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Congress finds it hard to let Federal Helium Program run out of gas
Washington Post ^ | April 26, 2013 | David A. Fahrenthold

Posted on 05/01/2013 11:36:08 PM PDT by JerseyanExile

some_text

President Ronald Reagan tried to get rid of it. So did President Bill Clinton. This October, their wish is finally set to come true.

The Federal Helium Program — left over from the age of zeppelins and an infamous symbol of Washington’s inability to cut what it no longer needs — will be terminated.

Unless it isn’t.

On Friday, in fact, the House voted 394 to 1 to keep it alive.

The problem is that the private sector has not done what some politicians predicted it would — step into a role that government was giving up. The Federal Helium Program sells vast amounts of the gas to U.S. companies that use it in everything from party balloons to MRI machines.

If the government stops, no one else is ready. There are fears of shortages.

So Congress faces an awkward task. In a time of austerity, it may reach back into the past and undo a rare victory for downsizing government.

The program at the center of this debate has its origins after World War I, in a kind of arms race that sounds ridiculous now. In Europe, countries such as Germany were building sturdy, if slow, inflatable airships. The U.S. military was worried about a blimp gap.

So Congress ordered a stockpile of helium to help American dirigibles catch up. It was assumed to be a temporary arrangement.

“As soon as private companies produce [helium], the government will, perhaps, withdraw?” asked Rep. Don Colton (R-Utah) during the House debate.

“That is correct,” said Rep. Fritz Lanham (D-Tex.).

That was in 1925.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: heluim

1 posted on 05/01/2013 11:36:08 PM PDT by JerseyanExile
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To: JerseyanExile

Wow.

So much for that two party system and the GOPe being on our side, they are never going to cut anything


2 posted on 05/01/2013 11:52:29 PM PDT by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: JerseyanExile

Can we get rid of the phone tax from the early 1900’s too? Or the rural electrical program?

How much are we wasting in salaries for overpaid, underworked bureaucrats?


3 posted on 05/01/2013 11:57:34 PM PDT by Fledermaus (I'm done with the GOP. Let them wither and die. We need to start over.)
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And comedians with that high-pitched voice...


4 posted on 05/01/2013 11:58:45 PM PDT by Gene Eric (The Palin Doctrine.)
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To: JerseyanExile

The problem is they GIVE it to industry and commerce. If they would start charging more, THEN the market would step in.

Idiot bureaucrats.


5 posted on 05/02/2013 12:00:10 AM PDT by Born to Conserve
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To: JerseyanExile

Such BS...as soon as the government gets out of the way, private companies will step up to make the money.

Helium? Really? Between that idiot that thought Guam would tip over saying “our kids won’t bet balloons” to that insane Harry Reid whining about $50k for “cowboy poetry” it becomes clear DC is more out of control than ever.

Sometimes I think I won’t mind if some crazy terrorist nuke it.


6 posted on 05/02/2013 12:00:41 AM PDT by Fledermaus (I'm done with the GOP. Let them wither and die. We need to start over.)
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To: JerseyanExile

I’m not saying the government needs to subsidize the He business, but this author is an absolute idiot if he thinks the only thing He is used for is balloons. Currently it is the only way to access truly cryogenic temperatures (4K) and below. This is critically important to almost all solid state physics research and development. Furthermore, once it leaves the atmosphere, there’s no getting it back.


7 posted on 05/02/2013 3:48:49 AM PDT by vmivol00 (I won't be reconstructed.)
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To: JerseyanExile

The problem for private industry is the unknown.

Will the EPA rule Helium a greenhouse gas once industry spends the bucks to take over production?

Will OSHA rule it as toxic and cancer causing?

Will on site monitoring of midge flies be required?

The regulatory machine in this country is totally out of control, freezing large scale economic development.


8 posted on 05/02/2013 3:54:33 AM PDT by wrench
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To: vmivol00

Hats off to someone with the facts.


9 posted on 05/02/2013 3:55:15 AM PDT by jmaroneps37 (Conservatism is truth. Liberalism is lies.)
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To: JerseyanExile
Classes of Lighter than air ships:

Class A - Dirigible

Class B - Limp

10 posted on 05/02/2013 4:04:17 AM PDT by N. Theknow (Kennedys=Can't drive, can't ski, can't fly, can't skipper a boat, but they know what's best for you.)
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To: JerseyanExile
The Post and your commentors are a little short sighted. Take a look at the following article:

“Why the world is running out of helium”
A US law means supplies of the gas – a vital component of MRI scanners – are vanishing fast.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/why-the-world-is-running-out-of-helium-2059357.html

11 posted on 05/02/2013 4:17:56 AM PDT by Col. Bob (To give in is to commit national suicide)
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To: JerseyanExile

Helim comes up with oil.

Once it’s in the atmosphere—it’s GONE! As in—NOT recoverable.

That’s the problem.


12 posted on 05/02/2013 4:42:28 AM PDT by Flintlock ("The British are coming--to TAKE OUR GUNS"--Paul Revere)
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To: jmaroneps37
The helium that is in the atmosphere comes from alpha particles emitted by radioactive decay (see How Nuclear Radiation Works for details on alpha decay). In places that have a lot of uranium ore, natural gas tends to contain high concentrations of helium (up to 7 percent). This makes sense, since the decay of uranium emits lots of alpha particles and a natural gas pocket tends to be a sealed container underground.

Helium is cryogenically distilled out of natural gas to produce the helium we put in balloons.

I would wager there are two issues here at the heart of all this. First, with our rapid rising of natural gas production from fracking, the government is afraid of losing that control of a marketable product. As it is also a residual of atomic energy, increasing our footprint in that regard would also cut into their little pie.

13 posted on 05/02/2013 4:43:30 AM PDT by mazda77
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To: JerseyanExile

Helium comes only from 14 gas wells in the US. That’s it. It is quite rare in the atmosphere as it simply floats away into space.

This is a much bigger issue than it first appears.


14 posted on 05/02/2013 6:33:52 AM PDT by buffaloguy
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To: buffaloguy
Helium comes only from 14 gas wells in the US. That’s it. It is quite rare in the atmosphere as it simply floats away into space.

That's what I hear. I think it's amazing that it's that rare, and yet there is enough of it for use in transitory consumer goods.

This is a much bigger issue than it first appears.

I'm wondering how much of the current pricing of He is related to the government interferance in the market. I'm betting it's significant.

15 posted on 05/02/2013 7:16:56 AM PDT by zeugma (Those of us who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living.)
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To: zeugma

The government interference has set the price too low.


16 posted on 05/02/2013 7:23:55 AM PDT by buffaloguy
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To: mazda77
Helium is cryogenically distilled out of natural gas to produce the helium we put in balloons.

Very, very few natural gas fields contain helium. While it is produced from natural gas, it is a very select source of natural gas.

17 posted on 05/02/2013 1:02:02 PM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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