[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1538 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1538
To establish a black carbon and other aerosols research program in the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that supports
observations, monitoring, and modeling, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 29, 2009
Mr. Rockefeller (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Nelson of Florida, and
Mr. Begich) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a black carbon and other aerosols research program in the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that supports
observations, monitoring, and modeling, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Black Carbon and Other Aerosols
Research Act of 2009''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to develop a monitoring and research plan--
(A) to identify natural and anthropogenic sources
of black carbon and other aerosols and to monitor their
atmospheric and deposited concentrations on both a
temporal and a spatial scale;
(B) to measure, monitor, model, and assess black
carbon and other aerosols in regard to their
atmospheric concentrations and deposited forms--
(i) to establish how these substances
impact regional- and global-scale climate
change and air quality;
(ii) to determine their regional impacts,
with a focus on the polar regions and other
snow and ice covered areas; and
(iii) to estimate, in the United States and
globally, spatial and temporal black carbon and
other aerosol concentrations, and deposition
trends in collaboration with the National
Institute of Standards and Technology and other
appropriate partners; and
(C) to develop models to assist policy makers and
to increase understanding of--
(i) the transport and transformation of
black carbon and other aerosols to improve
knowledge of their distributions and climate-
forcing properties; and
(ii) the individual and combined roles of
black carbon and other aerosols on regional and
global climate change on both a temporal and a
spatial scale; and
(2) to establish a black carbon and other aerosols
monitoring and research program within the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
(2) Black carbon.--The term ``black carbon'' means the
strongly light absorbing aerosol that--
(A) is composed of fine particles containing carbon
produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels,
biofuel, and biomass and other activities;
(B) exists in both atmospheric and deposited forms;
and
(C) is sometimes associated with impaired air
quality and climate change.
(3) Other aerosols.--The term ``other aerosols'' means the
components of atmospheric aerosols, fine particles suspended in
air, that contribute to climate-forcing and climate change,
including inorganic, organic, dust, and carbonaceous
substances, either separately or in combination.
SEC. 4. BLACK CARBON AND OTHER AEROSOLS MONITORING AND RESEARCH PLAN.
(a) In General.--The Administrator shall develop an observation,
monitoring, modeling, and research plan for black carbon and other
aerosols that includes--
(1) analysis of gaps in scientific methods and research
on--
(A) black carbon and other aerosols; and
(B) the effect of black carbon, both singly and in
combination with other factors, on climate change and
air quality on both a regional and a global scale;
(2) identification of priorities for Federal research on
black carbon and other aerosols necessary to understand their
role in climate change and air quality on both a regional and a
global scale;
(3) a framework for modeling--
(A) the temporal and spatial effects of black
carbon and other aerosols on climate, both singly and
in combination, on regional and global scales and
processes;
(B) the transportation and transformation of black
carbon and other aerosols to gain insight into their
distribution and climate-forcing properties; and
(C) the influence of black carbon on clouds and
cloud particles to understand and quantify their role
in large-scale circulation and the hydrologic cycle;
(4) appropriate methods that--
(A) identify sources of black carbon and other
aerosols, both anthropogenic and naturally occurring,
and
(B) measure, monitor, and increase understanding of
the atmospheric concentrations and properties as well
as the deposited forms,
on both a temporal and a spatial scale;
(5) a comparative evaluation of the global and regional
climate-forcing properties of black carbon and other aerosols
and their effect on regional and global climate change and the
loss of Arctic sea ice; and
(6) observation systems, needs, and assets necessary to
develop and implement a black carbon and other aerosols
monitoring and research program within the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
(b) Advisory Panel.--The Administrator shall establish a Black
Carbon and Other Aerosols Advisory Panel to assist in the development
and implementation of the plan.
(c) Report.--No later than 270 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Administrator shall submit a report to the Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of
Representatives Committee on Science and Technology describing the plan
required by subsection (a).
SEC. 5. BLACK CARBON AND OTHER AEROSOLS RESEARCH AND MONITORING
PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Administrator shall establish and maintain a
black carbon and other aerosols monitoring and research program that
combines observations, research, monitoring, modeling, and other
activities within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
consistent with the plan required by section 4(a), that includes--
(1) coordinated monitoring and research activities to
improve understanding of the sources, atmospheric
concentrations, deposited forms, and interactions among black
carbon and other aerosols that influence their contribution to
climate change processes on both a regional and a global scale;
(2) strategic modeling activities that improve
understanding of--
(A) the transportation and transformation of
aerosols, to improve knowledge of their distributions
and climate-forcing properties; and
(B) the separate and combined roles of black carbon
and other aerosols in regional and global climate
change and air quality, on regional, global and
temporal scales, to improve understanding of these
substances and their roles in climate change;
(3) educational opportunities that--
(A) encourage an interdisciplinary and
international approach to exploring the associated
sources and impacts of black carbon and other aerosols;
and
(B) increase interactions between the measurement
and modeling communities in order to optimize use of
available data;
(4) public outreach activities that improve understanding
of the current scientific knowledge of black carbon and other
aerosols and their impact on climate change;
(5) coordination of black carbon and other aerosols
monitoring research with the National Institute of Standards
and Technology and other appropriate international and national
government agencies, private entities, and others; and
(6) an assessment of the role black carbon and other
aerosols have in regional and global climate change and air
quality.
(b) Grant Program.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall establish a grant
program to provide grants for critical research and projects
that improve the ability to measure, monitor, model, and assess
black carbon and other aerosols with respect to their
atmospheric concentrations and deposited forms, including
research that supports means of reducing the impacts of black
carbon and other aerosols on climate.
(2) Consultation with panel.--The Administrator shall
consult with the Black Carbon and Other Aerosols Advisory
Panel, and shall work cooperatively with the National Institute
of Standards and Technology and other Federal agencies, to
establish criteria for such research and projects.
(3) Participation by federal agencies.--Federal agencies
may collaborate with, and participate in, such research and
projects to the extent requested by the grant recipient.
(4) Award process.--Grants under this subsection shall be
awarded extramurally through a competitive peer-reviewed,
merit-based process that may be conducted jointly with other
Federal agencies working on black carbon and aerosols and their
role in and relationship to climate change.
(c) Coordination With Other Agencies.--The Administrator shall
coordinate development of the plan under section 4 and the monitoring
and research program under subsection (a) of this section with the
National Institute of Standards and Technology and other relevant
Federal agencies.
(d) Additional Authority.--In conducting the program, the
Administrator may execute and perform such contracts, leases, grants,
or cooperative agreements as may be necessary to carry out the purposes
of this Act on such terms as the Administrator considers appropriate.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator for
each of fiscal years 2010 through 2015--
(1) $10,000,000 for grants under section 5(b); and
(2) $10,000,000 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to carry out the other provisions of this Act.
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