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Water and Ocean Policy (2-17-10) 
Clean water is a valuable natural resource that contributes to the health of the ecosystem, agriculture, and population. Congress has held hearings and worked on legislation that regulates navigable waters, drinking water, wetland preservation, wastewater treatment, vitality of the Great Lakes, and the problems with increasing water demand. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in conjunction with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), work to protect U.S. water resources. Oceans cover about 71% of Earth's surface and are an integral part of many Earth systems, including climate and weather. The oceans also contain most of Earth's biomass, with 80% of all known phyla found only in the oceans. Advances in research capabilities have led to improved understanding of marine and coastal systems, however, many are concerned that new technology has not increased enough to keep pace with our exploration needs. Oceans have recently received congressional attention for their ecological preservation, scientific value, and potential resources. This section covers all ocean and water policy, including policy relate to the Law of the Sea and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Additional information on the OCS can also be found on AGI’s energy policy page. EPA Will Regulate Florida’s Water (1/10)
House Passes Energy and Water Research Bill (12/09) The bill has now goes to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for consideration. EPA Publishes Water Research Strategy (12/09) More information is available at: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/strategy EPA Study Shows Freshwater Fish Contamination (11/09) Mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were detected in all of the lakes sampled, while dioxins and furans were found in 81 percent of these lakes. Of the five chemicals responsible for 97 percent of fish advisories at the end of 2008, each was found to be above human health screening values (SVs) in at least some lakes. PCB and mercury concentrations above SVs were found to be in especially high proportion, at 16.8 and 48.8 percent of lakes, respectively. Sampling was conducted over the course of four years on predator (such as largemouth bass and brook trout) and bottom dweller (such as blue catfish and common carp) composites at 500 lakes and reservoirs in the lower 48 states. Samples were tested for 268 PBTs. The study was carried out through a series of partnerships forged by the EPA with 47 states, three tribes, and two other federal agencies. The National Lake Fish Tissue Study is the first of its kind in the U.S. to utilize a random, statistical design, and thus be representative of contaminate distribution across the nation. Oceans Policy Task Force Provides Update to Congress (11/09) The IOPTF recommends an ocean council to coordinate federal policy initiatives. The report suggests a council chaired jointly by the Council for Environmental Quality and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Numerous concerns were raised about the presumably insufficient role of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the council. Featuring testimony from high level administrators across various agencies with ocean jurisdiction, the major topics of the hearing included marine spatial planning, ecosystem based resource management, ratification of the Law of the Sea, and leadership of a prescribed ocean council. Marine spatial planning has been described as “zoning for oceans”, and plays a large role in the recommendations of the task force. Zones are to be set out according to ecosystem based management, which would allow for ocean resource use to have minimal impact on sea life. NASA Signs Agreement with India for Ocean Satellite Data (11/09) ISRO is part of India’s National Natural Resources Management System, and Oceansat-2 is but one of a large constellation of Earth-observing satellites operated by India for civilian use. Congressional Hazards Caucus Holds Coastal Erosion Briefing (11/09) Boothroyd displayed storm damage to the Outer Banks and vulnerability on the Rhode Island coast while Salanger demonstrated coastal losses on the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Katrina using lidar before and after storms to observe changes in coastal elevation. Both pointed out the potential for storm damage to amplify with climate change, the important role wetlands play in storm mitigation, and considered beach “nourishment” to be a long term maintenance expense. From the EPA, Titus revealed the muddy legal waters concerning ownership of beaches and other coastal landforms, most of which has yet to be settled. A quagmire of federal, state, local, and common laws often features conflicting and ambiguous language to which makes it difficult to govern these areas. Study Ties Drought to Population, Not Climate Change (10/09) There were 6.5 million people in Georgia in 1990, and now there are 9.5 million people. That is almost a 50 percent increase in only 17 years. The population is still growing and little has been done to reduce consumption or increase storage of water. Although it was much drier in the 19th century, it had less of an effect due to the small population. Most climate models have actually predicted that as temperatures rise, rainfall will increase in the Southeast, but this will come with an increase in evaporation. Richard Seager, a climate modeler at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia, says the best one could hope for is for the two to