S 849 ISRSCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study on black carbon emissions.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

April 22, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. CARPER (for himself, Mr. INHOFE, Mrs. BOXER, and Mr. KERRY, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. VOINOVICH, Mr. MERKLEY, and Ms. KLOBUCHAR) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public WorksCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study on black carbon emissions.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) black carbon--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) 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;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) plays a role in climate change by--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) absorbing solar radiation; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) reducing the reflectivity of snow and ice; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) is emitted from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biomass, and biofuels;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) recent studies have shown that, in the United States, old diesel engines are a major contributor of black carbon;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3)(A) 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; butCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) there remain in the United States more than 11,000,000 diesel engines lacking the latest diesel emission control technology; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) 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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) ADMINISTRATOR- The term ‘Administrator’ means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) BLACK CARBON- The term ‘black carbon’ means any light-absorbing graphitic (such as elemental) particle produced by incomplete combustion.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. STUDY OF BLACK CARBON EMISSIONS.

(a) Study- 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 Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other relevant Federal departments and agencies and representatives of appropriate industry and environmental groups, shall conduct a 4-phase study of black carbon emissions, the phases of which shall be the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) PHASE I-UNIVERSAL DEFINITION- The Administrator shall conduct phase I of the study under this subsection to carry out measures to establish for the scientific community standard definitions of the terms--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) black carbon; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) organic carbon.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) PHASE II-SOURCES AND TECHNOLOGIES- The Administrator shall conduct phase II of the study under this subsection to summarize the available scientific and technical information concerning--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) the identification of the major sources of black carbon emissions in the United States and throughout the world;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) an estimate of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) the quantity of current and projected future black carbon emissions from those sources; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) the net climate effects of the emissions;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) the most recent scientific data relevant to the public health- and climate-related impacts of black carbon emissions and associated emissions of organic carbon, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides from the sources identified under subparagraph (A);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) the most effective control strategies for additional domestic and international reductions in black carbon emissions, taking into consideration lifecycle analysis, cost-effectiveness, and the net climate impact of technologies, operations, and strategies, such as--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) diesel particulate filters on existing diesel on- and off-road engines; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) particulate emission reduction measures for marine vessels;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) carbon dioxide equivalency factors, global or regional modeling, or other metrics to compare the global warming and other climate effects of black carbon emissions with carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(F) the health benefits associated with additional black carbon emission reductions.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) PHASE III-INTERNATIONAL FUNDING- The Administrator shall conduct phase III of the study under this subsection--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) to summarize the amount, type, and direction of all actual and potential financial, technical, and related assistance provided by the United States to foreign countries to reduce, mitigate, or otherwise abate--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) black carbon emissions; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) any health, environmental, and economic impacts associated with those emissions; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) to identify opportunities, including action under existing authority, to achieve significant black carbon emission reductions in foreign countries through the provision of technical assistance or other approaches.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) PHASE IV-RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES- The Administrator conduct phase IV of the study under this subsection for the purpose of providing to Congress recommendations regarding--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) areas of focus for additional research for cost-effective technologies, operations, and strategies with the highest potential to reduce black carbon emissions and protect public health in the United States and internationally; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) actions that the Federal Government could take to encourage or require additional black carbon emission reductions.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Reports- The Administrator shall submit to Congress--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, a report describing the results of phases I and II of the study under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, a report describing the results of phase III of the study under subsection (a)(3); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) by not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, a report describing the recommendations developed for phase IV of the study under subsection (a)(4).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Authorization of Appropriations- There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink