[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 92 (Wednesday, July 7, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H5215-H5218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM AND HYPOXIA RESEARCH AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2004
Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1856) to reauthorize the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia
Research and Control Act of 1998, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 1856
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 ``Harmful Algal Bloom and
Hypoxia Research Amendments Act of 2004''.
SEC. 2. RETENTION OF TASK FORCE.
Section 603 of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research
and Control Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 1451 note) is amended by
striking subsection (e).
SEC. 3. SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENTS AND RESEARCH, DEMONSTRATION,
AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PLANS.
Such section 603 is further amended--
(1) in subsection (a) by adding at the end the following:
``In developing the assessments and plans described in
subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f), the Task Force shall
work with appropriate State, Indian tribe, and local
governments to ensure that the assessments and plans fulfill
the requirements of subsections (b)(2), (c)(2), (d)(2),
(e)(2), and (f)(2). Additionally, the Task Force shall
consult with appropriate industry (including agriculture and
fertilizer industry), academic institutions, and non-
governmental organizations throughout the development of the
assessments and plans.''; and
(2) by striking subsections (b) and (c) and inserting the
following:
``(b) Scientific Assessments of Harmful Algal Blooms.--(1)
Not less than once every 5 years the Task Force shall
complete and submit to Congress a scientific assessment of
harmful algal blooms in United States coastal waters. The
first such assessment shall be completed not later than 24
months after the date of enactment of the Harmful Algal Bloom
and Hypoxia Research Amendments Act of 2004 and should
consider only marine harmful algal blooms. All subsequent
assessments shall examine both marine and freshwater harmful
algal blooms, including those in the Great Lakes and upper
reaches of estuaries.
``(2) The assessments under this subsection shall--
``(A) examine the causes and ecological consequences, and
economic costs, of harmful algal blooms;
``(B) describe the potential ecological and economic costs
and benefits of possible actions for preventing, controlling,
and mitigating harmful algal blooms;
``(C) evaluate progress made by, and the needs of, Federal
research programs on the causes, characteristics, and impacts
of harmful algal blooms; and
``(D) identify ways to improve coordination and to prevent
unnecessary duplication of effort among Federal agencies and
departments with respect to research on harmful algal blooms.
``(c) Scientific Assessment of Freshwater Harmful Algal
Blooms.--(1) Not later than 24 months after the date of
enactment of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research
Amendments Act of 2004 the Task Force shall complete and
submit to Congress a scientific assessment of current
knowledge about harmful algal blooms in freshwater locations
such as the Great Lakes and upper reaches of estuaries,
including a research plan for coordinating Federal efforts to
better understand freshwater harmful algal blooms.
``(2) The freshwater harmful algal bloom scientific
assessment shall--
[[Page H5216]]
``(A) examine the causes and ecological consequences, and
the economic costs, of harmful algal blooms with significant
effects on freshwater locations, including estimations of the
frequency and occurrence of significant events;
``(B) establish priorities and guidelines for a
competitive, peer-reviewed, merit-based interagency research
program, as part of the Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful
Algal Blooms (ECOHAB) project, to better understand the
causes, characteristics, and impacts of harmful algal blooms
in freshwater locations; and
``(C) identify ways to improve coordination and to prevent
unnecessary duplication of effort among Federal agencies and
departments with respect to research on harmful algal blooms
in freshwater locations.
``(d) National Scientific Research, Development,
Demonstration, and Technology Transfer Plan Into Reducing
Impacts From Harmful Algal Blooms.--(1) Not later than 12
months after the date of enactment of the Harmful Algal Bloom
and Hypoxia Research Amendments Act of 2004, the Task Force
shall develop and submit to Congress a plan providing for a
comprehensive and coordinated national research program to
develop and demonstrate prevention, control, and mitigation
methods to reduce the impacts of harmful algal blooms on
coastal ecosystems (including the Great Lakes), public
health, and the economy.
``(2) The plan shall--
``(A) establish priorities and guidelines for a
competitive, peer-reviewed, merit-based interagency research,
development, demonstration, and technology transfer program
on methods for the prevention, control, and mitigation of
harmful algal blooms;
``(B) identify ways to improve coordination and to prevent
unnecessary duplication of effort among Federal agencies and
departments with respect to the actions described in
paragraph (1); and
``(C) include to the maximum extent practicable diverse
institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and
Universities and those serving large proportions of
Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, and
other underrepresented populations.
