Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009

DUNCAN HUNTER NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009 -- (Extensions of Remarks - June 03, 2008)

SPEECH OF
HON. STEVE ISRAEL
OF NEW YORK
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2008

The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5658) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2009 for military activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2009, and for other purposes:

* Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is very simple. Essentially, it suggests a small step DOD can take to make itself more energy efficient. The amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study reviewing DOD's policies concerning the sale and disposal of used motor vehicle lubricating oil. The report will include an evaluation of the feasibility of implementing policies to require closed loop recycling of used oil as a means of reducing total indirect energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions.

* And to the extent that the report finds that closed loop recycling can reduce total indirect energy usage and decrease greenhouse gas emissions without significant increase in overall cost to DOD, it asks the Secretary to implement closed loop recycling of used oil when feasible.

* Re-refining, or recycling, allows used oil that would otherwise be burned or dumped to be refined again and used for its originally intended purpose, just as when it was virgin oil. According to the American Petroleum Institute, re-refining used lubricating oil takes from 50 to 85 percent less energy than refining crude oil. Re-refined oil meets industry standards for use in vehicles. And according to a July 2006 report by the Department of Energy, ``transforming all used oil that is currently combusted into lube oil products could save 63 million gallons of fuel oil equivalent per year.''

* Through closed loop recycling, DOD would buy re-refined oil for use in its vehicles, sell their used oil back to re-refiners to be recycled, and then continue the cycle.

* I should also note that nothing in this amendment changes or affects the Solid Waste Disposal Act or any other Federal or State environmental law, or the obligation of any person to comply with that law.

* This amendment is a win-win. By recycling used motor oil, DOD decreases its reliance on our adversaries to keep its vehicles running. DOD conserves energy by extending the life of a nonrenewable resource. And greenhouse gas emissions are decreased.

* DOD already uses some re-refined oil and it even has a closed loop re-refined oil program. Expanding these programs is one small way the military can reduce its overall reliance on foreign oil. As the largest single consumer of energy in the United States, it is a step that I believe DOD should consider taking.

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