balance out and that “climate change should not be counted on to solve the Southeast’s water woes.” NSF Launches Dead Zone Interactive Site (10/09) There are currently over 400 dead zones on the Earth. Dead zones are normally thought of as being the aftermath of pollution, but recently many are thought to be caused by changes in oceanic and atmospheric circulation that may be a result of climate change. To visit this new interactive site, go to: http://nsf.gov/news/special_reports/deadzones/ Ocean Policy Task Force Releases Interim Report (9/09) The task force advises that the U.S. ensures a fiscally responsible, comprehensive policy framework that includes cooperation with relevant stakeholders and joining the Law of the Sea Convention. The implementation strategy is broken down into the top nine objectives: ecosystem-based management, coastal and marine spatial planning, improved public understanding, coordinate support from stakeholders, resiliency to climate change and ocean acidification, ecosystem protection and restoration, water quality on land, Arctic stewardship, and observations and infrastructure. The task force, created by Presidential Memorandum in June, consists of senior-level officials from the federal agencies led by White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley. It was mandated to release this coordination framework and implementation strategy in 90 days, and now has an additional 90 days to develop a recommended framework for effective coastal and marine spatial planning. The Task Force will provide a final report with all of its recommendations later this year. Further Endorsement of the Law of the Sea (9/09) The Law of the Sea (LOS) treaty is an international agreement that defines the rights and responsibility of nations in regards to the oceans and the seafloor. This 27 year old treaty has been ratified by most industrialized countries. The U.S. Senate has not ratified the treaty, even though past Administrations and President Obama have asked for ratification. An outspoken congressional supporter, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee John Kerry (D-MA), hopes that his committee will proceed with ratification and that the full Senate will approve of the treaty in the near future. The full column in the Seattle Times is available here. House Committee Proposes Water Management Council (8/09) The bill is a response to the recent droughts in the Southeast and Southwest and flooding in the Midwest that have called into question the divided managerial structure of water resources. Currently, agencies at the local through the federal levels can have jurisdiction over different parts and aspects of the same watershed. Problems arise when water projects or demand for the water upstream affects the downstream supply. The legislation is an attempt to consolidate and coordinate water management so that regional effects from local management decisions can be taken into account. There are some doubts over the legislation, as stakeholders and state water managers are unsure what the specific goals of the council and planning boards are, but water experts agree that the current water management structure needs to be fixed. Committee Passes Algal Blooms Research Bill (8/09) USGS Releases Water Quality Report (7/09) As the nation’s most heavily used groundwater resource, an increase in contaminates casts doubt on the long-term sustainability of the aquifer. The slow movement of water compounded with slow rates of contaminant degradation would make the contaminants hard to remove. However, currently only 6 percent of the wells had concentrations of the fertilizer derived contaminant nitrate over the federal standard while more than 85 percent of the 370 drinking wells measured were within federal drinking-water standards. The water quality report is available from the USGS at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1337/Hydraulic Fracturing Debated In Congress (7/09) Hydraulic fracturing has been used by the industry for over 50 years to aid in drilling for difficult to recover gas reserves. Some say the chemicals mixed with the sand and water to break up the rocks are harmful to groundwater. After Congress was assured the process was safe, it was removed from the Drinking Water Act. Since then several contaminated sites have been found near gas wells, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now has limited authority to investigate. Congress wants to reinstate EPA authority and held hearings to assess the situation, while industry references studies showing that state oversight is sufficient and federal regulations will only hamper exploration. The PDF of the API study is available here: International Watersheds Initiative Third Report Released (7/09) Two guest speakers gave presentations and answered questions about the IJC and the findings of the IWI report. Charles Lawson, the secretary of the U.S. Section of the IJC, discussed the history of the IJC and the IWI. The IJC was created by Canada and the U.S in June of 1909 as a result of the Boundary Waters Treaty, the longest standing and continuously operating international environmental treaty. The IWI was commissioned by both countries in the 1990s to address how the environmental issues of the 21st century would be met while taking into account the constraints of the treaty. Willem Brakel, senior advisor at the IJC and co-coordinator of the IWI, highlighted some of the IWI’s recent work. The IWI has successfully tested its “more ecosystemic approach” on four river basins and is working on hydrographic data harmonization. Brakel also emphasized