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United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Ener.

Coal Distribution and Utilization Act : hearing before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred First Congress, first session on S. 318 ... April 20, 1989

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25 after any appUcation for a determination under this section is

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1 received by the Secretary, the Secretary shall notify the At-

2 tomey General of the filing of such application and shall pro-

3 vide the Attorney General with a copy of such application

4 and such other information as the Attorney General may re-

5 quest. The Attorney General shall conduct an antitrust

6 review to determine the likely effects upon competition of

7 approval of such application, and not later than one hundred

8 and twenty days after the date of receipt of such notification

9 shall advise the Secretary of the results of such review, in-

10 eluding, but not limited to, findings, and recommendations

11 concerning such terms and conditions as the Attorney Gen-

12 eral deems necessary to protect and promote competition. No

13 application may be determined to be in the national interest

14 under this section if the Attorney General advises the Secre-

15 tary in writing that, on the basis of such review, approval of

16 such application is not consistent with the antitrust laws.

17 (2) For the purpose of paragraph (1), the term —

18 (A) "antitrust laws" has the meaning such term

19 has under section 1 of the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C, 12);

20 and

21 (B) "antitrust review" has the meaning the term

22 "antitrust investigation" has under section 2 of the

23 Antitrust Civil Process Act (15 U.S.C. 1311).

24 (f) Eminent Domain Authoeity. — (1) Any person

25 proposing to build an interstate coal pipeline distribution

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1 system, the construction of which has been determined by the

2 Secretary to be in the national interest, may, after making

3 good faith efforts to acquire, such rights-of-way by negotia-

4 tions between such person and private landowners, acquire

5 rights-of-way over, under, upon, or through private lands by

6 exercise of the power of eminent domain in the United States

7 district court for the district in which such lands are located

8 or in the appropriate court of the State in which such lands

9 are located. In any action or proceeding to acquire rights-of-

10 way under this section, such action or proceeding shall con-

11 form to the laws, practices, and procedures relating to the

12 general eminent domain law of the State where the property

13 is situated, except that in the case of any such State law,

14 practice, or procedure, the effect of which would prohibit any

15 acquisition under this section, or which discriminates against

16 interstate coal pipeline distribution systems, such State law,

17 practice, or procedure shall not be applicable.

18 (2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit

19 any person to acquire any water rights through the exercise

20 of the power of eminent domain granted under this Act.

21 (3) No interstate coal pipeline distribution system con-

22 structed pursuant to the authorities of this section shall be

23 considered to be a Federal project for purposes of the applica-

24 tion for or assignment of water rights.



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1 (4) Unless there is no feasible and prudent alternative to

2 the acquisition of a right-of-way and reasonable planning is

3 made to minimize harm resulting from the acquisition, no

4 such right-of-way may be acquired through exercise of the

5 power of eminent domain under this Act if such right-of-way

6 is over, under, upon, or through —

7 (A) lands of National, State, or local historic sig-

8 nificance as determined by the Federal, State, or local

9 officials having jurisdiction thereof; or

10 (B) lands held by a qualified organization as de-
ll fined in section 170(h)(3) of the Internal Revenue

12 Service Code of 1954 primarily for wildlife refuge,

13 sanctuary, recreational or natural resource conserva-

14 tion purposes.

15 (g) Alteenative Routes. — (1) Nothing in this sec-

16 tion shall be deemed to prohibit the applicant from amending

17 his appUcation to request a right-of-way over any alternative

18 route.

19 (2) The Secretary may require the relocation of any

20 right-of-way sought pursuant to this Act upon a showing

21 that—

22 (A) such relocation is necessary to enable the

23 United States to reahze fully the value of its mineral

24 interest;

25 (B) such alternative route is available; and

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1 (C) such relocation would not result in unreason-

2 able expense.