``(3) The Secretary of Commerce, in conjunction with other
appropriate Federal agencies, shall establish a research,
development, demonstration, and technology transfer program
that meets the priorities and guidelines established under
paragraph (2)(A). The Secretary shall ensure, through
consultation with Sea Grant Programs, that the results and
findings of the program are communicated to State, Indian
tribe, and local governments, and to the general public.
``(e) Scientific Assessments of Hypoxia.--(1) Not less than
once every 5 years the Task Force shall complete and submit
to Congress a scientific assessment of hypoxia in United
States coastal waters including the Great Lakes. The first
such assessment shall be completed not less than 12 months
after the date of enactment of the Harmful Algal Bloom and
Hypoxia Research Amendments Act of 2004.
``(2) The assessments under this subsection shall--
``(A) examine the causes and ecological consequences, and
the economic costs, of hypoxia;
``(B) describe the potential ecological and economic costs
and benefits of possible actions for preventing, controlling,
and mitigating hypoxia;
``(C) evaluate progress made by, and the needs of, Federal
research programs on the causes, characteristics, and impacts
of hypoxia, including recommendations of how to eliminate
significant gaps in hypoxia modeling and monitoring data; and
``(D) identify ways to improve coordination and to prevent
unnecessary duplication of effort among Federal agencies and
departments with respect to research on hypoxia.
``(f) Local and Regional Scientific Assessments.--(1) The
Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Task Force
and appropriate State, Indian tribe, and local governments,
shall provide for local and regional scientific assessments
of hypoxia or harmful algal blooms, as requested by State,
Indian tribe, or local governments, or for affected areas as
identified by the Secretary. If the Secretary receives
multiple requests, the Secretary shall ensure, to the extent
practicable, that assessments under this subsection cover
geographically and ecologically diverse locations with
significant ecological and economic impacts from hypoxia or
harmful algal blooms. The Secretary shall establish a
procedure for reviewing requests for local and regional
assessments. The Secretary shall ensure, through consultation
with Sea Grant Programs, that the findings of the assessments
are communicated to the appropriate State, Indian tribe, and
local governments, and to the general public.
``(2) The scientific assessments under this subsection
shall examine--
``(A) the causes and ecological consequences, and the
economic costs, of hypoxia or harmful algal blooms in that
area;
``(B) potential methods to prevent, control, and mitigate
hypoxia or harmful algal blooms in that area and the
potential ecological and economic costs and benefits of such
methods; and
``(C) other topics the Task Force considers appropriate.''.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 605 of such Act is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 605. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary
of Commerce for research, education, monitoring,
demonstration, and technology transfer activities related to
the prevention, reduction, and control of harmful algal
blooms and hypoxia, $19,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2005, 2006, and 2007, to remain available until expended. The
Secretary shall consult with the States on a regular basis
regarding the development and implementation of the
activities authorized under this title. Of such amounts for
each fiscal year--
``(1) $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2005, 2006, and
2007 shall be used to enable the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to carry out research and
assessment activities, including procurement of necessary
research equipment, at research laboratories of the National
Ocean Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service;
``(2) $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005, 2006, and
2007 shall be used to carry out the Ecology and Oceanography
of Harmful Algal Blooms (ECOHAB) project, with $1,000,000 of
such amount used to carry out research on freshwater harmful
algal blooms;
``(3) $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005, 2006, and
2007 shall be used to carry out the research program
described in section 603(d)(3);
``(4) $7,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005, 2006, and
2007 shall be used to carry out the Monitoring and Event
Response for Harmful Algal Blooms (MERHAB) project;
``(5) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005, 2006, and
2007 shall be used for activities related to research and
monitoring on hypoxia; and
``(6) $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2005, 2006, and
2007 shall be used to carry out the activities described in
section 603(f).
Amounts authorized under paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5)
shall only be used to support competitive, peer-reviewed
research programs. ''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).
General Leave
Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 1856, as amended, the bill now
under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it is timely that we are considering this bill about
harmful algal blooms and hypoxia. Just last week, beaches in the
Chesapeake Bay were closed due to a harmful algal bloom.
I introduced H.R. 1856 more than a year ago after learning about the
nationwide problems caused by harmful algal blooms, also known as HABs,
and also, the harmful effects from hypoxia. Harmful algal blooms are
dense mats of toxic algae that can harm marine animals and humans.
Hypoxia occurs when an algal bloom depletes oxygen in the water and
leaves behind conditions that essentially choke all of the marine life
in the affected area.
