[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[S. 1581 Reported in Senate (RS)]
Calendar No. 749
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1581
[Report No. 110-339]
To establish an interagency committee to develop an ocean acidification
research and monitoring plan and to establish an ocean acidification
program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 7, 2007
Mr. Lautenberg (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Stevens, Ms.
Klobuchar, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Nelson of Florida, and Mrs. Boxer) introduced
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
May 22, 2008
Reported by Mr. Inouye, with amendments
[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish an interagency committee to develop an ocean acidification
research and monitoring plan and to establish an ocean acidification
program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Ocean
Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2007'' or the ``FOARAM
Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 3. Interagency committee on ocean acidification.
Sec. 4. Strategic research and implementation plan.
Sec. 5. NOAA ocean acidification program.
Sec. 6. Definitions.
Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) The oceans help mitigate the effects of global warming
by absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide. About a third of
anthropogenic carbon dioxide is currently absorbed by the
ocean.
(2) The rapid increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is
overwhelming the natural ability of the oceans to cope with
human-induced carbon dioxide emissions.
<DELETED> (3) The emission of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere is causing the oceans to become more acidic. The
increase in acidity and changes in ocean chemistry are
corrosive to marine shells and organisms that form the base of
the food chain for many fish and marine mammals including the
skeletons of corals which provide one of the richest habitats
on earth.</DELETED>
(3) The emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is
changing surface ocean carbon chemistry and lowering the pH.
These changes in ocean chemistry are corrosive to marine
shells, and are detrimental to organisms that form the base of
the food chain for many fish and marine mammals, and to corals,
which provide one of the richest habitats on Earth.
(4) The rich biodiversity of marine and freshwater
organisms is an important contribution to the national
<DELETED>economy </DELETED>economy, and the change in ocean
chemistry threatens our <DELETED>fisheries and marine
environmental quality, </DELETED>fisheries, marine
environmental quality, and tourism, and could result in
significant social and economic costs.
(5) Existing Federal programs support research in related
ocean chemistry, but gaps in funding, coordination, and
outreach have impeded national progress in addressing ocean
acidification.
(6) National investment in a coordinated program of
research and monitoring would improve the understanding of
ocean acidification effects on whole ecosystems, advance our
knowledge of the socio-economic impacts of increased ocean
acidification, and strengthen the ability of marine resource
managers to assess and prepare for the harmful impacts of ocean
acidification on our marine resources.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to provide for--
(1) development and coordination of a comprehensive
interagency plan to monitor and conduct research on the
processes and consequences of ocean acidification on marine
organisms and ecosystems and to establish an ocean
acidification program within the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration; <DELETED>and
</DELETED> (2) assessment and consideration of regional and
national ecosystem and socio-economic impacts of increased
ocean acidification, and integration into marine resource
<DELETED>decisions. </DELETED>decisions; and
(3) research on adaptation strategies and techniques for
effectively conserving marine ecosystems as they cope with
increased ocean acidification.
SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON OCEAN ACIDIFICATION.
(a) Establishment.--
<DELETED> (1) In general.--There is hereby established an
Interagency Committee on Ocean Acidification.</DELETED>
(1) In general.--The President shall establish or designate
an interagency committee on ocean acidification.
(2) Membership.--The <DELETED>Committee </DELETED>committee
shall be comprised of senior representatives from the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science
Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
the United States Geological Survey, the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service, <DELETED>the Environmental Protection Agency,
the Department of Energy, </DELETED>and such other Federal
agencies as the <DELETED>Secretary </DELETED>President
considers appropriate.
(3) Chairman.--The <DELETED>Committee </DELETED>committee
shall be chaired by the representative from the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The chairman may create
subcommittees chaired by any member agency of the committee.
Working groups may be formed by the full <DELETED>Committee
</DELETED>committee to address issues that may require more
specialized expertise than is provided by existing
subcommittees.
(b) Purpose.--The <DELETED>Committee </DELETED>committee shall
oversee the planning, establishment, and <DELETED>coordination
</DELETED>coordinated implementation of a plan designed to improve the
understanding of the role of increased ocean acidification on marine
ecosystems.
