[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 106 (Tuesday, September 12, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H7385-H7388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPLORATION OF THE SEAS ACT
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2090) to direct the Secretary of Commerce to contract with
the National Academy of Sciences to establish the Coordinated
Oceanographic Program Advisory Panel to report to the Congress on the
feasibility and social value of a coordinated oceanography program, as
amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2090
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Exploration of the Seas
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) During the past 100 years, scientists working with
marine fossils, both underwater and high in the mountains,
have traced the origins of life on Earth to the sea,
beginning approximately 3 billion years ago. Today, life on
our planet remains dependent on the vitality of the sea.
(2) More than two-thirds of the Earth's surface is covered
by water, with oceans and inland seas accounting for almost
140 million square miles.
(3) The United Nations forecasts a worldwide population of
8.9 billion by the year 2050, a 50 percent increase from 5.9
billion in 1999. As this trend in population growth
continues, increasing demands will be placed on ocean and
coastal resources, not only as a result of population growth
in coastal regions, but also from the need to harvest
increasing amounts of marine life as a source of food to
satisfy world protein requirements, and from the mining of
energy-producing materials from offshore resource deposits.
(4) The ocean remains one of the Earth's last unexplored
frontiers. It has stirred our imaginations over the
millennia, led to the discovery of new lands, immense mineral
deposits, and reservoirs of other resources, and produced
startling scientific findings. Recognizing the importance of
the marine environment, the need for scientific exploration
to expand our knowledge of the world's oceans is crucial if
we are to ensure that the marine environment will be managed
sustainably.
(5) The seas possess enormous economic and environmental
importance. Some ocean resources, such as fisheries and
minerals, are well recognized. Oil use has increased
dramatically in recent times, and the sea bed holds large
deposits of largely undiscovered reserves. Other ocean
resources offer promise for the future. In addition to fossil
fuels, the ocean floor contains deposits of gravel, sand,
manganese crusts and nodules, tin, gold, and diamonds. Marine
mineral resources are extensive, yet poorly understood.
(6) The oceans also offer rich untapped potential for
medications. Marine plants and animals possess inestimable
potential in the treatment of human illnesses. Coral reefs,
sometimes described as the rain forests of the sea, contain
uncommon chemicals that may be used to fight diseases for
which scientists have not yet found a cure, such as cancer,
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and diabetes.
While the number of new chemical compounds that can be
derived from land based plants and microbial fermentation is
limited, scientists have only just begun to explore the sea's
vast molecular potential.
(7) In spite of the development of new technologies,
comparatively little of the ocean has been studied. The
leadership role of the United States has been eroded by a
gradual decrease in funding support, even while public
opinion surveys indicate that ocean exploration is at least
as important as space exploration.
(8) The National Academy of Sciences has the means by which
to study and make determinations regarding the adoption and
establishment of a coordinated oceanography program for the
exploration of the seas, in which the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration could participate in a role
similar to that of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration with regard to the International Space
Station.
SEC. 3. COORDINATED OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM ADVISORY PANEL.
(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act and subject to the availability of
appropriations, the Secretary of Commerce shall contract with
the National Academy of Sciences to establish the Coordinated
Oceanography Program Advisory Panel (in this Act referred to
as the ``Panel''), comprised of experts in ocean studies,
including individuals with academic experience in
oceanography, marine biology, marine geology, ichthyology,
and ocean related economics.
(b) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--The Panel shall
elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson.
(c) Termination.--The Panel shall cease to exist 30 days
after submitting its final report and recommendations
pursuant to section 4.
SEC. 4. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
(a) In General.--No later than 18 months after its
establishment, the Panel shall report to the Committee on
Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the
feasibility and social value of a coordinated oceanography
program. In preparing its report, the Panel shall examine
existing oceanographic efforts and the level of coordination
or cooperation between and among participating countries and
institutions.
(b) International Workshop.--To assist in making its
feasibility determination under subsection (a), the Panel
shall convene an international workshop with participation
from interested nations and a broad range of persons
representing scientists, engineers, policy makers,
regulators, industry, and other interested parties.
(c) Final Report.--The Panel shall include in its final
report recommendations for a national oceans exploration
strategy, which will--
(1) define objectives and priorities, and note important
scientific, historic, and cultural sites;
(2) promote collaboration among research organizations;
(3) examine the potential for new ocean exploration
technologies;
(4) describe those areas of study in which national or
international oceanographic cooperation is currently being
undertaken;
(5) identify areas of study in which knowledge of the
oceans is inadequate;
(6) ensure coordination with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's Marine Protected Area Center;
(7) ensure that newly discovered organisms with medicinal
or commercial potential are identified for possible research
and development; and
(8) identify countries and organizations that would be
likely to participate in a coordinated oceanography program.
