Sherwood Boehlert: “I rise in support of S. 2327, the Oceans Act of 2000. As chairman of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of…”

“I rise in support of S. 2327, the Oceans Act of 2000. As chairman of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I can attest to the importance of this legislation and the need to develop a comprehensive approach to our nation's oceans. Our Subcommittee held a hearing on comparable legislation in 1998 and since then has been active in reviewing and passing related bills advancing ocean and coastal protection efforts. Like its predecessors (such as H.R. 3445 and S. 1213 in the 105th Congress), S. 2327 takes an important step towards a coordinated, comprehensive, and long-range national ocean policy. Clearly, there is a need for a renewed, comprehensive effort to develop such a policy. A lot has changed since the Stratton Commission was established in 1966. We have learned more about ocean and coastal problems and solutions and we have seen the enactment of laws such as the Clean Water Act, the Ocean Dumping Act, and the Oil Pollution Act.”