climate change and water quality as two emerging issues of consideration for the IWI. He concluded that there needs to be better outreach to stakeholders by the international boards, and more funding from the governments and participation from federal agencies. ESA “Water Resources in the West” Briefing (7/09) There will not be enough water in the West to satisfy all human and environmental needs in the future as a result of growing population and climate change. The likely effects of less water will be reduced water quality, smaller bird and fish migration corridors, and contracted trout and salmon fisheries. It will be necessary to engage in adaptation and management of watersheds on the local and regional scales to maximize the benefits of the water that will remain. Ecosystem services will suffer in the coming decades due to more severe droughts which will become the norm. Goods and services related to drinking water, energy, fiber production and food production will be threatened. Policy options exist in water pricing, agriculture policy, and housing policy that will allow us to maximize the benefits of these services. Outdoor urban water use in the West needs to be reduced and the smart plant ecology choices in those urban cities would curb usage. Considerations must also be made of the tradeoff between water conservation and climate since irrigation makes cities cooler but takes more water out of the watershed. House and Senate Introduce Ocean Energy Legislation (5/09) The legislation would authorize up to $250 million a year for ocean research, something that the Obama Administration is also promoting. The legislation increases research and development work at the Department of Energy to improve the reliability, efficiency, and cost of marine devices. The funding will also go towards new technologies and integration into the national grid. Marine renewable energy is defined as energy generated by ocean thermal energy conversion, or water motion in oceans, estuaries, rivers, lakes, man made channels and tidal areas. The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that the U.S. oceans could generate 6.5 percent of the nation’s electricity if ocean energy is funded at the same levels as other forms of renewable energy. The full text of H.R. 2148 is available from Thomas: Massive Water Infrastructure Bill Passes Committee (5/09) Experts Call For Federal Measures to Protect Coasts and Ocean Resources (4/09) The JOCI panel also called for the urgent ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty. The Law of the Sea Treaty, ratified by over 150 nations since the mid-1990s, set international standards for navigating and managing marine areas as well as defining offshore jurisdiction of resources. The U.S. however is not a treaty member, as efforts to ratify the measure have stalled in the Senate. The Obama Administration has made it clear of its intention to ratify the treaty, as several nations party to the treaty are claiming resources in the Arctic that have become more readily available due to melting ice caps. World Oceans Day (4/09) Water Science Bill Passes House Vote (4/09) Many of the policies included in H.R. 1145 follow recommendations made in the 2008 publication by the American Geological Institute, Critical Needs for the Twenty First Century: the Role of Geosciences. The recommendations in the water section of the document highlighted by H.R. 1145 are: the call for a national water census, enhancement of a national water monitoring network, and greater cooperation of federal agencies involved in water research. The document also calls for the USGS to be the lead federal water agency, a provision that has not yet made it into legislation. H.R. 1145 is not the first attempt at developing a national water census, however. The Bush Administration’s fiscal year 2009 budget called for a $8.2 million increase to implement a national census as part of the Water for America Initiative, a program within the U.S. Geological Survey and Bureau of Reclamation to assess the nation’s water supply and strategize ways to develop and protect the resource. With both Administrations noting the critical need for a nation water census, the bill is likely to be well received as it moves onto the Senate Environment and Public Works. Senate Working on Energy and Water Bills (4/09) The bill also directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to evaluate the quantities of energy used in water storage and delivery operations in major reclamation projects; and to operate, manage, and maintain the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility in Otero County, New Mexico, to carry out research, development, and demonstration activities to develop technologies and methods that promote brackish groundwater desalination as a viable method to increase water supply in a cost-effective manner. Water Legislation Makes Its Way Through Congress USGS Congressional Briefing on the Nationwide Quality of Water from Private Well Sources Dr. Leslie DeSimone of the USGS presented an overview of major findings from the USGS report, Quality of Water from Domestic Wells in Principal Aquifers of the United States. The study was conducted as part of the USGS’s National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAQWA) and examined waters from 30 major aquifers across the nation. The study analyzed water samples for the presence of inorganic and organic compounds as well as for bacteria and aesthetic characteristics. Concentrations of these compounds were compared to human-health benchmarks set by both the Environmental Protection Agency (MCLs- maximum