(d) Implementation.--If the Panel determines that a
coordinated oceanography program is feasible and has
significant value for advancing mankind's knowledge of the
ocean, the Panel shall include in its final report
recommendations
[[Page H7386]]
for implementing such program, including recommendations
regarding--
(1) the institutional arrangements, treaties, or laws
necessary to implement a coordinated oceanography program;
(2) the methods and incentives needed to secure cooperation
and commitments from participating nations to ensure that the
benefit that each nation that is a party to any international
agreement establishing a coordinated oceanography program
receives is contingent upon meeting the nation's obligations
(financial and otherwise) under such an agreement;
(3) the costs associated with establishing a coordinated
oceanography program;
(4) the types of undersea vehicles, ships, observing
systems, or other equipment that would be necessary to
operate a coordinated oceanography program; and
(5) how utilization of aboriginal observational data and
other historical information may be best incorporated into a
coordinated oceanography program.
SEC. 5. OBTAINING DATA.
Subject to national security restrictions, the Panel may
obtain from any department or agency of the United States
information necessary to enable it to carry out this Act.
Upon request of the chairperson of the Panel, the head of any
department or agency shall furnish that information at no
cost to the Panel.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated for the purposes of
carrying out this Act, and to remain available until
expended, $1,500,000.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Saxton) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr.
Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton).
General Leave
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and to include extraneous material on H.R. 2090.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2090 requires the Secretary of Commerce to contract
with the National Academy of Sciences to establish a Coordinated
Oceanographic Program Advisory Panel. The Panel will submit a report to
Congress on the feasibility and social value of a coordinated
international oceanography program.
Recent technical advances have given us the ability to fully explore
the world's oceans.
{time} 1500
As an example, in the district that I am privileged to represent, a
project in Tuckerton, New Jersey, called the Long-term Ecological
Observatory, better known to us at home as FEO-15, measures ocean
processes along the New Jersey coast and in Little Egg Harbor and
Barnegat Bay. This legislation will enhance programs just like FEO-15
for their success.
While there have been many tremendous advances in oceanography
technology over the past 15 years, the United States does not have yet
a comprehensive plan for determining what data needs to be collected or
for integrating that data into a usable system.
This bill, H.R. 2090, is a positive step in moving this technology
forward in an efficient way; and I urge support of the exploration. And
I might say at this point, Mr. Speaker, that I congratulate the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) for leading us to the floor
with this very important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I again compliment and thank my good
friend, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation,
Wildlife and Oceans for his management of this legislation, and I do
commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) as the chief
author of this legislation, H.R. 2090.
Mr. Speaker, the world's oceans are critical to human health, as well
as the vitality of our entire planet. The establishment of an advisory
panel to examine the feasibility and value of a coordinated domestic
and international oceanography program makes good sense.
With this in mind, I do support the principles and the provisions
behind the passage of the Exploration of the Seas Act. I just have a
little concern about the relevance and the need of the legislation,
given the fact that earlier this year we did pass the Oceans Act of
2000 which was passed by the Congress and subsequently signed by the
President on August 7 of this year.
This law already establishes a commission to evaluate and make
recommendations on oceans policy. And I just thought that maybe there
may be a little duplication here, but on the other hand I think on
anything relevant to the situation affecting the oceans policies, where
over the years we really have not given really any real substantive
examination of this very, very important issue, perhaps the gentleman's
legislation will add on to what we are sincerely trying to bring about
this real coordinated effort with all the agencies involved between the
White House and especially with the Congress so we can really look at a
national oceans policy having the participation and coordination of all
relevant Federal agencies that should be a participant in this effort.
I just wanted to express that concern.
I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate very much the support of my friend from
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega). I would just like to comment,
relative to his concerns on duplication, obviously the Oceans Act that
we passed here a short time ago is a very important act because it
essentially provides for an opportunity to take a look at how United
States ocean policy is developed and carried out. Obviously, the
Stratton Commission that was created in the late 1960s and reported to
the Congress in 1969 provided an opportunity for us to make some
changes and establish a great organization known as the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This bill differs in two ways. Number one, it is international in
scope, which gives us the opportunity to cooperate with, exchange
information with, extract cooperative efforts from our friends around
the world who are also engaged in various types of oceanography studies
and the development of technology. I think that many of our friends
around the world recognize, as we do, that there is a need for better
ocean stewardship, and to the extent that we can cooperate with them
through programs like the one that we are creating or moving to create
here today will be, I think, a great advantage.
