HR 1778 UPDATE (TUESDAY)

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@igc.org>]

HR 1778 UPDATE

We're hearing conflicting rumors, but as of Tuesday afternoon, it 
appears that Title III, the environmental provisions of the Defense 
Reform Act, will be offered Thursday, June 19, on the House floor as a 
separate amendment to the Defense Authorization Act. The final decision 
will be made Wednesday by the Rules committee.

Representative Dan Schaefer (R-Colorado) and Peter DiFazio (D-Oregon) 
have also offered amendments. Depending upon how Title III is offered, 
Schaefer's would delete Title III or offer language from his bill H.R. 
1195, which would waive sovereign immunity under CERCLA, the Superfund 
law. (That is, it would clarify that states have the authority to 
enforce cleanup decisions at federal facilities.)

THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO IS AN UP-OR-DOWN VOTE THURSDAY OR FRIDAY, ON 
THE HOUSE FLOOR, ON THE ENTIRE TITLE III PACKAGE.