contaminant levels) and the USGS (HBCLs- health based screening levels). The study found that over 20 percent of all the wells sampled had at least 1 contaminant that exceeded an MCL or HBCL, and that of the 400 wells sampled for bacteria 34 percent contained a measureable amount of coliform bacteria, of which about 8 percent also reported the presence of escherichia coli (e. coli). The study found that the most common contaminants in wells (radon, arsenic, uranium, nitrate, fluoride) that exceeded benchmark levels were derived from natural sources, with the exception of nitrate. Although naturally occurring, nitrate levels can be elevated by agricultural activities. Man-made organic compounds were found in 60 percent of all the wells sampled, but only 1 percent of these wells had levels exceeding human-health benchmarks. More information on the study is available online at water.usgs.gov/nawqa/qw_domestic_wells.pdf Dr. Kenneth Cantor of the NCI presented an update on an ongoing investigation of arsenic levels in private wells and bladder cancer incidences in New England. Elevated levels of arsenic in drinking water, which commonly occurs in the fracture-granite aquifers of New England, is a suspected cause of bladder cancer. Cantor’s case-control study is examining 1,213 new cancer cases across New England compared to 1,418 control subjects. Although findings from the study have not yet been reported, Cantor emphasized the importance of spatial information on contaminants to environmental health studies, which Cantor indicated can be a valuable tool to public health officials in assessments of exposure and risks to carcinogenic compounds in water supplies. Kevin McCray, executive director of NGWA, provided a brief overview of his organization’s mission. He noted that it is duty of the NGWA to use the findings in the USGS report to educate private well owners on proper well maintenance and testing, which McCray called “a homeowner obligation.” He also pointed out that the water samples in the USGS study were all obtained prior to any treatment, a step that would likely decrease the levels of contaminants reported in the study. McCray shared several guidelines for private well owners to ensure proper well performance and water quality. As part of NGWA’s consumer-focused programming, these guidelines and more information can be found at www.wellowner.org. (03/09) New Oceans Feature Makes Waves with Google Earth In addition to the ocean floor surface, 20 ocean layers are now available in GE 5.0 that contain archived information ranging from fertile fishing grounds to famous shipwrecks to daily ocean temperatures courtesy of the U.S. Navy. David Sandwell, professor of geophysics at Scripps Institute of Oceanography and a key leader in gathering the vast amounts of bathymetric data of the ocean, feels the new GE ocean feature can be a powerful tool for geoscientists and earth science educators. “Our global seafloor map on Google Earth opens new possibilities for users to explore Earth's most remote ocean environments, such as the East Pacific Rise and Mariana Trench," stated Sandwell after the announcement of the GE 5.0 launch. With only about 5% of the ocean floor mapped in detail, Google developers and marine researchers hope the enhancement to GE will spur interest worldwide into further sea exploration and conservation. In addition to the Oceans feature, GE 5.0 includes the Historical Imagery viewer. This feature allows users to view all available historic imagery as well as the most current images, thus providing the opportunity to view changes in the landscape over timescales of up to several decades. Earth scientists can use this feature to track changes in landforms, erosional patterns, land use, glacial size/movement, vegetative patterns, or any other modifications to the Earth’s surface through the timeframe available at a given location. (02/09) Read the full NY Times article on their website. The FOARAM Act Making the Rounds Once Again As the oceans absorb more carbon from the atmosphere, the water is becoming more acidic. The consequences pose potentially serious and permanent damage to ocean environments. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), ocean acidity has increased by 30 percent since industrialization and increased carbon dioxide emissions have the potential to lower pH to its lowest level in 20 million years. The FOARAM Act would establish an ocean acidification program within NOAA, and an interagency committee tasked with coordinating ocean acidification activities. The interagency committee would include representation from NOAA, National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The committee would be responsible for organizing and expanding research programs with the following goals: to enhance understanding of the role of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems, to identify marine ecosystem conservation measures, and to investigate the socioeconomic impacts of ocean acidification. (02/09) Senate May Consider Ratification of the Law of the Sea Geoscientists at federal agencies and elsewhere have studied the Arctic for a long time and would be even more critical for improving our understanding of the natural resources, environmental health, Earth system processes and other details of the Arctic if the treaty is ratified. Even without ratification the resources and the changes in the Arctic are substantial and will require more study, exploration, observation and analysis to meet national and global needs. (01/09) Clean Water The USGS implemented the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program