3 (h) Payment foe Fedeeal Coal. — (1) Each applica-

4 tion for a determination of national interest filed pursuant to

5 subsection (a) shall list each instance where the proposed

6 right-of-way crosses lands wherein the United States main-

7 tains a mineral interest regarding coal (hereinafter referred to

8 as "Federal coal"). Not later than ten days after any such

9 application is received by the Secretary, the Secretary shall

10 notify the Secretary of the Interior of the filing of such appli-

11 cation and shall provide the Secretary of the Interior with a

12 copy of such application and such other information as the

13 Secretary of the Interior may request.

14 (2)(A) The Secretary of the Interior shall evaluate the

15 effects of approval of such appHcation upon the ability of the

16 United States to realize the value of such mineral interest as

17 a result of approval of the appUcation.

18 (B) The Secretary of the Interior shall —

19 (i) establish terms and conditions necessary to

20 minimize the impact of such right-of-way on the estab-

21 lishment of logical mining units; and

22 (ii) determine the extent to which alternative

23 routes are available which would minimize the impact

24 of granting the right-of-way on the ability of the Fed-

25 eral Government to reaUze the value of Federal coal.

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1 (C) The Secretary of the Interior shall establish the fair

2 market value of the Federal coal precluded from being recov-

3 ered as a result of the proposed right-of-way. The Secretary

4 of the Interior shall also estabUsh the amount of reduction of

5 the fair market value of Federal coal which will be more

6 costly to recover as a result of the proposed right-of-way.

7 (3) The Secretary shall thereafter establish such terms

8 and conditions requiring the applicant to pay the United

9 States the amount established by the Secretary of the

10 Interior pursuant to subparagraph (C).

11 (i) Rules and Regulations. — The Secretary shall

12 promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary for

13 the expeditious exercise of the authority granted in this

14 section,

15 (j) Additional Requirement. — In implementing this

16 section, the Secretary shall be subject to the provisions of

17 section 210 of Pubhc Law 90-537, as amended (43 U.S.C.

18 1511).

19 PEIMACY OF STATE WATER LAW

20 Sec. 5. (a) No person, legal entity, or governmental

21 entity (including the United States, a State or subdivision

22 thereof), their agents, permittees, Ucensees, or transferees, or

23 any interstate coal pipeline distribution system, shall control,

24 reserve, appropriate, purchase, transfer, use, divert, dedicate,

25 (Espose of, distribute, acquire,, exercise, export or claim

26 water, or any right or interest therein, for export er use

8 SlS^IS



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1 within or outside the State granting or denying the export or

2 use of water in an interstate coal pipeline distribution system,

3 unless such control, reservation, appropriation, purchase,

4 transfer, use, diversion, dedication, disposal, distribution, ac-

5 quisition, exercise, export or claim takes place pursuant to
8 and in compUance with the State water law of that State.

7 Such State water law shall be enforced even though enforce-

8 ment would result in the failure to build an interstate coal

9 pipeline distribution system, and even though it would result

10 in uneven and disparate effects on interstate commerce.

11 (b) In full recognition of its powers under Article I, sec-

12 tion 8, of the United States Constitution, Congress expressly

13 delegates to the States the power to regulate the use or

14 export of water in interstate coal pipeline distribution sys-

15 tems, through State water laws, notwithstanding any adverse

16 impact such delegation may have on interstate commerce or

17 on any interstate coal pipeline distribution system. This dele-

18 gation expressly includes but is not limited to provisions of

19 State water law which provide for the establishment or exer-

20 cise of terms or conditions (including terms or conditions ter-

21 minating use or relating to or prohibiting the export of water)

22 on permits or authorizations for, interests in, or rights to con-

23 trol, reservation, appropriation, purchase, transfer, use, di-

24 version, dedication, disposal, distribution, acquisition, exer-



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1 cise, export or claim of water for the export or use in any

2 interstate coal pipeline distribution system.

3 (c) Nothing in this Act shall —

4 (1) impair the validity of or preempt any provision

5 of State water law, or of any interstate compact gov-

6 eming water;

7 (2) alter the rights of any State to its apportioned

8 share of the waters of any body of surface or ground-

9 water, whether determined by past or future interstate

10 compacts, or by past or future legislative or final judi-

11 cial allocations;

12 (3) preempt or modify any State or Federal

13 law or interstate compact dealing with water quality

14 or disposal;

15 (4) confer upon any non-Federal entity the ability

16 to exercise any Federal right to the waters of any

17 stream or to any ground water resources; or

18 (5) affect water rights of any Indian or Indian

19 tribe which were estabhshed by the setting aside of a

20 reservation by treaty, executive order, agreement or

21 Act of the Congress.

22 (d) No waters to which a Federal right can be asserted

23 shall be used or exported in any interstate coal pipeline distri-

24 bution system, unless authorized pursuant to and subject to



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1 State water law in the same maimer as provided for in sub-

2 section (a).