Secondly, the Oceans Act takes a broad look at United States ocean
policy, domestic policy. This act is a very narrow focus on technology,
and so I think that is an important distinction and one that mitigates
for the important passage of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood).
Mr. GREENWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey
(Mr. Saxton) not only for yielding to me but for all of his help in
moving this bill through the subcommittee, as well as the minority
ranking member.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of the Exploration of the
Seas Act, H.R. 2090, which is a necessary step if mankind is ever to
realize the untapped potential of the world's oceans.
The Exploration of the Seas Act accomplishes this goal by directing
the Secretary of Commerce to contract with the National Academy of
Sciences to establish a coordinated oceanographic program advisory
panel comprised of experts in ocean studies, which will create a
blueprint of how to implement an international undersea exploration
effort.
A visitor to our solar system asked to name the third planet from the
sun would most certainly not name it Earth as early land-bound humans
did, but rather Oceania for the dominating character of its seas.
Seventy-five percent of our planet's surface and 95 percent of its
biosphere is ocean.
Life began in the sea, which is now the home of somewhere between 10
and 100 million spectacularly diverse species. Ninety-seven percent of
the planet's water is in its oceans. The oceans
[[Page H7387]]
are the engines for our terrestrial weather patterns, the highway for
international trade. Fifteen percent of the protein consumed by humans
comes from the sea.
Beneath the ocean floor lies unimaginable quantities of oil, gas,
coal, and minerals. Marine plants and animals possess inestimable
biotechnological potential in the treatment of human illness. Coral
reefs, sometimes described as the rain forest of the sea, contain
uncommon chemicals that may be used to fight diseases for which
scientists have not yet found a cure, such as cancer, AIDS and
diabetes.
While the number of new chemical compounds that can be derived from
land-based plants and microbial fermentation is limited, scientists
have only just begun to explore the sea's vast molecular potential.
The oceans are our source, our sustenance and the key to our future
survival. But the capacity of the seas to absorb our waste and fulfill
our desires is not without limit. Twenty percent of the world's coral
reefs have been destroyed, 20 percent and counting. Oceans are the
dumping grounds for municipal trash, sewage and even nuclear waste.
More than two-thirds of the world's marine fish stocks have been fished
beyond their maximum productivity.
If our children's children are to inherit the ocean's bounty, we must
come to understand and manage it far better than we do today; and I am
confident the Exploration of the Seas Act will assist in achieving that
goal.
I urge support of H.R. 2090. Mr. Speaker, we spend billions of
dollars in outer space and NASA programs. I support that. I think it is
fascinating that the Russians and Americans have achieved such amazing
goals in our space station, but by contrast we spend pennies on
explorations of our oceans. And yet our survival as a species depends
on our oceans. This legislation will begin the process by which I hope
the nations of the world, the great nations of the world, can combine
our efforts and begin to devote the kind of attention that we need to
devote to our oceans for our own survival and for the betterment of our
species.
I again thank the chairman of the subcommittee and the ranking member
for all of their support.
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, while the gentleman was speaking, I thought back of all
the efforts that we have been involved in together, Members of both
parties, in trying to address one of the issues that the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) just spoke of that namely the ocean is not
the kind of expanse that can absorb our wastes for time unlimited. And
during the time that we have been in the Congress, we have stopped
ocean sludge dumping. We have been successful in passing the act to
make sure that people do not dump medical waste in the ocean, which was
so important to my district and the beaches that I know the gentleman
visits in the summertime.
We have been successful in making sure that chemical dumping is taken
care of in ways outside the ocean.
There is one burning issue off the coast of New Jersey that the
gentleman and I love very much, that is the shore that we love very
much, and that is that this administration is currently issuing permits
to dump contaminated dredge spoils off Sandy Hook. And these are the
kinds of nonthinking, bad ideas that we need to avoid. The dumping of
dredge spoils with contaminants such as mercury and lead and PCBs and
other things that are poisonous to the human body and to the creatures
that live in the ocean is something that we need to pay a lot more of
attention to.
So while we have had some successes, we have a long way to go. And
this bill creating an awareness and a study, a further study of
technologies about what we can do and what we should not do and what we
cannot do to the ocean environment, is extremely important.
Mr. GREENWOOD. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. SAXTON. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. GREENWOOD. Mr. Speaker, once again, I appreciate that.