in 1991 to develop long-term consistent and comparable information on streams, rivers, ground water, and aquatic systems to help with decisions related to water-quality management and policy. In May 2004, the USGS’s National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) presented findings from its first decade of research. The assessments found that contaminants and their effects are controlled by a complex set of both human and naturally induced factors such as land use, chemical use, urbanization, geology, and hydrology. NAWQA activities during the second decade (2001-2012) focus in large part on national and regional assessments, including continuing national-synthesis assessments of information on pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nutrients, selected trace elements, and aquatic ecology, studies on five national priority topics, and regional assessments of water-quality and trends in surface water and principal aquifers. With long-term aridity facing much of the nation, particularly the Western states, water resource issues are becoming a growing concern for Congress. Some places, such as the Colorado River basin and parts of Montana, have had seven straight years of drought. In February 2007, an Associated Press article reported that the U.S. Climatic Data Center predicted that 67 percent of the western United States will be in moderate to extreme drought by the end of spring 2007, as well as a large portion of the southern U.S. These dry conditions have led to low municipal, industrial, commercial, and agricultural water supplies. Concerns about maintaining adequate water supplies across the nation have prompted Congress to schedule a number of hearings to consider steps to mitigate the current problem and to prepare for future water demands. Great Lakes In 2003, the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force requested a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study to identify, evaluate, and assess federal and state restoration programs in the Great Lakes. GAO found that 148 federal and 51 state programs were funding environmental restoration in the area, causing them to recommend "a coordinated strategic plan and monitoring system... to achieve restoration goals." In response, President Bush issued an executive order in May 2004 that called for the establishment of a Great Lakes Interagency Task Force to improve coordination and communication of Great Lakes restoration projects. Chaired by the EPA Administrator, the task force includes the heads of the Departments of State, the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, the Army, Homeland Security, and the Council on Environmental Quality. A Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy (GLRCS) team released a report in December 2005. Wetlands and Coastal Resources Federal efforts to protect and preserve coastal barriers from major development have similarly gathered momentum over the past few decades. Coastal barriers, such as barrier islands and sand spits, play an important ecological role by protecting human communities and ecosystems, including coastal wetlands, from storm damage. In addition to being the first line of defense against major storms, coastal barriers provide habitat for valuable seafood and wildlife species and are often popular recreation areas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for managing coastal barriers that are protected under the Coastal Barriers Resources Act (S. 1869). President Bush declared a new policy in April 2004 to increase total wetland area in the United States by 1 million acres and to increase protection of an additional 2 million acres during the next five years. This policy will largely be implemented through a Natural Resources Conservation Service program in which farmers receive grants when they set aside wetlands on their property, and through an increase of Wetlands Reserve Program funding from $15 million in 2004 to a proposed $455 million in 2008. The actual funding levels are anticipated to be outlined in a new Farm Bill in 2009. The Bush administration also advocates the mitigation bank approach, which allows developers to fill in wetlands if they pay for creation of new wetlands elsewhere. Some concerns have been raised by organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation about the higher quality of wetlands that have already been lost compared to those that will be constructed. Wetlands are otherwise primarily regulated by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) programs under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act of 1977. Section 404 seeks to protect wetlands and adjacent waterways though permitting of dredged or fill materials that might cause environmental degradation. It does not regulate other acts, such as those that drain or flood wetlands. Many environmentalists disagree with the use of section 404 as the primary means for wetland protection, often noting that the program is weak because it is not comprehensive and not created specifically for wetland protection. Landowners generally feel they should be allowed to alter their land as they see fit, and taking away that right through wetland designation decreases the value of their property. Oceans Policy The Oceans Act of 2000 required the Bush Administration to submit an implementation plan to Congress in response to the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. This resulted in President Bush’s U.S. Ocean Action Plan and the creation of a Committee on Ocean Policy within the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality. The