SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNITED STATES OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS.

SEC. 1307. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNITED STATES OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS. (a) Findings.—Congress makes the following findings: (1) The Chemical Weapons Convention requires the destruction of the United States stockpile of lethal chemical agents and munitions by April 29, 2007 (not later than 10 years after the Convention’s entry into force). (2) The President has substantial authority under existing law to ensure that— (A) the technologies necessary to destroy the stockpile are developed; (B) the facilities necessary to destroy the stockpile are constructed; and (C) Federal, State, and local environmental laws and regulations do not impair the ability of the United States to comply with its obligations under the Convention. (3) The Comptroller General has concluded (in GAO Report NSIAD 97018 of February 1997) that— (A) obtaining the necessary Federal and State permits that are required under Federal environmental laws and regulations for building and operating the chemical agents and munitions destruction facilities is among the most unpredictable factors in the chemical demilitarization program; and111 STAT. 1956 (B) program cost and schedule are largely driven by the degree to which States and local communities are in agreement with proposed disposal methods and whether those methods meet environmental concerns. (b) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that the President— (1) should use the authority of the President under existing law to ensure that the United States is able to construct and operate the facilities necessary to destroy the United States stockpile of lethal chemical agents and munitions within the time allowed by the Chemical Weapons Convention; and (2) while carrying out the obligations of the United States under the Convention, should encourage negotiations between appropriate Federal officials and officials of the State and local governments concerned to attempt to meet their concerns regarding compliance with Federal and State environmental laws and regulations and other concerns about the actions being taken to carry out those obligations. (c) Chemical Weapons Convention Defined.—For the purposes of this section, the terms “Chemical Weapons Convention” and “Convention” mean the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction, ratified by the United States on April 25, 1997, and entered into force on April 29, 1997.