As the gentleman pointed out, the United States Congress has done a
great deal, particularly with the leadership of the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Saxton), in reducing the pollution that the United States
adds to the oceans in reducing the over exploitation in which we
engage. But the rest of the world continues in many parts, whether it
is in India, or in China, in Asia. The Russians have a very long way to
go, and that is why I think this international cooperation is what is
really needed both to explore the oceans and to protect them for the
future generations. And I thank the gentleman again for all of his
support
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I again commend the gentleman for bringing
this very good and important legislation to the floor.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, again I want to compliment and thank my good friend, the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood), for his comments,
especially as the author of this legislation, and thank also the
chairman of our subcommittee for managing the bill now before the
floor.
I want to note also so many things relative to oceans policy of our
Nation. I think our Nation is one of the few nations, if we look at the
geography alone, are from the Atlantic coastal States, the State of
Florida in particular, the Gulf States and then the entire Pacific
coast. Probably no other nation, in my opinion, has had this direct
exposure to the problems, whether it be the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf
Stream, the areas relative to the Pacific area where ocean policy needs
to be really firmly established as far as our Nation is concerned. And
I thank the gentleman for bringing this legislation, hopefully, as a
means of complementing what we are trying to do with other pieces of
legislation.
I recall I recently attended a Conference on Marine Debris; the
billions of dollars in costs for some of the things that I had listened
to represented from some 20 nations in the Pacific region, and one of
the things that I noticed quite well was their response in looking up
to the leaders of our Nation to take the leadership in this effort
because of the fact that we do have the resources and, hopefully, that
we will commit such resources to assist in this effort.
I do not know if our colleagues are aware that every year we have to
import over $9 billion worth of fish from other countries. My question
is: Why are we not producing enough of our own domestic consumption
demand of fish in the States and in our own domestic consumption needs?
The situation of ornamental fish, it is about a $6 billion industry.
The point is that with the economics of all of this dealing with
fisheries, I do think we do need to establish that policy. I thank the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) for this legislation and my
good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton). I do urge my
colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me just say that the gentleman's help is
very much appreciated. We need to understand issues like ocean dumping
and this bill provides the forum in which we can look at the technology
so that we can better understand. I thought we understood because we
stopped dumping ocean sludge, sewage sludge in the ocean. We stopped
dumping chemicals in the ocean, but we still have this burning problem
of dumping contaminated dredge spoils in the ocean. It is a practice
which is unwarranted, and this bill, hopefully, will provide an
opportunity for the administration to understand that this is bad
policy.
Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be a cosponsor
of H.R. 2090, The Exploration of the Seas Act. This bill requires the
Commerce Department to contract with the National Academy of Sciences
(NAS) to establish an advisory panel to study the feasibility and
social value of creating a coordinated international oceanographic
exploration and study program.
For too long crucial policy decisions regarding the development and
use of our oceans and coastal regions have been made with too little
information. Two years ago, at my initiation, President Clinton
convened the first ever National Ocean Conference in Monterey,
California. The purpose of the White House conference was to bring
national attention on the need to protect and preserve our
[[Page H7388]]
oceans--which cover 71 percent of the Earth's surface and are key to
the life support system for all creatures on our planet.
Following the National Ocean Conference, I introduced the Oceans Act
with several of my colleagues. This bipartisan bill, which was signed
into law by the President on August 8, 2000, will create a national
Oceans Commission to bring together ocean and coastal experts, policy
makers, environmental groups, and industry representatives to take a
comprehensive look at our nation's ocean and coastal policies. In
constant dollars, Federal expenditures for ocean activities are about
one-third of what they were thirty years ago, when Congress convened a
similar commission that led to the creation of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
This summer I co-chaired the Oceans Policy Conference, to move beyond
crisis management to a policy that balances conservation and
development, with the guiding principles of sustainability. It is vital
that the United States take the leadership in ensuring that the oceans
are protected so that the ocean benefits we enjoy today will be
available for future generations. Sound science and careful exploration
will lay the groundwork for sustainable use of existing ocean resources
and future untapped reserves.
The bill before us today, the Exploration of the Seas Act, builds on
the foundation laid by my previous initiatives and those of other
Members to raise global awareness of the importance of our oceans. For
example, gas hydrates found in seabed floor deposits may be the energy
source of the future to replace traditional fossil fuels. Half of the
pharmaceuticals under development to treat cancer are derived from
marine species. These two examples alone adequately illustrate that now
is the time to explore the poorly understood resources of the oceans,
so we may be prepared to wisely manage them in the future.
We know more about the surface of the moon than the bottom of the
oceans. H.R. 2090 remedies this situation by making an important step
towards discovering the unknown treasures hidden below the surface of
the ocean.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Quinn). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2090, as amended.
The question was taken.
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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