3 APPLICATION OP STATE AND LOCAL LAW

4 Sec, 6. (a) Nothing in this Act shall impair the validity

5 of or in any way preempt the applicability of a State water

6 law to an interstate coal pipeline distribution system even if

7 such appUcability discriminates against or would have the

8 effect of prohibiting the location, construction, operation, or

9 maintenance of such pipeline.

10 (b) Nothing in this Act shall impair the validity of or

11 preempt any State or local law, regulation, or rule of law

12 pertaining to the location, construction, operation, or mainte-

13 nance of an interstate coal pipeline distribution system except

14 where such State or local law, regulation, or rule of law dis-

15 criminates against interstate coal pipeline distribution sys-

16 tems.

17 UNDEEGEOUND CON8TBUCTION

18 Sec. 7. All coal pipelines granted Federal powers of

19 eminent domain, pursuant to the provisions of this Act, for

20 rights-of-way and extensions thereof shall, to the maximum

21 extent practicable, consistent with environmental protection,

22 safety, and good engineering and technological practices, be

23 located underground, and the person holding such right of

24 Federal eminent domain shall replace sufficient topsoil on dis-

25 turbed areas so that a vegetative cover, comprised of native

26 species where practicable, can be reestablished at least equal

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19

1 in extent of cover as that which sustained the natural vegeta-

2 tion in the area.

3 CONTINUING JURISDICTION OF STATE PUBLIC UTILITY

4 COMMISSIONS

5 Sec. 8. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require

6 any forms of automatic passthrough of, or preempt the rate-

7 making authority of any State utUity regulatory agency or

8 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission with respect to

9 costs related to construction, operation, and maintenance of

10 any interstate coal pipeline distribution system, whether or

1 1 not such costs have been provided for by contract between a

12 utility and the interstf e coal pipeline distribution system

13 operator.

14 APPLICABILITY OF ENVIEONMENTAL CONTROL LAWS

15 Sec. 9. Any interstate coal pipeline distribution system

16 authorized under this Act shall be subject to the requirements

17 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended (33

18 U.S.C. 466 et seq,), and any other applicable State and

19 Federal environmental control laws.

20 WATEE DISCHARGE EEQUIEEMENTS

21 Sec. 10. With respect to any proposed pipeline distribu-

22 tion system using water as the transport medium, prior to the

23 issuance of any findings pursuant to section 4 of this Act, the

24 Secretary shall notify the Administrator of the Environmen-

25 tal Protection Agency of his consideration of the application

26 for a determination under subsection (4)(a). The Secretary

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20

1 and the person applying for such determination shall provide

2 such information as the Administrator shall require to con-

3 duct a review of the abihty of the proposed interstate coal

4 pipeline distribution system to comply with Federal water

5 discharge requirements. The Administrator shall have one

6 hundred and twenty days from the date of receipt of such

7 notification to conduct such review and to advise the Secre-

8 tary with respect thereto. The Secretary shall not issue any

9 findings pursuant to section 4 unless he has received a report

10 from the Administrator of the Environmental Protection

11 Agency advising that, in the judgment of the Administrator,

12 it can reasonably be expected that the water discharge can

13 meet the requirements of the Federal Water Pollution Con-

14 trol Act.

15 ACCESS TO COAL PIPELINB TRANSPOETATION CONTEACTS

16 Sec. 11. (a)(1) By filing a contract between a prospec-

17 tive shipper and a pipeline carrier vdth the Federal Energy

18 Regulatory Conmiission (hereinafter referred to as the Com-

19 mission), within ten business days of signing said contract,

20 any person operating or proposing to operate an interstate

21 coal pipeline distribution system may enter into contracts

22 with one or more shippers of coal to provide transportation

23 under specified rates, terms, and conditions but may not un-

24 reasonably discriminate by refusing to enter into similar con-

25 tracts under similar rates, terms, and conditions with other

26 shippers who are seeking service from the same origin areas

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1 to the same terminus areas and are ready, fit, willing, and

2 able to enter into such contracts in a contemporaneous

3 period. The term "ready, fit, willing, and able" as used in

4 this section includes, but is not limited to financial fitness.

