Sec. 2. Federal oil spill research committee
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Section 7001 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 ( 33 U.S.C. 2761 ) is amended to read as follows: There is established a committee, to be known as the Federal Oil Spill Research Committee (referred to in this section as the Committee ). The Committee shall be composed of— at least 1 representative of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; at least 1 representative of the United States Coast Guard; at least 1 representative of the Environmental Protection Agency; at least 1 representative of the Department of the Interior; and at least 1 representative of each of such other Federal agencies as the President considers to be appropriate.
The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (referred to in this section as the Under Secretary ) shall designate a Chairperson from among members of the Committee who represent the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. At a minimum, the members of the Committee shall meet once each quarter. The Committee shall— coordinate a comprehensive program of oil pollution research, technology development, and demonstration among the Federal agencies, in cooperation and coordination with industry, institutions of higher education, research institutions, State governments, tribal governments, and other countries, as the Committee considers to be appropriate; and foster cost-effective research mechanisms, including the cost sharing of research.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Oil Spill Technology and Research Act of 2013 , the Committee shall submit to Congress a report on the state of oil discharge prevention and response capabilities that— identifies current research programs conducted by governments, universities, and corporate entities; assesses the current status of knowledge on oil pollution prevention, response, and mitigation technologies; assesses applicability and effectiveness of the prevention, response, and mitigation technologies under clause
(ii)to each class of crude, bitumen crude, and diluted bitumen crude; establishes national research priorities and goals for oil pollution technology development relating to prevention, response, mitigation, and environmental effects; identifies regional oil pollution research needs and priorities for a coordinated program of research at the regional level developed in consultation with the State and local governments and tribal governments; assesses the current state of discharge response equipment, and determines areas in need of improvement, including with respect to the quantity, age, quality, and effectiveness of equipment, or necessary technological improvements; evaluates— regional Federal, State, tribal, and private vessel assets available for skim response; and regional Federal, State, tribal, and private vessel assets available for general response needs, such as data collection, damage assessment, and oiled wildlife response; assesses— the current state of real-time data available to mariners, including data on water level, currents, ice cover, ice floes, weather system tracking, weather forecasting, and other weather data; whether a lack of timely weather information increases the risk of oil discharges; and whether marine weather zones impact the risk of oil discharge; and includes such other information or recommendations as the Committee determines to be appropriate. Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of the Oil Spill Technology and Research Act of 2013 , and every 5 years thereafter, the Committee shall submit to Congress a report updating the information contained in the previous report submitted under subparagraph (A). In carrying out the duties of the Committee under subsection (c)(1), the Committee shall establish a program to conduct oil pollution research and development. The program established under paragraph
(1)shall provide for research, development, and demonstration of new or improved technologies and methods that are effective in preventing, detecting, responding to, mitigating, and restoring damage from oil discharges and that protect the environment, including— high priority research areas described in the reports under subsection (c)(2); environmental effects of acute and chronic oil discharges on coastal and marine resources, including impacts on protected areas, such as sanctuaries, and protected species; long-term effects of major discharges and the long-term cumulative effects of smaller endemic discharges; new technologies to detect accidental or intentional overboard discharges; response, containment, and removal capabilities, such as improved booms, oil skimmers, and storage capacity; oil discharge risk assessment methods, including the identification of areas of high risk and potential risk reductions for the prevention of discharges; capabilities for predicting the environmental fate, transport, and effects of oil discharges, including prediction of the effectiveness of discharge response systems to contain and remove oil discharges, and how these prediction capabilities vary by— marine weather zone; degree of available marine weather data; weather factors, surface and wind currents, and seasonality; weather zones which have ice cover, ice floes, or other ice features; environmental factors, such as naturally occurring oil consuming bacteria; bathymetric features, such as islands and atolls; class of crude oil; and mixed or thinned crude, such as diluted bitumen crude; methods to restore and rehabilitate natural resources and ecosystem functions damaged by oil discharges; potential impacts on ecosystems, habitat, and wildlife from the additional toxicity, heavy metal concentrations, and increased corrosiveness of mixed crude, such as diluted bitumen crude; methods to restore and rehabilitate natural resources and ecosystem services damaged by oil discharges; research and training, in consultation with the National Response Team, to improve the ability of industry and the Federal Government to remove an oil discharge quickly and effectively; technology and method development for oil pollution prevention, such as improved blowout preventers and emergency shutoff equipment; oil pollution technology evaluation; and any other priorities identified by the Committee. Not later than 180 days after the date of submission of the report under subsection (c)(2)(A), the Committee shall submit to Congress a plan for the implementation of the program required by paragraph (1). The Chairperson of the Committee, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences under which the National Academy of Sciences shall— provide advice and guidance in the preparation and development of the plan required by subparagraph (A); and assess the adequacy of the plan as submitted, and submit a report to Congress on the conclusions of the assessment. The Under Secretary shall manage a program of competitive grants to universities or other research institutions, including State universities or research institutions and tribal biologists, or groups of universities or research institutions, or partnerships between public entities, nonprofit organizations, universities or other research institutions, for the purposes of conducting the program established under subsection (d). In conducting the program, the Under Secretary— shall establish a notification and application procedure; may establish such conditions and require such assurances as are appropriate to ensure the efficiency and integrity of the grant program; and may provide grants under the program on a matching or nonmatching basis. The Committee shall accept comments and input from State and local governments, tribal governments, industry representatives, institutions of higher education, and other stakeholders in carrying out the duties of the Committee under subsection (c). The Committee may establish an advisory council consisting of nongovernment experts and stakeholders for the purpose of providing guidance to the Committee on matters under this section. The Committee may develop joint partnerships or enter into memoranda of agreement or memoranda of understanding with institutions of higher education, States, and other entities, including tribal biologists, to facilitate the program required by subsection (d). Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Oil Spill Technology and Research Act of 2013 , and annually thereafter, the Chairperson of the Committee shall submit to Congress a report that describes— the activities carried out under this section during the preceding fiscal year; and the activities that are proposed to be carried out under this section for the fiscal year during which the report is submitted. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce to carry out this section $2,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2013 through 2016, to remain available until expended. . The Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research established under section 7001 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2761) (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act), and all authority of that Committee, terminate on the date of enactment of this Act. Any funds made available for the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research described in paragraph
(1)and remaining available as of the date of enactment of this Act shall be transferred to and available for use by the Federal Oil Spill Research Committee (as established under section 2(a) of this Act), without further appropriation or fiscal year limitation.
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Sec. 2
Federal oil spill research committee
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