Committee on Ocean Policy established an ocean governance structure composed of subsidiary bodies to coordinate existing management and help oversee the implementation of the recommendations. The Pew Ocean Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy joined forces in early 2005 establishing the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative. At the request of Congress, the joint commission issued a report in June 2006 entitled “From Sea to Shining Sea: Priorities for Ocean Policy Reform — A Report to the United States Senate.” The 10 prioritized actions needed to implement the commissions’ recommendations listed in the report are: 1. Adopt a statement of national ocean policy; In addition, the joint commission reported that the four highest priority areas for funding are: ocean governance and coastal management; ocean science and research; monitoring, observing, and mapping the oceans; and education and outreach. Congress has continued to consider ocean policy and management recommendations of the joint commission and to monitor the progress on implementing and responding to those recommendations. Improvements continue to be made in ocean policy ranging from changes in the organization and administrative structure of ocean research and governance, to specific improvements to ocean and coastal mapping and observation. The National Sea Grant College Programs Amendment Act of 2008 (H.R. 5618) was signed by President Bush in October 2008. The bill aims to provide grants and contracts to support education, research, training, and management of the oceans, coastal areas, and major lakes. The research programs cover a variety of themes from creating models of the oceans, to studying coastal hazards and ecosystems, to working on marine biotechnology. The new amendments stress integrated research, extension services, and regional coordination between the Sea Grant partners. The partners include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), states, industry groups, and university-based programs. The Sea Grant Act was last reauthorized in 2002. Other key ocean legislation for the 110th Congress was the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring (FOARAM) Act of 2007 (H.R. 4174). The FOARAM Act passed the House in July 2008, but never made it to the Senate floor for a vote. The legislation would establish an interagency research program overseen by NOAA to enhance understanding of the role of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems, to identify marine ecosystem conservation measures, and to investigate the socioeconomic impacts of ocean acidification. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea was opened for signature in December 1982. President Reagan refused to accede to the treaty because of objections related to deep seabed mining. After revisions to the deep sea mining provisions President Clinton chose to sign the treaty and requested approval from the Senate. The Senate has not considered the treaty on the floor. In May 2007, President Bush expressed his support and urged the Senate to approve of the treaty and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations approved ratification again in October 2007. The treaty will likely remain in this limbo until proponents believe they have enough votes to meet the two-thirds majority required by the Constitution. Opponents fear that accepting the treaty will limit U.S. sovereignty over ocean exploration and navigation, while supporters fear the U.S. will lose claims to vital ocean assets if it is not a part of the treaty. Outer Continental Shelf The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) is defined by current law as the submerged lands that stretch between 3 and about 690 geographical miles seaward of the U.S. coastline. Within the first 3 miles of a state's shore, all subsoil and seabed resources are managed by the state. The Gulf of Mexico coasts of Texas and Florida are the exceptions, with state waters extending to about 9 geographical miles. Beyond 690 miles, or 200 nautical miles (nm), the seabed and subsoil are considered to be in international waters. The 200 nm expanse beginning at the shoreline is referred to as a nation's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The OCS and EEZ are extended if the coastal margin is geologically defined as extending beyond the 200 nm limit. Such extensions can be found off of Alaska, the Atlantic coast, and in the Gulf of Mexico. Where the geological continental margin is narrow, as in the Pacific, federal jurisdiction is limited to within the 200 nm zone. State jurisdiction over coastal resources was passed and signed into law under the Eisenhower administration, with the Submerged Lands Act of 1953. In the same year of the Submerged Lands Act, Congress and President Eisenhower passed into law the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OSCLA), which grants to the Secretary of the Interior authority over all mineral resources on the OCS.
Sources: AGI's Monthly Review, E&E Daily, and THOMAS. Contributed by Corina Cerovski-Darriau, Government Affairs staff; Clint Carney, AGI/AAPG Spring 2009 Intern; Stephanie Praus, AGI/AIPG Summer 2009 Intern; Mollie Pettit, AGI/AAPG Fall 2009 Intern; and Joey Fiore, AGI/AIPG Summer 2009 Intern Background section includes material from AGI's summaries and updates for Clean Water, Watersheds, Wetlands, Water Resources, and Oceans in the 110th Congress. Please send any comments or requests for information to AGI Government Affairs Program. Last updated on February 17, 2010. |
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