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Week Ending September 29, 2006

S.362 A bill to establish a program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United States Coast Guard to help identify, determine sources of, assess, reduce, and prevent marine debris and its adverse impacts on the marine environment and navigation safety, in coordination with non-Federal entities, and for other purposes.

Marine debris can consist of anything from a bag of garbage thrown off a small craft to thousand of pounds discharged from a naval vessel. Industrial debris and a variety of offshore dumping has cluttered the Earth’s seabeds. This bill aims to at least map out where the stuff is.

The responsibility for the undertaking falls on NOAA that will first map marine debris and assess prevention and removal needs and determine the threat to living marine resources and navigation safety.

On a local level the impact of discarded fishing gear on coral reefs and how to prevent that problem would be studied.

Finally the bill would require looking into how to educate the public on the problem and solutions

The Coast Guard Commandant is directed to develop a voluntary reporting program and prepare to receive that information from vessels and recreational boaters and the general public about damage to vessels caused by marine debris. A plan to voluntary reduce such pollution is also ordered.

Congress would get a report on the extent of the problem, the sources of the debris, the impact of the debris and the possible solutions to reducing the amount of debris jettisoned into the sea and water ways.

Sponsor: Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI)

Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent. Passed House by voice vote September 27, 2006.

Cost to the taxpayers:

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