5 Such contract filing shall include all rates, terms, and condi-

6 tions of said contract.

7 (2) Service under a contract executed pursuant to para-

8 graph (1) of this subsection is deemed to be a separate and

9 distinct class of service. Persons operating interstate coal

10 pipeline distribution systems shall be obligated to perform

11 only those duties specified by the terms and conditions of any

12 such contract in connection with the services provided under

13 such contract. Service under such contracts shall not be in-

14 temipted for the purpose of prorating or allocating to other

15 shippers the pipeline capacity committed to service under

16 such contracts.

17 (b)(1) Any person operating or proposing to operate an

18 interstate coal pipeline distribution system who files contracts

19 under this section for the transportation of a volume of coal

20 which is less than the volume of coal that would totally obU-

21 gate the capacity of the pipeline shall, in the sixty-day period

22 beginning on the date of the filing of such contract, enter into

23 contracts with shippers who are ready, fit, willing, and able

24 to enter into such contracts under rates, terms, and condi-

25 tions similar to the rates, terms, and conditions contained in



29



22

1 the contract that has been so filed. That person shall enter

2 into such similar contracts in the chronological order in which

3 binding written offers to enter into such similar contracts are

4 submitted to such person. The obligation imposed by this sub-

5 section shall remain in effect —

6 (A) until the capacity of the pipeline is totally

7 committed for providing transportation under contracts

8 approved under this section, or

9 (B) until the end of the sixty-day period, which-

10 ever occurs first.

11 (2) Not later than the thirtieth day following the end of

12 such sixty-day period, a shipper of coal may file a complaint
' 13 with the Commission on the grounds that the person operat-

14 ing the interstate coal pipeline distribution system is violating

15 this subsection.

16 (3) If, following a notice and an opportunity for a hear-

17 ing, but not later than the thirtieth day following the filing of

18 a complaint in accordance with paragraph (2) of this subsec-

19 tion, the Commission finds that the person is violating this

20 subsection and has, with respect to the complaining shipper,

21 an obUgation under this subsection to enter into a contract,

22 the Commission shall order that person to provide the service

23 specified in the offer under such rates, terms, and conditions

24 contained in the contract that is filed with the Conunission

25 under paragraph (1) of this subsection. In addition, if the

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23

1 Commission finds that a person is violating this subsection by

2 entering into contracts with shippers of coal pursuant to

3 paragraph (1) of this subsection in an order other than the

4 order in which binding offers are submitted, the Commission

5 shall establish the proper order of such for approval under

6 subsection (c) of this section.

7 (4) The Commission may not approve, under this sec-

8 tion, any contract for the transportation of coal by pipeline —

9 (A) if approval of such contract will result in the

10 total tonnage of coal obligated to be transported by the

11 pipeline in any period under contracts approved under

12 this section exceeding the maximum capacity of the

13 pipeline in such period; or

14 (B) if the provision of coal transportation services

15 under such contract would result in a destructive com-

16 petitive practice.

O



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The Chairman. I thank our distinguished witnesses for being
here today and I look forward to their testimony. We begin this
morning — I might add that we have a large number of witnesses,
so as usual we would like to receive all written statements, put
them in the record verbatim and then urge — strongly urge wit-
nesses not to read statements, but to hit the highlights. This is not
the first time, of course, that this Committee has considered this
legislation. However, we want to give time to Senator Burns and
others who are new to this legislation to ask the questions that
they wish.

We begin with the first panel, Marvin J. Boede, General Presi-
dent of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of
the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry, also testifying on behalf of
the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO,
and Jack Otero, International Vice President for Transportation,
Communication and International Union. He is accompanied by
K.O. Richardson, Chairman of the Railway Labor Executives' Asso-
ciation Task Force on Coal Slurry.

