Topic: Energy — Natural Gas & Oil
Subject: Environmental protection
Date: 2013-01-23 00:00:00

Oil Pollution Research and Development Program Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to revise provisions concerning the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research. Revises Committee membership. Requires the Committee, acting through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to: (1) develop a national information clearinghouse on oil discharge; and (2) submit a plan for the implementation of the oil pollution research, development, and demonstration program at least every five years.

Requires oil pollution research and technology plans to identify: (1) regional oil pollution research needs; (2) information needed to conduct risk assessment and risk analysis research to effectively prevent oil discharges; and (3) a methodology for the solicitation, evaluation, preapproval, funding, and utilization of technologies and research projects in advance of oil discharges.

Requires the oil pollution research, development, and demonstration program to provide for research, development, and demonstration of new or improved technologies which are effective in preventing, detecting, containing, recovering, or mitigating (currently preventing or mitigating) oil discharges and which protect the environment. Revises provisions concerning the evaluation of such technologies.

Requires the Committee, in establishing a research program to monitor and scientifically evaluate the environmental effects of oil discharge (including long-term effects), to act through the Administrator of NOAA. Revises requirements for program elements.

Requires the Committee, acting through the Administrator of NOAA (currently the Department of Commerce), to monitor and scientifically evaluate the long-term environmental effects of oil discharges under certain circumstances.

Removes requirements that the Coast Guard conduct port oil pollution minimization demonstration projects with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Requires oil pollution technology testing and evaluations to be given priority over all other activities performed at the Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test Tank Research Center in New Jersey.

 Requires the Committee to engage in international cooperation on oil pollution research, development, and demonstration activities.

 Requires the Committee Chair to establish the Oil Pollution Research Advisory Committee to: (1) review, advise, and comment on Interagency Committee activities; and (2) submit biennial reports to Congress on the Interagency Committee's function, activities, and progress.

Increases the maximum amount that may be authorized for the oil pollution research, development, and demonstration program from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.

Requires any entity that receives federal funding for research, the methodologies or results of which may be useful for response activities in the event of an oil discharge incident, to make such methodologies or results of such research available to the Interagency Committee and the Federal On-Scene Coordinator of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act).