46 obey a subpena or order of the Administrator issued under this section, to issue an order requiring compliance therewith; and any failure to obey the order of the court could have been punished by the court as a contempt thereof. Senate amendment Conference substitute The conference substitute takes the provisions of section 11 of the House bill with the deletion of subsection (e) thereof and with technical and clarifying changes. The conferees wish to emphasize two important points with respect to the grant of authority to the Administrator to collect energy related information. First, it should be noted that the authority under this legislation is temporary in nature and will expire on June 30, 1975. This does not represent a decision by the conferees that our informational needs will not extend beyond this point in time. On the contrary, the conferees are convinced that these needs will be with us over the long term and that meeting these needs requires a comprehensive, long term legislative solution. The conferees are aware of the efforts now under way in the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the Senate to develop a centralized energy information agency within the Federal Government. This legislation, S. 2782, the National Energy Information Act, is currently in markup, following extensive hearings and consultation with Federal agencies, industry and other experts in the area during the previous several months. A permanent and comprehensive Energy Information Act is needed to address the long-term energy information needs of the Executive, the Congress, and the public while reducing the burden of duplicative reporting on private industry by coordinating the collection of this information. The effort represented by S. 2782 should go forward. But we cannot fail to respond to the immediate needs of the short-term situation a waiting the final resolution of the issues which attend the formation of a centralized energy data system. Secondly, the conferees wish to emphasize that the energy information reporting authorities contained in this bill are intended to be in addition to, independent of, and not limited by any other authority of the Federal Energy Administrator. It is intended thereby to equip the Administrator of the Federal Energy Administration with broad powers, fully enforceable, to reach into any sector of the economy to bring together information relevant to his task and to assure that that information is freely available to the Congress. Moreover, to assure that the public is kept informed on a routine basis, the Administrator is required to publish quarterly reports containing specific and detailed information pertaining to supplies of petroleum products, natural gas, and coal. It is the conferees intention that the making of periodic reports will assure the continued quality and timeliness of the data required to be obtained under this section. House bill 47 SECTION 12. ENFORCEMENT Section 10 of the House bill contained provisions relating to enforcement of orders relating to prohibition of burning of petroleum products or natural gas, coal allocation rules and orders, and energy information reporting requirements. Senate amendment Identical to the House bill, except with respect to enforcement of energy information reporting requirements. Conference substitute The conference substitute retains the substantive provisions of the House bill. These provisions appear in section 12 of the conference substitute. SECTION 13. EXTENSION OF CLEAN AIR ACT AUTHORIZATIONS House bill No such provision was included. Senate amendment This section extends for one year (FY 1975) the authorizations in the Clean Air Act. The purpose of such amendment was to assure that sufficient funds were authorized to be appropriated for FY 1975 in order to permit the Administrator of EPA to meet its obligations and responsibilities under the bill. Conference substitute The conference substitute retains the provision of the Senate amendment. The conferees wish to emphasize, however, that many important legislative issues pertaining to the Clean Air Act have yet to be resolved. Among these are the issues relating to the prevention of significant deterioration, the effectiveness and enforceability of intermittent control strategies, the reliability of existing sulfur emissions control technology, and many others. The Senate Public Works Committee has already begun to hold hearings on the Clean Air Act. The House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee has stated its intent to schedule hearings on these problems and on legislative measures to address them. These hearings will be held before the Public Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee beginning in June, 1974. The existence of this provision does not in any way alter or postpone this commitment by the House committee to promptly consider the amendments now pending before the Subcommittee. House bill SECTION 14. DEFINITIONS Section 12 of the House bill defines the term "Federal Energy Administrator" for purposes of the bill and the Clean Air Act. That term 48 refers to the Administrator of the Federal Energy Administration, which will be established by the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974. Until that Administrator takes office, this section provides that the term will refer to an officer of the United States designated by the President. Senate amendment No comparable provision was included. Conference substitute The conference substitute retains the House bill provision with an additional amendment to explain the meaning of the term "petroleum products" as used in the provisions of both bills pertaining to orders prohibiting the burning of natural gas or petroleum products. HARLEY O. STAGGERS, JOHN D. DINGELL, SAMUEL L. DEVINE, JAMES F. HASTINGS, JENNINGS RANDOLPH, EDMUND S. MUSKIE, JOSEPH M. MONTOYA HOWARD BAKER, ROBERT T. STAFFORD, HENRY M. JACKSON, ALAN BIBLE, Managers on the Part of the Senate. EPA-450/1-75-001 REPORT TO CONGRESS ON CONTROL OF SULFUR OXIDES Required by Section 119(k) of of 1974" U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards February 1975 REVIEW NOTICE This report has been reviewed by the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Office of Air and Waste Management, EPA, and approved for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. AVAILABILITY Copies of this document are available free of charge to Federal employees, current contractors and grantees, and nonprofit organizations--as supplies permit--from the Air Pollution Technical Information Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711. This document is available for sale to the public through the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Virginia 22161. 55-305 75 pt. 3 38 |