110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 547
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 12, 2007
Received
February 17, 2007
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
AN ACT
To facilitate the development of markets for biofuels and Ultra
Low Sulfur Diesel fuel through research and development and data collection.
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 `Advanced Fuels Infrastructure Research and
Development Act'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that--
(1) in order to lessen United States dependence on foreign sources of
petroleum, and decrease demand for petroleum in the transportation sector,
the Nation must diversify its fuel supply to include domestically produced
biofuels including hydrogen;
(2) while ethanol has been successful in the market place as a fuel additive,
newer biofuels may present unique challenges that may render the fuels
incompatible with the current fuel transportation and delivery infrastructure,
placing the burden of costly refurbishment and construction on fuel distributors
and retailers;
(3) chemical additives to the fuels may mitigate the negative impacts
of some biofuels on existing infrastructure and preclude costly retrofitting
or installation of new biofuel compatible infrastructure and transportation
systems;
(4) in order to mitigate air pollution and comply with Federal mandates,
Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel was introduced into the marketplace in 2006;
(5) fuel labeled Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel may accumulate more than the
statutory limit of 15 parts per million of sulfur when transported through
multiple pipelines, tanks, and trucks to the final point of sale;
(6) fuel distributors and retailers may inadvertently take delivery of
fuel labeled Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel with more than 15 parts per million
of sulfur without a practical means of verifying sulfur content; and
(7) fuel distributors and retailers may transform their business by dispensing
hydrogen, reformed on site from various feedstocks, or delivered by pipeline
or tube trucks, resulting in new storage, handling, and equipment challenges.
SEC. 3. BIOFUEL INFRASTRUCTURE AND ADDITIVES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
The Assistant Administrator of the Office of Research and Development of
the Environmental Protection Agency (in this Act referred to as the `Assistant
Administrator'), in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, shall carry out a program of research
and development of materials to be added to biofuels to make them more compatible
with existing infrastructure used to store and deliver petroleum-based fuels
to the point of final sale. The Assistant Administrator is encouraged to
utilize Land Grant Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities,
Hispanic Serving Institutions, and other minority-serving institutions among
other resources to undertake research for this program. The program shall
address--
(1) materials to prevent or mitigate--
(A) corrosion of metal, plastic, rubber, cork, fiberglass, glues, or
any other material used in pipes and storage tanks;
(B) dissolving of storage tank sediments;
(D) contamination from water or other adulterants or pollutants;
(E) poor flow properties related to low temperatures;
(F) oxidative and thermal instability in long-term storage and use;
(G) microbial contamination; and
(H) problems associated with electrical conductivity;
(2) alternatives to conventional methods for refurbishment and cleaning
of gasoline and diesel tanks, including tank lining applications;
(3) strategies to minimize emissions from infrastructure;
(4) issues with respect to certification by a nationally recognized testing
laboratory of components for fuel dispensing devises that specifically
reference compatibility with alcohol blended and other biofuels that contain
greater than 15 percent alcohol;
(5) challenges for design, reforming, storage, handling, and dispensing
hydrogen fuel from various feedstocks, including biomass, from neighborhood
fueling stations, including codes and standards development necessary
beyond that carried out under section 809 of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16158);
(6) issues with respect to where in the fuel supply chain additives optimally
should be added to fuels; and
(7) other problems as identified by the Assistant Administrator, in consultation
with the Secretary of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and
Technology.
SEC. 4. SULFUR TESTING FOR DIESEL FUELS.
(a) Program- The Assistant Administrator, in consultation with the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, shall carry out a research, development,
and demonstration program on portable, low-cost, and accurate methods and
technologies for testing of sulfur content in fuel, including Ultra Low
Sulfur Diesel and Low Sulfur Diesel.
(b) Schedule of Demonstrations- Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Assistant Administrator shall begin demonstrations
of technologies under subsection (a).
SEC. 5. STANDARD REFERENCE MATERIALS AND DATA BASE DEVELOPMENT.
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the National
Institute of Standards and Technology shall develop a physical properties
data base and standard reference materials for biofuels. Such data base
and standard reference materials shall be maintained and updated as appropriate
as additional biofuels become available.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS SUBJECT TO PAY AS YOU GO.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Environmental Protection
Agency $10,000,000 for carrying out this Act, to be derived from amounts
otherwise appropriated to the Environmental Protection Agency for energy
research, development, and demonstration activities related to fuels or
environmental research and development activities related to fuels.
SEC. 7. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
Not later than 1 year after the establishment of the program under this
Act, the Secretary of Energy shall transmit a report to Congress containing
suggestions for any Federal incentives that could help such program be more
successful.
SEC. 8. ADDITIONAL FINDING.
The Congress also finds that in order to lessen United States dependence
on foreign sources of petroleum, and decrease demand for petroleum in aircraft,
such as passenger planes with 42 business class seats capable of transcontinental
flights, the Nation must diversify its fuel supply for aircraft to include
domestically produced alternative fuels.
SEC. 9. ADDITIONAL ISSUES.
Research and development under this Act shall address issues with respect
to increased volatile emissions or increased nitrogen oxide emissions.
Passed the House of Representatives February 8, 2007.
Attest:
KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.
END
