S.Amdt. 4236

SA 4236. Mr. NELSON of Florida (for himself and Mr. LeMieux) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 4899, making emergency supplemental appropriations for disaster relief and summer jobs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 79, between lines 3 and 4, insert the following:

(b) Assessment of Environmental Impacts.--

(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:

(A) Deepwater horizon oil discharge.--The term “Deepwater Horizon oil discharge” means the discharge of oil and the use of oil dispersants that began in 2010 in connection with the explosion on, and sinking of, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico.

(B) Responsible party.--The term “responsible party” means a responsible party (as defined in section 1001 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701)) with respect to the Deepwater Horizon oil discharge.

(2) Appropriations of funds.--

(A) In general.--For an additional amount, in addition to amounts provided elsewhere in this Act for “Operations, Research, and Facilities” of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, $22,400,000 to carry out enhanced fisheries data collection in the Gulf of Mexico to assess environmental impacts related to the Deepwater Horizon oil discharge.

(B) Grants to fishermen.--Of the amount appropriated under subparagraph (A), $5,000,000 shall be available to provide cooperative research grants to fishermen to collect data to establish ecosystem baselines to assist managers in fully understanding the extent of the damage that resulted from the Deepwater Horizon oil discharge.

(3) Liability and reimbursement.--Notwithstanding any limitation on liability under section 1004 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2704) or any other provision of law, each responsible party shall, upon the demand of the Secretary of the Treasury, reimburse the general fund of the Treasury for the amount appropriated pursuant to paragraph (2).