House Transportation Committee Reports Delaware River Bill Incorporating Changes Requested by NOAA: On April 27th, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (Chair Don Young, R-AK) reported unanimously HR 1412,
House Transportation Committee Reports Delaware River Bill Incorporating Changes Requested by NOAA:
On April 27th, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (Chair Don Young, R-AK) reported unanimously HR 1412,
the Delaware River Protection Act. The bill would amend the Ports and Waterways Safety Act so that the Coast Guard is notified of waterway obstacles and NOAA is authorized to establish a submerged oil research program to research methods to remove submerged oil and to better predict the location of submerged oil. The Athos I , a tanker, in November, 2005, hit one or more submerged objects while navigating on the river, leading to a spill of more than a quarter-million gallons of oil. The oil polluted more than 60 miles of nearby shoreline. The bill also would also establish a Delaware River and Bay Advisory Committee to develop recommendations for avoiding future oil spills on the Delaware River and Bay. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), the bill’s author, offered a manager’s amendment which was responsive to points raised in an April 12th Department of Commerce’s views letter.