James Oberstar: “although it has been discussed previously before I reached the Chamber, I just want to be sure to emphasize the…”

“although it has been discussed previously before I reached the Chamber, I just want to be sure to emphasize the important change to allow EPA to enforce the standards in addition to the Coast Guard. These are changes requested by the administration. The Coast Guard acknowledging that EPA has far more experience than does the Coast Guard on air quality emission standards. It is important for EPA to develop standards jointly with the Coast Guard because, on the Coast Guard side, they have more knowledge and understanding and expertise in vessel safety issues that have to be incorporated into any air quality emission standards that may be promulgated. I want to emphasize this role of EPA, an important step forward, and I am very pleased the administration was emphatic in asking for an EPA role, and Coast Guard similarly has been very insistent on including EPA in this process. I think this will, overall, strengthen the result of the legislation that we are considering today. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly support H.R. 802, the ``Maritime Pollution Prevention Act of 2007''. The gentleman from Maryland, Mr. Cummings, and I introduced this legislation in February to provide the U.S. Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA'') with the legal authority they need to implement Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.…”