[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 94 (Wednesday, June 5, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H4329-H4331]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL ESTUARIES AND ACIDIFICATION RESEARCH ACT OF 2019
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 988) to provide for a study by the Ocean Studies
Board of the National Academies of Science examining the impact of
ocean acidification and other stressors in estuarine environments, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 988
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 ``National Estuaries and
Acidification Research Act of 2019'' or the ``NEAR Act of
2019''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Ocean acidification impacts human health, natural
resources, and the environmental, economic, and recreational
uses of the coastline.
(2) The current understanding of ocean acidification
impacts on estuarine ecosystems is inadequate to fully
prepare and manage for changing environmental conditions in
nearshore locations.
(3) While pH can be measured with high precision and
accuracy in open ocean environments, more understanding of
the carbonate system in estuarine ecosystems is needed for
precise and accurate measurements and observations.
(4) The interaction of multiple stressors, including
salinity, pH, temperature, sea level rise, and nutrient
input, within estuarine ecosystems is inadequately understood
for managing the health, economic, recreational, and
environmental impacts driven by these interactions.
(5) A better understanding is needed of how anthropogenic
influences in coastal environments affect estuarine
ecosystems.
(6) More integration and coordination is needed among
regional, national, and global environmental observations in
estuarine environments, supporting prior investments in
related topics such as nutrient loading, hypoxia, ocean
acidification, and harmful algae bloom research and
observational systems.
SEC. 3. STUDY EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION AND
OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS ON ESTUARINE
ENVIRONMENTS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall make
appropriate arrangements with the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (referred to in this Act
as the ``National Academies'') under which the National
Academies shall conduct a study that--
(1) examines the existing science of ocean acidification in
estuarine environments;
(2) examines the challenges to studying ocean acidification
and ocean acidification's interactions with other environment
stressors in estuarine environments;
(3) provides recommendations for improving future research
with respect to ocean acidification in estuarine
environments; and
[[Page H4330]]
(4) identifies pathways for applying science in management
and mitigation decisions relating to ocean acidification in
estuarine environments.
(b) Contents of Study.--The study described under
subsection (a) shall include--
(1) the behavior of the carbonate system within estuarine
environments;
(2) the interactions of the carbonate system with other
biotic and abiotic characteristics of estuarine ecosystems;
(3) how environmental and anthropogenic changes or
disturbances could affect abiotic and biotic processes within
estuaries;
(4) how estuarine biotic and abiotic processes will be
affected under predicted environmental changes;
(5) the current state of data collection, interpretation,
storage, and retrieval and observational infrastructure of
abiotic and biotic parameters in estuarine ecosystems;
(6) the gaps that exist in understanding the socio-economic
and health impacts of ocean acidification in estuaries;
(7) future directions for scientific research; and
(8) pathways for applying science in management and
mitigation decisions.
(c) Report.--In entering into an arrangement under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall request that the National
Academies transmit to Congress a report on the results of the
study not later than 24 months after the date of enactment of
this Act.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Johnson) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.
General Leave
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
to include extraneous materials on H.R. 988, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 988, the National Estuaries
and Acidification Research Act of 2019, or the NEAR Act.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to thank the sponsor of
the legislation, Mr. Posey, for his work on this bill and his general
support and understanding in addressing the serious problem of ocean
acidification.
Mr. Posey's bill takes a focused look at a unique part of our coastal
environment estuaries. Our estuaries are valuable and part of our
marine community, both from an economic, as well as an ecological
perspective. These environments are complex and the effects of ocean
acidification on them is well understood.
H.R. 988 would address the gaps in our knowledge by commissioning a
review by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
on the impacts of ocean acidification on estuaries.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this good, bipartisan bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 988, the National Estuaries
and Acidification Research Act of 2019, a bipartisan bill sponsored by
Congressman Bill Posey.
This legislation directs the Secretary of Commerce to coordinate a
study with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine to examine the effects of ocean acidification on estuary
environments, and to submit the report to Congress within 2 years.
Specifically, this study would provide Congress a greater understanding
of the biological and economic impacts of ocean acidification on inland
marine environments beyond what is called for under current law.
Estuaries are ecologically unique and economically important brackish
water ecosystems that occur when inland rivers meet oceans. These areas
possess unique biological characteristics and have not been the subject
of studying the effects of ocean acidification to date.
Mr. Speaker, we have heard about the need for additional study for
ocean acidification during the debate on the previous bills. However,
this legislation would further improve our knowledge of this topic by
utilizing the expertise and resources of the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Ocean Studies Board to gain a
better understanding of the importance of this issue.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairwoman for
yielding me the time and for her support of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Congressman Posey's
bipartisan National Estuaries and Acidification Research Act. I am
proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill, which would direct the
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Ocean Studies
Board to conduct a study that examines the existing science of ocean
acidification and estuaries and provide recommendations to improve
future research and management to inform mitigation decisions.
As co-chair of the House Oceans Caucus and the Congressional Estuary
Caucus, I know that acidification is not only affecting open oceans.
Estuaries and nearshore waters are also faced with environmental
stressors. Ocean and coastal acidification often present itself in the
context of other coastal processes like runoff, erosion, and upwelled
water from the oceans making it difficult to measure its individual
effects on estuaries.
We know that estuaries and nearshore waters are also experiencing the
consequences of our inaction to address ocean and coastal
acidification, and research has not kept pace with the needs of coastal
communities.