(c) Reports to Congress.--
(1) Strategic research and implementation plan.--The
<DELETED>Committee </DELETED>committee shall submit the
strategic research and implementation plan established under
section 4 to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on
Natural Resources.
(2) Triennial report.--Not later than 2 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act and every 3 years thereafter,
the <DELETED>Committee </DELETED>committee shall transmit a
report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on
Natural Resources that includes--
(A) a summary of federally funded ocean
acidification research and monitoring activities,
including the budget for each of these activities; and
(B) an analysis of the progress made toward
achieving the goals and priorities for the interagency
research plan developed by the <DELETED>Committee
</DELETED>committee under section 4 and recommendations
for future <DELETED>activities. </DELETED> activities,
including policy recommendations developed as part of
this research.
SEC. 4. STRATEGIC RESEARCH AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
(a) In General.--Within <DELETED>1 year </DELETED>18 months after
the date of enactment of this Act, the <DELETED>Committee
</DELETED>committee shall develop a strategic research and
implementation plan for coordinated Federal activities. In developing
the plan, the <DELETED>Committee </DELETED>committee shall consider
<DELETED>and use </DELETED>reports and studies conducted by Federal
agencies and departments, the National Research Council, the Ocean
Research and Resources Advisory Panel, <DELETED>the Joint Subcommittee
on Ocean, Science, and Technology of the National Science and
Technology Council, the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative,</DELETED>
and other expert scientific <DELETED>bodies. </DELETED>bodies and
coordinate with other relevant Federal interagency committees.
(b) Scope.--The plan shall--
(1) provide for interdisciplinary research among the ocean
sciences, and coordinated research and activities to improve
understanding of ocean acidification that will affect marine
ecosystems and to assess the potential and realized socio-
economic impact of ocean acidification, including--
(A) effects of atmospheric carbon dioxide on ocean
chemistry;
(B) biological impacts of ocean acidification,
including research on--
<DELETED> (i) commercially and
recreationally important species and
ecologically important calcifiers that lie at
the base of the food chain; and</DELETED>
(i) species, including commercially and
recreationally important species, protected,
endangered, or threatened species, and
ecologically important calcifiers that lie at
the base of the food chain; and
(ii) physiological changes in response to
ocean acidification;
<DELETED> (C) identification and assessment of
ecosystems most at risk from projected changes in ocean
chemistry including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) coral reef
ecosystems;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) polar ecosystems;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iii) coastal ocean
ecosystems;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) modeling the effects of pH including
ecosystem forecasting;</DELETED>
(C) identification and assessment of ecosystems
most at risk from projected changes in ocean chemistry,
including--
(i) coastal ecosystems, including Great
Lakes ecosystems;
(ii) coral reef ecosystems, including deep
sea coral ecosystems; and
(iii) polar and subpolar ecosystems;
(D) modeling the changes in ocean chemistry driven
by the increases in ocean carbon levels, including
ecosystem forecasting;
(E) identifying feedback mechanisms resulting from
the ocean chemistry changes <DELETED>and the subsequent
</DELETED>such as the decrease in calcification rates
in organisms;
(F) socio-economic impacts of ocean acidification,
including commercially and recreationally important
<DELETED>fisheries; </DELETED>fisheries and coral reef
communities; and
(G) identifying interactions between ocean
acidification and other oceanic changes including those
associated with climate change;
(2) establish, for the 10-year period beginning in the year
it is submitted, goals, priorities, and guidelines for
coordinated activities that will--
(A) most effectively advance scientific
understanding of the characteristics and impacts of
ocean acidification;
(B) provide forecasts of changes in ocean
acidification and the consequent impacts on marine
ecosystems; and
(C) provide a basis for policy decisions to reduce
and manage ocean acidification and its environmental
impacts;
(3) provide an estimate of Federal funding requirements for
research and monitoring activities; and
(4) identify and strengthen relevant programs and
activities of the Federal agencies and departments that would
contribute to accomplishing the goals of the plan and prevent
unnecessary duplication of efforts, including making
recommendations for the use of observing systems and
technological research and development.
