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105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1480

To authorize appropriations for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct research, monitoring, education and management

activities for the eradication and control of harmful algal blooms, including blooms of Pfiesteria piscicida and other aquatic toxins.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

NOVEMBER 8, 1997

Ms. SNOWE (for herself and Mr. BREAUX) introduced the following bill; which

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and

Transportation

A BILL

To authorize appropriations for the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration to conduct research, monitoring, education and management activities for the

eradication and control of harmful algal blooms, including blooms of Pfiesteria piscicida and other aquatic toxins.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Harmful Algal Bloom

5 Research and Control Act of 1997’’.
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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

2 The Congress finds that—

3 (1) the recent outbreak of the harmful microbe

4 Pfiesteria piscicida in the coastal waters of the

5 United States is one of a larger set of potentially

6 harmful algal blooms that appear to be increasing in

7 abundance and intensity in the Nation’s coastal wa8 ters;

9 (2) in recent years, harmful algal blooms have

10 resulted in massive fish kills, the deaths of numer11 ous endangered West Indian manatees, beach clo12 sures, and threats to public health and safety;

13 (3) other recent occurrences of harmful algal

14 blooms include red tides in the Gulf of Mexico and

15 the southeast, brown tides in New York and Texas,

16 and shellfish poisonings in the Gulf of Maine, the

17 Pacific northwest and the Gulf of Alaska;

18 (4) harmful algal blooms have been responsible

19 for an estimated $1,000,000,000 in economic losses

20 during the past decade;

21 (5) harmful algal blooms are composed of natu22 rally occurring species that reproduce explosively

23 when the natural system is out of balance;

24 (6) under certain circumstances, harmful algal

25 blooms can lead directly to other damaging marine
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1 conditions such as hypoxia, as has been found in the

2 Gulf of Mexico.

3 (7) factors thought to cause or contribute to

4 harmful algal blooms include excessive nutrients and

5 toxins from polluted runoff;

6 (8) there is a strong need for a national strat7 egy to identify better means of controlling polluted

8 runoff;

9 (9) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad10 ministration (NOAA) in the Department of Com11 merce, through its ongoing research, grant, and

12 coastal resource management programs, possesses a

13 full range of capabilities necessary to support a near

14 and long-term comprehensive effort to control and

15 eradicate harmful algal blooms; and

16 (10) funding for NOAA’s research and related

17 programs will aid in improving the Nation’s under18 standing and capabilities for addressing the human

19 and environmental costs associated with harmful

20 algal blooms.

21 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR ALGAL

22 BLOOM ERADICATION AND CONTROL.

23 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec24 retary of Commerce for activities related to the research,

25 eradication, and control of harmful algal blooms
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1 $32,000,000 in each of fiscal years 1998, 1999, and 2000,

2 to remain available until expended. Of such amounts for

3 each fiscal year—

4 (1) $5,000,000 may be used to enable the Na5 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to

6 carry out research activities, including procurement

7 and maintenance of research facilities, of the Office

8 of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, National Ma9 rine Fisheries Service, and the National Ocean Serv10 ice;

11 (2) $10,500,000 may be used to carry out the

12 Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal

13 Blooms (ECO–HAB) project and related research

14 under the Coastal Ocean Program established under

15 section 201(c) of Public Law 102–567;

16 (3) $3,000,000 may be used for outreach, edu17 cation and advisory services administered by the Na18 tional Sea Grant Office established under subsection

19 204(a) of the National Sea Grant College Program

20 Act (33 U.S.C. 1123(a));

21 (4) $5,500,000 may be used to carry out fed22 eral and state annual monitoring and analysis activi23 ties administered by the Office of Resource Con24 servation and Assessment of the National Oceanic

25 and Atmospheric Administration; and
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1 (5) $8,000,000 may be used for grants under

2 sections 306, 306A and 310 of the Coastal Zone

3 Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1455, 1455a

4 and 1456c).

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