HR 7: Opposing a proposed international convention classifying coal as a hazardous and noxious material.
00HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 7 01 Opposing a proposed international convention classifying coal as a hazardous and 02 noxious material. 03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: 04 WHEREAS the International Maritime Organization (IMO), an organization under the 05 auspices of the United Nations, is currently drafting proposals for an international treaty 06 adopting and expanding insurance indemnity provisions for seaborne commodities; and 07 WHEREAS, in contrast to existing maritime classifications and the policies and 08 regulations of the United States Department of Transportation and the United States Coast 09 Guard, the IMO proposes classifying coal as a hazardous and noxious material; and 10 WHEREAS there is no rational reason or precedent for classifying coal as a hazardous 11 or noxious material and the current maritime insurance has, without exception, adequately 12 provided insurance indemnity for seaborne coal shipping; and 13 WHEREAS action classifying coal as a hazardous or noxious material could 14 significantly increase insurance rates and the delivered cost of coal to the benefit of competing
01 fuel sources; and 02 WHEREAS this action would dramatically reduce the competitiveness of coal as an 03 import fuel and reduce the amount of exported coal from countries such as the United States; 04 and 05 WHEREAS this action would reduce the potential for the export of Alaska coal; and 06 WHEREAS the National Coal Association, the United States Coal Exporters 07 Association, and the Alaska Coal Association, together with labor organizations, adamantly 08 oppose the IMO proposal; and 09 WHEREAS it is critical that United States government representatives to the IMO 10 convention oppose the classification of coal as a hazardous or noxious material; 11 BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives respectfully urges the United 12 States Senate not to ratify a Hazardous and Noxious Substance Convention proposed by the 13 International Maritime Organization that includes coal as a designated hazardous or noxious 14 material. 15 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Al Gore, Jr., Vice-President 16 of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Bob Dole, Majority 17 Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Strom Thurmond, President Pro Tempore of the U.S. 18 Senate; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senators, 19 and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in 20 Congress.