Gentlemen, welcome to the Committee and please proceed as you
wish. Mr. Boede, I guess you will begin.

STATEMENT OF MARVIN J. BOEDE, GENERAL PRESIDENT,
UNITED ASSOCIATION OF JOURNEYMEN AND APPRENTICES OF
THE PLUMBING AND PIPEFITTING INDUSTRY, AND ON BEHALF
OF THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES DEPARTMENT,
AFL-CIO

Mr. Boede. Thank you, sir.

Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, I am Marvin Boede,
the General President of the 335,000 member United Association of
Plumbers and Pipefitters and I am here today to testify in strong
support of S. 318, the Coal Distribution & Utilization Act. I should
point out also that I am the Vice President of the Building and
Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, made up of 15
national-international unions in the construction industry.

The Chairman. Mr. Boede, may I interrupt you at that point and
I welcome all the members of organized labor who I hear in the
audience. We appreciate their presence here.

Mr. Boede. It is gratifying, is it not, senator?

The Chairman. Yes, it is.

Mr. Boede. I am fully authorized to speak for the Department,
which has repeatedly and unanimously passed resolutions support-
ing eminent domain legislation for coal pipelines. All together, the
unions making up the Department total more than 4 million mem-
bers.

Frankly, our members need the work that this legislation would
provide, but there is another more compelling reason to enact this
legislation, a reason that impacts on every citizen and every
worker in the United States, no matter what his occupation may
be.

We must have an increased measure of energy independence, or
our national security will continue to be jeopardized and under-
mined by foreign nations, often our bitter foes, who control so
much of the flow of oil in international commerce.



32

The United States is heading full-speed into another energy
crisis and its accompanying nightmares. Right now, we are import-
ing a higher percentage of oil than at the height of the 1973 oil
embargo, when imported petroleum constituted 35 percent of
American oil consumption. Once more, the Energy Information Ad-
ministration of the Department of Energy warned in its most
recent annual report that imports could rise to 55 percent by 1994
and to more than 60 percent by the turn of the century. So where
do we turn?

To many of us, the answer is obvious. We turn to coal. We have
coal resources unmatched by any nation on earth. One third of the
known coal resources are located right here in the United States of
America and they will last for hundreds of years.

An3d:hing we can do to promote the increased use of coal to re-
place oil in the power plants of American industry, especially in
the production of electricity, should be done — and done immediate-
ly. But the cost of transporting coal remains a major stumbling
block. S. 318 will increase coal transportation options by removing
a barrier to entry for many new companies who simply want a
chance to provide healthy competition in the transportation of coal.

Pipelines have clearly demonstrated to be one of the safest, most
reliable and most economical transportation methods ever devel-
oped. There is nothing experimental about coal slurry piping.

The bill before your Committee provides an alternative system
for delivering coal that is competitive, efficient and environmental-
ly sound. It calls for no government subsidy, no expenditures of
Federal revenue, strict compliance with all environmental protec-
tion statutes and expressly delegates to the states the power to reg-
ulate the use or export of water in the interstate coal slurry pipe-
line system. It would provide jobs in construction and manufactur-
ing, particularly steel.

In order to give the Committee some insight into the jobs impact,
let me cite some of the numbers developed by the Bechtel Corpora-
tion shortly before the 1983 vote on a similar bill. Using standard
Bureau of Labor statistics methods, it was estimated that construc-
tion of seven pipelines then under consideration would have cre-
ated 50,000 jobs for construction workers, another 100,000 would
have been created in the construction support sector and another
350,000 in the production of valves, pumps, steel and heavy equip-
ment, for a grand total of 500,000 jobs for the seven pipelines being
considered.

Remember that the creation of jobs goes far beyond the initial
construction of pipelines. For many utilities, lowering the delivered
price of coal would provide incentive for expanding existing power
plants and even building new coal-fired power plants.

Furthermore, coal pipelines are particularly well-suited to deliv-
er coal to ships for the export market, a market that is sitting
there for American coal producers to develop. Jobs would be cre-
ated to build new marine terminals and shipyard workers would


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