Sec. 201. Improvements to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration oil spill response, containment, and prevention
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Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere shall conduct a comprehensive review of the current capacity of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to respond to oil spills. The review under paragraph
(1)shall include the following: A comparison of oil spill modeling requirements with the state-of-the-art oil spill modeling with respect to near shore and offshore areas. Development of recommendations on priorities for improving forecasting of oil spill, trajectories, and impacts. An inventory of the products and tools of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that can aid in assessing the potential risk and impacts of oil spills. The products and tools may include environmental sensitivity index maps, the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System, research vessels, aviation-based sensors, satellites, and oil spill trajectory models. An identification of the baseline oceanographic and climate data required to support state-of-the-art modeling. An assessment of the ability of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to respond to the effects of an oil spill on its trust resources, including— marine sanctuaries, monuments, and other protected areas; and marine mammals, fish, corals, sea turtles, and other protected species, and efforts to rehabilitate these species. Upon completion of the review, the Under Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the review, including the findings and recommendations. The Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere shall be responsible for developing and maintaining oil spill trajectory modeling capabilities for the United States, including taking such actions as may be required by subsections
(c)through (f). Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than once every 7 years thereafter, the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere shall update the environmental sensitivity index products of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for— each coastal area of the United States; each offshore area of the United States that is leased or under consideration for leasing for offshore energy production; and each offshore area of the United States that is under consideration for maritime transportation. Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, to the greatest extent practicable, shall create an environmental sensitivity index product for each area described in paragraph
(1)for which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration did not have an environmental sensitivity index product on the day before the date of enactment of this Act. In this subsection, the term environmental sensitivity index product means a map or similar tool that is utilized to identify sensitive shoreline, coastal or offshore, resources prior to an oil spill event in order to set baseline priorities for protection and plan cleanup strategies, typically including information relating to shoreline type, biological resources, and human use resources. Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere shall conduct a comprehensive review of the current state of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to monitor, map, and track subsea hydrocarbons, including a review of the effect of subsea hydrocarbons and dispersants at varying concentrations on living marine resources. Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere shall establish an initiative— to determine the significance, response, frequency, size, potential fate, and potential effects, including those on sensitive habitats, of oil spills resulting from aging and abandoned oil infrastructure; and to formulate recommendations on how best to address the spills described in paragraph (1). Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere shall— develop an inventory of offshore abandoned or sunken vessels in the exclusive economic zone (as established by Presidential Proclamation Numbered 5030 of March 10, 1983 ( 16 U.S.C. 1453 note)); and identify priorities (based on amount of oil, feasibility of oil recovery, fate and effects of oil if released, and cost-benefit of preemptive action) for potential preemptive removal of oil or other actions that may be effective to mitigate the risk of oil spills from offshore abandoned or sunken vessels.
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Sec. 201
Improvements to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration oil spill response, containment, and prevention
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