[Senate Report 112-243]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 558
112th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 112-243
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TO APPROVE THE TRANSFER OF YELLOW CREEK PORT PROPERTIES IN IUKA,
MISSISSIPPI
_______
November 30, 2012.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mrs. Boxer, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 1735]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Environment and Public Works to which was
referred a bill (S. 1735) to approve the transfer of Yellow
Creek Port properties in Iuka, Mississippi, having considered
the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and
recommends that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION
S. 1735 approves the transfer of federal properties at the
Yellow Creek Port in Iuka, Mississippi, by the Tennessee Valley
Authority to the State of Mississippi.
GENERAL STATEMENT AND BACKGROUND
The Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation's largest
public power provider and a corporation of the U.S. government.
TVA was established by Congress in 1933 to address a wide range
of environmental, economic, and technological issues, including
the delivery of low-cost electricity, the management of natural
resources, environmental stewardship, and advancing the
economic development of the Tennessee Valley region. Section
4(k) of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933 (16 U.S.C.
831c(k)), authorizes TVA to convey real property to any person,
including a State, for purposes of erecting docks and buildings
for shipping purposes or the manufacture or storage of products
for the purpose of trading or shipping in transportation,
subject to the approval of Congress.
The Yellow Creek Port, located on the Tennessee-Tombigbee
Waterway in Iuka, Mississippi, was developed by TVA in
cooperation with the State of Mississippi for economic
development purposes. The port facilities include a dock,
mooring cells, a railway connection, mobile cranes, warehouses,
and barge storage areas. TVA previously transferred real
property at the port to the state of Mississippi which has been
developed commercially, including a number of manufacturing
operations. This bill approves the transfer of the remaining
federal properties to the State of Mississippi to more
efficiently administer the port and further economic
development and job creation in the area.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. Transfer of Yellow Creek Port properties
Section 1 approves the conveyance by TVA, on behalf of the
United States, to the State of Mississippi of the Yellow Creek
Port properties owned by the United States and in the custody
of TVA at Iuka, Mississippi.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Senator Cochran introduced S. 1735, a bill to approve the
transfer of Yellow Creek Port properties in Iuka, Mississippi,
on October 19, 2011. The bill was read twice and referred to
the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. The
Committee met on July 25, 2012, and ordered S. 1735 favorably
reported without amendment by voice vote.
HEARINGS
There were no hearings held on this bill.
ROLLCALL VOTES
On July 25, 2012, the Committee on Environment and Public
Works met and considered S. 1735. A quorum of the Committee
being present, S. 1735 was reported favorably without amendment
by a voice vote. There were no rollcall votes taken in
Committee on this bill.
REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT
In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee finds that S. 1735
does not create any additional regulatory burdens, nor will it
cause any adverse impact on the personal privacy of
individuals.
MANDATES ASSESSMENT
In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
(Public Law 104-4), the Committee notes that the Congressional
Budget Office has found, ``S. 1735 contains no
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would benefit the state of
Mississippi.''
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
In compliance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee provides the
following cost estimate, prepared by the Congressional Budget
Office:
September 26, 2012.
Hon. Barbara Boxer,
Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Madam Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 1735, a bill to
approve the transfer of Yellow Creek Port properties in Iuka,
Mississippi.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Kathleen
Gramp.
Sincerely,
Douglas W. Elmendorf.
Enclosure.
S. 1735--A bill to approve the transfer of Yellow Creek Port properties
in Iuka, Mississippi
S. 1735 would authorize the Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA) to convey certain federal properties to the state of
Mississippi. Enacting S. 1735 would affect direct spending;
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply to the bill. CBO
estimates, however, that the net impact on direct spending
would be insignificant over the 2013-2022 period. Enacting S.
1735 would not affect revenues or spending subject to
appropriation.
S. 1735 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would benefit the state of Mississippi.
Based on information from TVA and the state of Mississippi,
CBO estimates that TVA would convey approximately 172 acres in
an area known as the Yellow Creek Port in Iuka, Mississippi.
Under a law enacted by the state in 2011, Mississippi is
authorized to acquire the property if environmental assessments
determine that the property is clear of any contaminants or
pollutants and if TVA waives certain payment obligations. The
conveyance is subject to Congressional approval because the
transfer would occur through a noncompetitive process.
TVA would incur some administrative and other expenses to
implement the conveyance, but CBO expects that those costs
probably would be minimal in any given year. Although some
spending may occur if the state's environmental assessments
identify a need for remedial action, TVA anticipates that any
such costs would be negligible and could occur under current
law. Similarly, waiving the amounts due from Mississippi would
have no effect on the budget because no such payments are
expected over the next 10 years. Furthermore, any changes in
TVA's expenses would have no significant net effect on direct
spending over the 2013-2022 period, CBO estimates, because TVA
is required by law to pass on all of its costs and savings to
its electricity customers.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Kathleen Gramp.
The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
Section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate
requires the committee to publish changes in existing law made
by the bill as reported. Passage of this bill will make no
changes to existing law.