[CPEO-MEF] Amendment for UXO Single Point of Contact passes Sub-Committee

[Aimee Houghton <aimeeh@cpeo.org>]

[Today the following amendment was submitted by Congressman Underwood and 
passed the Readiness sub-committee unanimously.  These three provisions 
were in the original Blumenauer amendment (H.R. 2605) last year but didn't 
make it in at that time. --Aimee]

AMENDMENT TO H.R. 4546
(FY03 DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL)
OFFERED BY MR. UNDERWOOD OF GUAM


At the end of subtitle B of III, insert the following new section:

SEC.__.  SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT FOR POLICY AND BUDGETING
	   	ISSUES REGARDING UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE, DISCARDED
		MILITARY MUNITIONS, AND MILITARY CONSTITUENTS.

	Section 2701 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new sub-section:

	"(k) UXO PROGRAM MANAGER.(1) The Secretary of Defense shall establish a 
program manager who shall serve as the single point of contact in the 
Department of Defense for policy and budgeting issues involving the 
characterization, remediation, and management of explosive and related 
risks with respect to unexploded ordnance, discarded military munitions, 
and munitions constituents at defense sites (as such terms are defined in 
section 2710 of this title) that pose a threat to human health or safety.

	"(2) The Secretary of Defense may delegate this authority to the Secretary 
of a military department, who may delegate the authority to the Under 
Secretary of that military department.  The authority may not be further 
delegated.

	"(3) The program manager may establish an independent advisory and review 
panel that may include representatives of the National Academy of Sciences, 
non-governmental organizations with expertise regarding unexploded 
ordnance, discarded military munitions or munitions constituents, the 
Environmental Protection Agency, States (as defined in section 2710 of this 
title), and tribal governments.  If established, the panel would report 
annually to Congress on progress made by the Department of defense to 
address unexploded ordnance, discarded military munitions or munitions 
constituents at defense sites and make such recommendations as the panel 
considered appropriate."

	


Please note new phone number and address below.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aimee R. Houghton
Associate Director, CPEO
1101 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC  20036
tel: 202-452-8039; fax: 202-452-8095
Email: aimeeh@cpeo.org
www.cpeo.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~