Harmful algal blooms and hypoxia occur nationwide in areas including
the Chesapeake Bay, California, the Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes,
and the Gulf of Mexico. In 1998, Congress passed a 3-year bill
authorizing harmful algal bloom and hypoxia research programs with a
focus on the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico and Pfiesteria in the
Chesapeake Bay. Since the authorization of these important research
programs expired, I decided to reexamine the issue at a hearing in the
Committee on Science last year.
At that hearing we learned that successful research supported by the
1998 authorization enabled scientists to move closer to being able to
predict HAB outbreaks; and in some regions, they have learned enough
about the phenomena to start developing mitigation and control methods.
We also learned that the occurrence of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia
is increasing in fresh-water locations such as the Great Lakes, and
there is sometimes a disconnect between the research being performed
and the local resource managers who should benefit from the science. In
response, I developed H.R. 1856 to amend and update the 1998 act.
Today, I offer a manager's amendment that reflects discussions with the
Committee on Resources and the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure who are also interested in this bill. I especially want
to thank the
[[Page H5217]]
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) from the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, the chair of the Subcommittee on
Water Resources, as well as the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest)
from the Committee on Resources, chair of the Fisheries Subcommittee,
for their help in guiding this bill through the process. Also I thank
my colleagues on the Committee on Science, including the gentleman from
New York (Chairman Boehlert) and my friend, the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Baird), who have provided useful input. I appreciate
all of their help in improving the bill.
The manager's amendment maintains the current level of authorization
for harmful algal blooms and hypoxia programs at the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, better known as NOAA, and maintains
that current level of authorization at $19 million annually over the
next 3 fiscal years. It adds fresh-water regions such as the Great
Lakes as an important focus area for harmful algal bloom and hypoxia
research.
The bill also increases participation of local resource managers to
ensure that the research is prioritized to address the questions facing
people managing these problems. Also, the bill requires that NOAA
administer all research funding through a competitive, merit-based,
peer-reviewed process.
Finally, the bill reauthorizes funding for effective programs that
evolved out of the 1998 act. For example, the MERHAB program, which
stands for Monitoring and Event Response For Harmful Algal Blooms,
partners State and local research managers with university researchers.
Research from this program has resulted in innovations such as rapid
test kits that beach managers can use directly in the field to test for
harmful algal blooms. These kits eliminated the need to take samples
back to a lab and wait days for confirmation of the presence of toxins,
providing an early warning for the public about harmful algal blooms.
H.R. 1856 does not mandate any specific regulatory actions. It is
purely a research, development, and demonstration bill, with a goal of
improving our understanding of these phenomena so that we can predict
their occurrence and develop tools for improved detection and
mitigation of these problems.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the manager's amendment
and the underlying bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to offer my support for H.R. 1856, the
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research Amendments Act of 2004,
authored by my colleague and friend, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
Ehlers). I thank my colleague on the Committee on Science and my
colleague on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan), for working with me to develop
language that will move the research results of this program from the
laboratory and the field closer to their application. I would also like
to thank the members of the Committee on Science for their support and
help in this effort.
Since the inception of this program in 1998, we have developed a
better understanding and appreciation for the dimensions and complexity
of harmful algal blooms and hypoxic zones. We have made progress in
identifying harmful species and in providing timely information to
fisheries and recreational managers to prevent human health problems.
However, we have not been very successful in developing and
implementing management strategies or technologies to reduce the
frequency or the intensity of the blooms.
Harmful algal blooms are not just an unpleasant nuisance. They are
hazardous to human health, damaging to fish and wildlife, and they are
economically devastating to the coastal communities that depend on
coastal resources for their livelihoods. The razor clam fisheries, for
example, along the coast of Washington have experienced three extended
closures in the past 10 years. Each one of these represents the loss of
over $10 million to coastal communities in my home State. I can tell my
colleagues that local restaurants, hotels, and the tourism industry
depend on the annual influx of clam diggers; and when the beaches are
closed, they lose millions of dollars in important revenue and jobs.
Also, Washington State's Hood Canal region of the Puget Sound has
experienced harmful algal blooms that threaten to create an ecological
dead zone. Due to the proliferation of harmful blooms, levels of
dissolved oxygen in Hood Canal have declined during the past several
years to such an extent that many fish, shellfish, and invertebrate
species are threatened. Indeed, last fall, two dozen species of fish
washed up on Hood Canal's beaches, unable to survive in the oxygen-
depleted waters. In an effort to protect Hood Canal's increasingly
threatened ecosystem, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
has been forced to close much of the canal to fishing, costing rural
Washington communities valuable jobs. Oxygen levels drop during the
summer, and State officials expect significant losses as this summer
continues.