(c) Consultation.--In developing the plan, the committee may
consult with the academic community, States, industry, environmental
groups, and other relevant stakeholders.
SEC. 5. NOAA OCEAN ACIDIFICATION PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish and maintain an
ocean acidification program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to implement activities consistent with the strategic
research and implementation plan developed by the <DELETED>Committee
</DELETED>committee under section 4 that--
(1) includes--
(A) interdisciplinary research among the ocean and
atmospheric sciences, and coordinated research and
activities to improve understanding of ocean
acidification;
(B) the establishment of a long-term monitoring
program of <DELETED>pH levels in the ocean
</DELETED>ocean acidification utilizing existing global
ocean observing assets and adding instrumentation and
sampling stations as appropriate to the aims of the
research program;
(C) research to identify and develop adaptation
strategies and techniques for effectively conserving
marine ecosystems as they cope with increased ocean
acidification;
<DELETED>(C) </DELETED>(D) educational
opportunities that encourage an interdisciplinary and
international approach to exploring the impacts of
ocean acidification;
<DELETED>(D) </DELETED>(E) national public outreach
activities to improve the understanding of ocean
acidification and its impacts on marine resources; and
<DELETED>(E) </DELETED>(F) coordination of ocean
acidification research and monitoring <DELETED>and
impacts research </DELETED>with other appropriate
international ocean science bodies such as the
International Oceanographic Commission, the
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea,
the North Pacific <DELETED>Marine Science Organization,
</DELETED>Research Board, and others;
(2) provides grants for critical research projects that
explore the effects of ocean acidification on ecosystems and
the socio-economic impacts of increased ocean acidification
that are relevant to the goals and priorities of the strategic
research plan; and
(3) incorporates a competitive merit-based grant process
that may be conducted jointly with other participating agencies
or under the National Oceanographic Partnership Program under
section 7901 of title 10, United States Code.
(b) Additional Authority.--In conducting the Program, the Secretary
may enter into and perform such contracts, leases, grants, or
cooperative agreements as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of
this Act on such terms as the Secretary deems appropriate.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
<DELETED> (1) Committee.--The term ``Committee'' means the
Interagency Committee on Ocean Acidification established by
section 3(a).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Ocean acidification.--The term ``ocean
acidification'' means the decrease in the pH of the Earth's
oceans caused by the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere.</DELETED>
(1) Committee.--The term ``committee'' means the
interagency committee on ocean acidification established or
designated by the President under section 3(a)(1).
(2) Ocean acidification.--The term ``ocean acidification''
means the change in ocean chemistry that is driven by the
increase in ocean carbon levels, and the uptake of chemical
inputs from the atmosphere, including anthropogenic carbon
dioxide.
(3) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ocean Acidification
Program established under section 5.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
<DELETED> (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated
to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration $30,000,000 to
carry out the purposes of this Act for each of fiscal years 2008
through 2012, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years after
fiscal year 2012.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Allocation.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Of the amounts made available to carry out
this Act for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allocate at
least 60 percent to other departments and agencies to carry out
the priorities of the plan developed by the
Committee.</DELETED>
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out this Act--
(1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;
(2) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
(3) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
(4) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2012; and
(5) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2013.
(b) Allocation.--Of the amounts appropriated to the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under subsection (a) for each
fiscal year--
(1) 40 percent shall be available to, and retained by, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for use in
carrying out its responsibilities under this Act; and
(2) 60 percent shall be transferred by the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration in equal amounts to--
(A) the National Science Foundation;
(B) the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration;
(C) the United States Geological Survey; and
(D) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
<DELETED>(2) </DELETED>(3) Of the amounts made available to
carry out this Act for any fiscal year, the Secretary, and
other departments and agencies to which amounts are
<DELETED>allocated under paragraph (1), </DELETED>transferred
under paragraph (2), shall allocate at least 50 percent for
competitive grants.
Calendar No. 749
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1581
[Report No. 110-339]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish an interagency committee to develop an ocean acidification
research and monitoring plan and to establish an ocean acidification
program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
_______________________________________________________________________
May 22, 2008
Reported with amendments