Great Lakes Environmental Sensitivity Index Act of 2020
Floor Speech
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Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1342) to require the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere to update periodically the environmental sensitivity index products of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for each coastal area of the Great Lakes, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: S. 1342
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Environmental Sensitivity Index Act of 2020''. SEC. 2. UPDATE TO ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY INDEX PRODUCTS OF NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION FOR GREAT LAKES.
(a) Update Required for Environmental Sensitivity Index Products for Great Lakes.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere shall commence updating the environmental sensitivity index products of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for each coastal area of the Great Lakes.
(b) Periodic Updates for Environmental Sensitivity Index Products Generally.--Subject to the availability of appropriations and the priorities set forth in subsection (c), the Under Secretary shall--
(1) periodically update the environmental sensitivity index products of the Administration; and
(2) endeavor to do so not less frequently than once every 7 years.
(c) Priorities.--When prioritizing geographic areas to update environmental sensitivity index products, the Under Secretary shall consider--
(1) the age of existing environmental sensitivity index products for the areas;
(2) the occurrence of extreme events, be it natural or man- made, which have significantly altered the shoreline or ecosystem since the last update;
(3) the natural variability of shoreline and coastal environment; and
(4) the volume of vessel traffic and general vulnerability to spilled pollutants.
(d) Environmental Sensitivity Index Product Defined.--In this section, 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.
(e) Funding.--Funds to carry out the activities under this section shall be derived from amounts authorized to be appropriated for the Under Secretary that are enacted after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy today to rise in support of S. 1342, the Great Lakes Environmental Sensitivity Index Act. I commend my colleagues, Senators Peters and Young and Representatives Kildee and Joyce, for their bipartisan, bicameral efforts on this legislation.
The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater system by area in the world and are home to highly productive commercial and recreational fisheries, thriving coastal communities, and unique aquatic and terrestrial species.
This legislation ensures that the Great Lakes are not left behind in environmental planning. The bill requires that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, update at least once every 7 years its environmental sensitivity index products for each coastal area of the Great Lakes.
These environmental sensitivity indexes, or ESI maps, are crucial tools used in identifying sensitive coastal shorelines, biological resources, and human-use resources prior to a disaster like an oil spill. In emergencies, coastal managers and responders can then use these ESI maps to properly assess the situation, allocate and prioritize resources, and plan cleanups.
The last time the Great Lakes environmental sensitivity indexes were updated was in the 1980s. As we all know, between the climate crisis and human development, our environment has changed dramatically across our country and world in that time.
In the Great Lakes, for example, we are seeing record-setting water levels and harmful algal blooms. How these environmental factors would interact with a disaster like an oil spill is, unfortunately, largely guesswork with our outdated information.
It is so important that we pass this much-needed, commonsense legislation so that the Great Lakes region is prepared in the event of an unthinkable oil spill or other natural disaster.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Great Lakes Environmental Sensitivity Index Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico.
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Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. Mr. Speaker, the Senate passed this bill twice, without even holding a hearing. The House has not taken any action on its version of the bill, H.R. 2551, even though it has been referred to the Natural Resources Committee since last May.
The Senate Committee report on S. 1342 justified its need by stating that the environmental sensitivity index maps for the Great Lakes haven't been updated since the 1980s. It also states the maps haven't been updated since between 1985 and 2004. It just depends on which paragraph of the report you read.
Clearly, no one knows or could be bothered to find out when these maps were updated. Apparently, it doesn't matter for some people.
CBO scores this bill as costing taxpayers $2 million, but we have no idea where the administration is on this issue. No money was appropriated for these indexes in 2019, and, clearly, we don't have an answer to those questions still in this report.
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Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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