Our States need funding to implement plans to identify and eradicate
the causes and to prevent such blooms. We must act now to clean our
coastal waters and restore the ecological and economic health of our
fisheries. I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1856. And again,
I commend the gentleman from Michigan (Chairman Ehlers) for his
leadership on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, we have no other speakers, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to say a few words for the Members who may
not understand what harmful algal blooms are, and I also want to
emphasize that this bill does not increase authorization or funding
above the previous bill; it maintains the same level at $19 million per
year, and we believe that will be sufficient to continue the project.
Harmful algal blooms are sometimes referred to as a ``red tide.''
These are algae that for some reason proliferate very rapidly under
certain conditions, and the net effect of that is that they consume so
much oxygen and produce toxins that they basically create a dead zone.
In the Gulf of Mexico, it is not unusual to have a dead zone equal in
size to the State of New Jersey. Obviously, this is not only harmful to
the Gulf of Mexico, but also harmful to the fishing industries who like
to use that area because of the large number of fish that are killed by
the lack of oxygen and the toxins.
What is of special concern is that the harmful algal blooms now are
appearing in fresh-water areas, particularly the Great Lakes, one of
the greatest sources of fresh water not only in this Nation, but in the
world.
We want to head that off very early, and try to find out precisely
what is happening in the Great Lakes that would allow these harmful
algal blooms to develop there and create the same difficulties that we
have observed in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in the State of
Washington in the bay area around Seattle and Puget Sound.
Mr. Speaker, I think it is absolutely essential for us to address
this. We reached the conclusion after our hearing that a great deal of
good research has been done, that the emphasis now can switch from
research, although not entirely; we must continue some research, but we
also have to convert that into action now. The gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Baird) in particular has a problem in the Puget Sound
area that has to be addressed immediately. We hope that, as a result of
this bill, we will see greater action through demonstration projects,
and more than demonstration projects as time goes on, so that we can
deal with this problem, actually solve it, and get rid of the harmful
algal blooms and the hypoxia which occurs and which kills other
organisms.
So, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this bill has reached this point.
I want to thank the gentleman from Washington. He is one of the most
helpful committee members on the Committee on Science, but particularly
on this bill because of his expertise and the situation they have in
the State of Washington. He has been most helpful in our discussions;
and I hope that, as a result of this action, we will be able to address
the problems in the State of Washington as well as other areas of the
Nation.
[[Page H5218]]
Mr. Speaker, I want to also express my thanks to the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest)
for their work on moving this bill through the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, as well as the Committee on
Resources. Finally, I thank the gentleman from New York (Chairman
Boehlert) for his hard work bringing this bill to the floor today.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1856 will provide a timely update for these
important programs that help our coastal communities deal with harmful
algal blooms and hypoxia. I urge all of our colleagues to support H.R.
1856.
Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, as someone concerned with the health of the
Great Lakes, I rise in support of H.R. 1856, the Harmful Algal Bloom
and Hypoxia Research Amendments Act.
I would also like to thank my distinguished colleague from Michigan
for offering this bill as well as for his leadership on this and other
issues of importance to the Great Lakes.
As has been noted, harmful algal blooms are dense patches of toxic
algae, which can poison marine life.
Harmful algal blooms can also become airborne and cause respiratory
problems in humans.
Worse still, when the toxic algae decays, it can cause hypoxia, or a
condition where all the oxygen in the water surrounding the algal bloom
is consumed, resulting in a ``dead zone'' where no living thing can
survive.
These algal blooms plague the Gulf of Mexico, the Chesapeake Bay and
many of the Great Lakes, notably Lake Erie.
In fact, a recent report estimates that more than half of the
Nation's estuaries experience hypoxic conditions at some time each
year.
Economic impact of harmful algal blooms in United States average
annually $50 million, but individual outbreaks can cause economic
damage that far exceed the annual average.
Total public health impacts due to shellfish poisoning from harmful
algal blooms averaged $22 million between 1987-1992.
H.R. 1856 will help us to better understand harmful algal blooms by
increasing and updating research programs at NOAA.
But, importantly, H.R. 1856 will begin new research into Great Lakes
algal blooms, which present different challenges and concerns than
their ocean relatives.
Indeed, this bill will do a lot to help us better understand just one
of the many problems facing the Great Lakes, and ultimately help us to
begin to restore the health of one of our greatest national treasures.
This bill is a good first step, and I hope it will renew this body's
interest in providing resources to conserve our nation's lakes and
oceans, including the Great Lakes.
For this reason I support H.R. 1856, and urge my colleagues to do so
as well.
Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the remainder of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1856, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________