[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17672-17675]
[From the U.S. 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

[[Page 17673]]

     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 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.

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  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. 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

[[Page 17674]]

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 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.

[[Page 17675]]

  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 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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