Washington, D.C. – The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today unanimously approved a number of measures, including a bill to reauthorize the U.S. Coast Guard. During today’s action, Republican Members expressed concerns with a provision adopted that would block the construction of new maritime terminals in the United States for energy and agricultural resources, and vowed to address the need for a ballast water treatment regime to help prevent the introduction of invasive species in U.S. waters.
H.R. 3619, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, authorizes $10 billion for the Coast Guard for fiscal year 2010, including $1.2 billion for acquisition of new vessels, aircraft and support systems under the Deepwater program. Provisions of the bill include:
• A restructuring of senior Coast Guard leadership and the administration of the Marine Safety Program to improve overall coordination of personnel, resources, and capabilities to carry out all of the service’s missions;
• An extension of the mandatory retirement age for Coast Guard flag officers to conform with Department of Defense authorities;
• The establishment of a civil penalty for simple possession of illegal drugs on U.S. waters.
The bill also strengthens protections for mariners defending their vessels against acts of piracy. Under a provision of the bill written by Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Ranking Member Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), mariners who use force and individuals who authorize the use of force to defend a vessel against pirate attack would be shielded from liability for damages or injuries that result from their defensive actions.
“We do not want to expose U.S. mariners to potential lawsuits for the actions they take to defend themselves and their vessels from pirates, and this bill will protect our mariners from this possibility,” said LoBiondo.
“One issue that we were not able to resolve prior to the introduction of the bill involves the Coast Guard’s outdated and insufficient housing authorities for the men and women of the service,” LoBiondo continued. “We all want to provide the finest housing to these servicemen who put their lives on the line each and every day to protect us, and I hope that we will be able to address these concerns before the bill goes to the House Floor.”
LoBiondo and U.S. Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) also outlined the need to adopt comprehensive national vessel discharge standards, including for ballast water, for all vessels operating in U.S. waters. Treatment of ballast water is expected to be much more effective than the current ballast water exchange requirement in preventing invasive species from being introduced into U.S. marine ecosystems. LoBiondo addressed the need to adopt a national standard for incidental discharges to avoid forcing vessels to have to comply with as many as 28 confusing and often contradictory state standards. LoBiondo and Ehlers received a commitment from Chairman Oberstar to address their concerns through an amendment to the bill before it is considered by the House.
Both Republican and Democratic Members expressed concerns with an amendment offered by Subcommittee Chairman Cummings that would block the construction of new maritime terminals in the United States for liquefied natural gas and other important cargoes, such as agricultural resources. The amendment would place the Coast Guard in the impossible position of having to guarantee the total and absolute security of vessels and facilities handling such resources more than five years before any such facility is even built. These facilities, like all shoreside facilities in the United States, are already required to operate in strict compliance with comprehensive security plans that are reviewed and approved by the Coast Guard, and there is no indication that any vessel or facility is failing to comply with these security requirements.
“The amendment creates unnecessary and duplicative requirements that will be impossible to implement, and may simply seek to prevent the construction of new facilities to handle important energy and agricultural resources,” said LoBiondo. “I hope we can address these concerns as this legislation progresses.”
The Committee adopted an amendment offered by U.S. Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) providing more authorities to the Coast Guard to prosecute those who smuggle aliens into the United States by sea. Alien smugglers profit by recklessly endangering the lives of those they transport in unsafe and overcrowded boats, too often without fear of reprisal by the Coast Guard, and this amendment will strengthen the service’s ability to combat the problem.
“Each year, alien smugglers bring thousands of undocumented aliens to the U.S. flaunting our laws and jeopardizing our safety,” said Olson. “The Coast Guard works tirelessly with border and customs officials to protect us. However, jurisdictional loopholes often leave smugglers free to violate our laws again. This amendment plugs that loophole and targets those with a reckless disregard for our laws and basic safety requirements.”
The Committee also approved a bill – H.R. 3618, the Clean Hull Act of 2009 – cosponsored by Committee Ranking Member John L. Mica and Rep. LoBiondo, implementing an international treaty to ban the use of tin-based boat paints. In the smallest measureable amounts, these paints are toxic to living marine resources in our harbors and waterways. Sale and manufacture of these paints in the United States has already been outlawed. The legislation establishes criminal and civil penalties for noncompliance with the ban.
“The United States has already taken steps to prohibit the use of these compounds by prohibiting the manufacture or sale of such marine paints,” LoBiondo said. “This bill would complete the process by preventing foreign vessels treated with tin-based paints from entering U.S. waters.”
Other measures approved today by the Committee: H.R. 3305, designating the “H. Dale Cook Federal Building and United States Courthouse” in Tulsa, Oklahoma; H. Con. Res. 138, recognizing the 40th anniversary of the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas; H. Res. 465, recognizing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association on the occasion of its 10th anniversary; H. Res. 719, commending Russ Meyer on his induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame; H.R. 1700, the “National Women's History Museum Act of 2009”; and General Services Administration Capital Investment Program Resolutions.
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