 (5) the Hanford National Environmental Re16 search Park; 

17 (6) the Oak Ridge National Environmental Re18 search Park; and 

19 (7) the Nevada National Environmental Re20 search Park, 

21 as permanent protected outdoor research reserves for the 

22 purposes of conducting long-term environmental research 

23 on the impacts of human activities on the natural environ24 ment. 


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1 (b) PURPOSES.—Each site shall support environ2 mental research and monitoring activities as well as public 

3 outreach and education activities to characterize and mon4 itor present and future site conditions, and serve as con5 trol areas for comparison with environmental impacts of 

6 Department of Energy land management, energy tech7 nology development, remediation, and other site activities 

8 outside the National Environmental Research Park areas. 

9 Areas of research and monitoring on the sites shall in10 clude— 

11 (1) ecology of the site and the region; 

12 (2) population biology and ecology; 

13 (3) radioecology; 

14 (4) ecosystem science; 

15 (5) pollution fate and transport research; 

16 (6) surface and groundwater modeling; and 

17 (7) undergraduate and graduate student train18 ing. 

19 (c) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.—To ensure the inde20 pendence of the research, monitoring, public education, 

21 and outreach activities conducted on each site, the Sec22 retary shall enter into a cooperative agreement with a uni23 versity or consortium of universities with expertise in ecol24 ogy and environmental science of the region in which the 

25 National Environmental Research Park is located. 


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1 (d) ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND OUT2 REACH.—Each site shall support an outreach program to 

3 inform the public of the diverse ecological activities con4 ducted at the park and to educate students at various lev5 els in environmental science. Program activities shall in6 clude— 

7 (1) on-site and in-classroom education pro8 grams for elementary and secondary students; 

9 (2) presentations to school, civic, and profes10 sional groups; 

11 (3) exhibits at local and regional events; 

12 (4) development of educational projects and 

13 materials for students at all levels; 

14 (5) undergraduate internship and graduate re15 search opportunities; and 

16 (6) regularly scheduled public tours. 

17 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

18 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of En19 ergy for carrying out this section $35,000,000, including 

20 $5,000,000 for each National Environmental Research 

21 Park, for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014. 

Æ 


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