The NEAR Act would address the significant research gaps and urgent
need to improve our understanding of the effects of ocean and coastal
acidification.
I want to thank Congressman Posey for his leadership on this bill,
and his efforts to preserve our Nation's estuaries. I urge all of my
colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Posey), the author of this outstanding
piece of legislation and someone who has a tremendous working knowledge
of all of these issues.
Mr. POSEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and his
kind words.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 988, the National Estuaries
and Acidification Research Act.
First, I want to thank Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Congressman
Brian Mast for working with me and our staff to advance this important
bipartisan legislation. I also want to thank the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for their valuable input.
The NEAR Act is a national proposal with a very special connection.
People in my district, the Eighth Congressional District of Florida,
understand in a very deep way the economic and environmental importance
of the ocean and our estuary.
My district is bounded on the east by the Indian River Lagoon, which
is North America's most diverse estuary. As the name implies, our
estuary is a lagoon. It is an estuary separated from the ocean by
barrier islands. The exchange of waters between the lagoon and the sea
makes it an estuary.
{time} 1000
The lagoon is 156 miles long, but it is only a half mile to 5 miles
wide and averages just 3 feet in depth. Our lagoon is a wondrous
nursery for sea life, but its physical features make it especially
vulnerable to environmental threats. Unfortunately, the Indian River
Lagoon and other valuable estuaries throughout our country are being
threatened by ocean acidification, along with other stressors.
EPA tells us that, when carbon dioxide is released into the
atmosphere, about one-third of that carbon dioxide is absorbed by
seawater, creating carbonic acid. We have seen this happen in the
ocean, but this process is now seeming to occur in estuaries and
coastal zones.
Ten years of Federal investments in ocean acidification research show
that acidification hurts tourism, recreational fishing, and coastal
communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems. Shellfish are
especially at peril.
The threats of coastal acidification to our environment and our
economy
[[Page H4331]]
are significant. The story of my district and the Indian River Lagoon
plays out along our entire national coastline. More than half of the
U.S. population lives in coastal areas.
Coastal watershed counties provide an estimated 69 million U.S. jobs
and contribute an estimated $7.9 trillion to the GDP, annually. That is
why I joined with Congresswoman Bonamici to cofound the bipartisan
Congressional Estuary Caucus to work for policies that preserve and
restore our estuaries and to help support other efforts like research
and development to contribute to healthy estuaries.
Regrettably, we don't know a lot about how increasing ocean
acidification affects a nearshore water body like the Indian River
Lagoon. That is because acidification often acts, alongside other
coastal processes, like runoff, erosion, and upwelled water from the
ocean.
These estuary conditions aren't present in the same way in the open
ocean, and they make it difficult to measure acidification's impact
from what we know about the open ocean. As a result, we don't yet have
a great way to measure how acidification plays out in estuaries. We
need more research to support efforts to prevent and mitigate coastal
acidification.
The NEAR Act is a great step toward increasing our knowledge of how
acidification affects our estuaries. The study proposed in this bill
can give us invaluable information to bolster our efforts to preserve
and restore healthy estuaries.
Mr. Speaker, when we take care of our environment, we take care of
ourselves; and, therefore, I ask my colleagues to join me in taking
this important step toward understanding how ocean acidification
affects our precious estuaries and support this bill today.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the bill, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 988,
the ``National Estuaries and Acidification Research Act of 2019.''
H.R. 988 provides a study by the Ocean Studies Board of the National
Academies of Science examining the impact of ocean acidification and
other stressors in estuarine environments.
The bill would authorize the appropriation of $1 million for a
report, to be completed in two years, that examines the challenges to
studying ocean acidification, provides recommendations for improving
future research, and identifies ways to apply science while mitigating
and managing ocean acidification in estuarine environments.
Ocean acidification occurs when there are changes in ocean water
chemistry from the absorption of excess carbon dioxide, but the current
understanding of ocean acidification impacts on estuarine ecosystems is
inadequate to fully prepare and manage for changing environmental
conditions in nearshore locations.
It is critical that we better understand the interaction of multiple
stressors, including salinity, pH, temperature, sea level rise, and
nutrient input, within estuarine ecosystems so that the health,
economic, recreational, and environmental impacts driven by these
interactions can be effectively managed.
This bill will allow the Ocean Studies Board of the National
Academies to conduct a study that--examines the existing science of
ocean acidification in estuarine environments; examines the challenges
to studying ocean acidification and ocean acidification's interactions
with other environment stressors in estuarine environments; provides
recommendations for improving future research with respect to ocean
acidification in estuarine environments; and identifies pathways for
applying science in management and mitigation decisions relating to
ocean acidification in estuarine environments.
Through transportation, recreation, tourism, and other port
activities, healthy estuaries are critical to the economy of coastal
communities and contribute $320 billion to our nation's GDP.
In addition, estuaries filter sediments and pollutants out before
river water reaches the ocean and provide habitat for more than 75
percent of commercially caught fish in the United States.
When enacted, H.R. 988 will create a better understanding of coastal
acidification, so we can better manage and mitigate its effects on our
nation's estuaries and other natural treasures.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 988
to confront ocean acidification, which poses a strong threat to the
estuaries that America's coastal residents depend on for nutrition,
employment, and recreation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 988, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to provide
for a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine examining the impact of ocean acidification and other
stressors in estuarine environments.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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