November 30, 1979
Page 34272
Mr. ROBERT C. BYRD. Mr. President,
I ask unanimous consent that Mr. MUSKIE may proceed for not to exceed 5 minutes on a matter which has been cleared on both sides, and that following the disposition of that matter, and after not more than 5 minutes the Senate resume to its consideration of the excess profit tax bill.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
EXTENSION OF MORATORIUM ON INDUSTRIAL COST RECOVERY
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate a message from the House of Representatives on S. 901.
The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives:
Resolved, That the bill from Senate (S. 901) entitled "An Act to extend the time limits contained in the industrial cost recovery moratorium provision of the Clean Water Act of 1977 (91 Stat. 1610)", do pass with the following amendments:
Strike out all after the enacting clause, and insert: That (a) subsection (b) of section 75 of the Clean Water Act of 1977 (91 Stat. 1610) is amended by striking out "eighteenth month" and inserting in lieu thereof "forty-second month".
(b) Subsection (d) of section 75 of the Clean Water Act of 1977 is amended by striking out "eighteen-month period" each place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof "forty-second month" in each such place.
(c) The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall take effect on June 30, 1979.
Amend the title so as to read: "An Act to amend the Clean Water Act of 1977 to extend the moratorium on industrial cost recovery.".
UP AMENDMENT NO. 856
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I move that the Senate concur in the amendments of the House to S. 901 with an amendment, which I send to the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The amendment will be stated.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Maine (Mr. MUSKIE) proposes an unprinted amendment numbered 856.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause, and insert in lieu thereof :
That (a) subsection (b) of section 15 of the Clean Water Act of 1977 (91 Stat. 1610) is amended by striking "the last day of the eighteenth month which begins after the date of enactment of this section" and inserting in lieu thereof "June 30, 1980".
(b) Subsection (d) of section 75 of the Clean Water Act of 1977 (91 Stat. 1610) is amended by striking "eighteen-month" each place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof in each place "thirty-month".
(c) The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall take effect as of June 30, 1979.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, this bill will amend the Clean Water Act to provide for a continued moratorium on the collection of industrial cost recovery payments to the Treasury until June 30, 1980. The statutory moratorium (enacted in 1977 under Public Law 95217) expired on June 30, 1979. The Environmental Protection Agency administratively extended the moratorium until December 1, 1979, in the hopes that Congress would complete action on S. 901 prior to that time.
Should this extended moratorium expire without further congressional action, all industries should be prepared to commence industrial cost recovery payments. The Agency, all grantees, and all industries involved must clearly understand that actions must be taken to be capable of fully implementing the industrial cost recovery requirements on July 1, 1980. The extension of the moratorium in no way indicates that the law will necessarily be altered.
Mr. President, the House and Senate had approved different time frames for the moratoriums. We have now agreed to the Senate formula and we expect next year to be working on this policy issue. Whether or not we can resolve it in some other way, time alone will tell. But, in the meantime, this moratorium lifts the burden and the uncertainty from the backs of industries which are subject to the requirement.
Mr. President, I yield to my good friend from Vermont (Mr. STAFFORD).
Mr. STAFFORD. Mr. President, very briefly, I simply wish to say that I concur in the statements and recommendations which have been made by the distinguished Senator from Maine.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion of the Senator from Maine (Mr. MUSKIE) .
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the motion was agreed to.
Mr. STAFFORD, I move to lay that motion on the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the motion to lay on the table is agreed to.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, does that complete action on the bill?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.