PRINTER'S NO. 4209
No. 386 Session of 1990
INTRODUCED BY DALEY, COLAIZZO, KASUNIC, STISH, LLOYD, FARGO,
CESSAR, GIGLIOTTI, WASS, B. SMITH, HERMAN, MIHALICH, McNALLY,
BURD AND ROBBINS, OCTOBER 2, 1990
ADOPTED, OCTOBER 2, 1990
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing the Congress of the United States to promote and
2 encourage the use of coal as a viable domestic energy
3 resource and to promote research in coal usage and clean coal
4 technology as a means of ensuring economic prosperity,
5 national security and environmental compatibility.
6 WHEREAS, The current crisis in the Middle East highlights the
7 need to further develop our domestic energy resources; and
8 WHEREAS, Our nation's addiction to foreign oil has given an
9 unfair advantage to foreign competitors and jeopardizes our
10 national industries and national security; and
11 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the nation in coal
12 producers with 315 years of coal reserves remaining in the
13 ground as a viable domestic energy resource; and
14 WHEREAS, Since the 1973 energy crisis, coal production has
15 doubled in this country and will reach over 1 billion tons in
16 1990 - the energy equivalent of three and a half million barrels
17 of oil a day with much room for future growth; and
18 WHEREAS, Coal accounts for 82% of the known recoverable
19 energy resources in our nation; and
1 WHEREAS, Coal generates 57% of all electricity in our nation
2 and has an 80% usage rate among the electric power market in
3 America; and
4 WHEREAS, For every 1 million tons of coal mined in
5 Pennsylvania, $29,160,000 is generated for the economy and 225
6 direct mining jobs are supported; and
7 WHEREAS, Current advances in clean coal technology permits
8 the use of coal in an environmentally compatible and efficient
9 manner; therefore be it
10 RESOLVED, That the Congress of the United States should
11 promote both the use of coal as a domestic energy resource and
12 research in coal technology as a way to regain American
13 competitiveness in the international marketplace instead of
14 taking a back seat to foreign competitors with cheap oil; and be
15 it further
16 RESOLVED, That the Congress of the United States should
17 promote the use and technological advancement of coal as a
18 domestic energy resource in order to further provide for our
19 national security and not subject our nation to the political
20 instability of Middle East oil producing nations; and be it
21 further
22 RESOLVED, That the Congress of the United States should
23 promote the use of coal and technological advancement of coal
24 through research and development in clean coal technology in
25 order to ensure that coal is even more environmentally
26 compatible and that environmental responsibility remains a
27 constant top priority of industries which use coal; and be it
28 further
29 RESOLVED, That the use of coal and research to further
30 advance the use of coal will make the United States economically
19900H0386R4209 - 2 -
1 stronger and will no longer allow the people of this great
2 country to be held "hostage" to the political whims of
3 unfriendly oil producing nations.
J1L82JRW/19900H0386R4209 - 3 -