HR 2090 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

112th CONGRESSCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

1st SessionCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

H. R. 2090CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To improve assessments of and research about energy critical elements, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

June 2, 2011CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. HULTGREN (for himself, Mrs. BIGGERT, and Mr. LIPINSKI) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concernedCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

A BILLCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To improve assessments of and research about energy critical elements, and for other purposes.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. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Energy Critical Elements Advancement Act of 2011’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. INFORMATION GATHERING, ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINATION.

(a) Establishment- The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the USGS, and the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, shall collaborate to improve assessments of energy critical elements that includes--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) discovered and potential resources;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) production;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) use;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) trade;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) disposal; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) recycling.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Duties- The entity within the USGS that gathers the information for the assessments under subsection (a) shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) regularly survey emerging energy technologies and the supply chain for elements throughout the periodic table necessary for those technologies in order to forecast potential supply disruptions; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) make available such information in the aggregate, with appropriate protection of proprietary information, to the United States scientific community, including industry, institutions of higher education, and the United States Department of Energy National Laboratories and Technology Centers.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Designation- The Director of the USGS shall designate the entity within the USGS that gathers the information for the assessments under subsection (a) as a ‘Principal Statistical Agency’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. RESEARCH.

(a) Establishment- The Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Secretary of the Interior, shall establish a research program to advance basic knowledge and enable expanded availability of energy critical elements, including research on basic materials science, chemistry, physics, and engineering associated with energy critical elements, including materials characterization and substitution, recycling, and life-cycle analysis.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Research Plan- In consultation with the Critical and Strategic Mineral Supply Chain Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council, the Secretary shall develop and update biennially an integrated research plan to guide program activities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Limitation- Research under subsection (a) shall be limited to areas that industry is not likely to undertake due to technical and financial uncertainty.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. REPORT.

Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Critical and Strategic Mineral Supply Chain Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the recycling of energy critical elements, including--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) the logistics, economic viability, and research and development needs for completing the recycling process;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) options for both the Federal Government and industry, including an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of such options, for improving the rates of collection of post-consumer products containing energy critical elements; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) an analysis of the methods explored and implemented in various states and countries, such as Japan and South Korea.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act, the following definitions apply:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) ENERGY CRITICAL ELEMENT- The term ‘energy critical element’ means each of the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) Helium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) Lithium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) Scandium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) Cobalt.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) Gallium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(F) Germanium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(G) Selenium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(H) Yttrium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(I) Ruthenium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(J) Rhodium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(K) Palladium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(L) Silver.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(M) Indium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(N) Tellurium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(O) Lanthanum.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(P) Rhenium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(Q) Osmium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(R) Iridium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(S) Platinum.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(T) Cerium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(U) Praseodymium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(V) Neodymium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(W) Samarium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(X) Europium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(Y) Gadolinium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(Z) Terbium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(AA) Dysprosium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(BB) Ytterbium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(CC) Lutetium.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(DD) Any other element designated as an energy critical element by the Critical and Strategic Mineral Supply Chain Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) USGS- The term ‘USGS’ means the United States Geological Survey.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink