Sec. 7322. Study on Bering Strait vessel traffic projections and emergency response posture at ports of the United States
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Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the United States Committee on the Marine Transportation System, in coordination with the Commandant shall— complete an analysis regarding commercial vessel traffic that transits through the Bering Strait and projections for the growth of such traffic during the 10-year period beginning after such date of enactment; and assess the adequacy of emergency response capabilities and infrastructure at the ports of the United States that are in proximity to the vessel traffic that transits the Bering Strait, including the port facilities at Point Spencer, Alaska, Nome, Alaska, and Kotzebue, Alaska, to— address future navigation safety risks; and conduct emergency maritime response operations in the Arctic environment.
The study required under subsection
(a)shall include the following: An analysis of the volume and types of domestic and international commercial vessel traffic through the Bering Strait and the projected growth of such traffic, including— oil and gas tankers, cargo vessels, barges, fishing vessels, and cruise lines, both domestic and international; projected growth of such traffic through the Bering Strait; the seasonality of vessel transits of the Bering Strait; and a summation of the sizes, ages, and the country of registration or documentation of such vessels transiting the Arctic, including oil and product tankers either documented in transit to or from Russia or China or owned or operated by a Russian or Chinese entity. An assessment of the state and adequacy of vessel traffic services and oil spill and emergency response capabilities in the vicinity of the Bering Strait and its southern and northern approaches in the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea. A risk assessment of the projected growth in commercial vessel traffic in the Bering Strait and potential of increased frequency in the number of maritime accidents, including spill events, and the potential impacts to the Arctic maritime environment and Native Alaskan village communities in the vicinity of the vessel traffic in Western Alaska, including the Bering Strait. An evaluation of the extent to which Point Spencer can serve as a port of refuge and as a staging, logistics, and operations center from which to conduct and support maritime emergency and spill response activities. Recommendations for practical actions that can be taken by Congress, Federal agencies, the State of Alaska, vessel carriers and operators, the marine salvage and emergency response industry, and other relevant stakeholders to mitigate risks identified in the study carried out under this section. In the preparation of the study under this section, the United States Committee on the Marine Transportation System shall consult with— the Maritime Administration; the Coast Guard; the Army Corps of Engineers; the Department of State; the National Transportation Safety Board; the Government of Canada, as appropriate; the Port Coordination Council for the Port of Point Spencer; State and local governments; other maritime industry participants, including carriers, shippers, ports, labor, fishing, or other entities; and nongovernmental entities with relevant expertise monitoring and characterizing vessel traffic or the environment in the Arctic. In addition to the entities described in subsection (c), in preparing the study under this section, the Secretary of Transportation shall consult with Indian Tribes, including Alaska Native Corporations, and Alaska Native communities. Not later than 1 year after initiating the study under this section, the United States Committee on the Marine Transportation System shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the findings and recommendations of the study. In this section: The term Arctic has the meaning given such term in section 112 of the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 ( 15 U.S.C. 4111 ). The term Port Coordination Council for the Port of Point Spencer means the Council established under section 541 of Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 ( Public Law 114–120 ).
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Sec. 7322
Study on Bering Strait vessel traffic projections and emergency response posture at ports of the United States
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