NOAA To Consider New Marine Sanctuary in Lake Erie
The Biden Administration last week announced it was considering designating a portion of Lake Erie adjacent to Pennsylvania as a National Marine Sanctuary.
According to the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA), a sanctuary designation would “recognize the national significance of the area’s maritime history and cultural resources, as well as expand upon existing local and state efforts to create educational, scientific and recreational opportunities for visitors, residents, teachers and students.” The proposed sanctuary would cover an approximately 740-square-mile area adjacent to the 75-mile-long shoreline of Erie County, Pennsylvania. Currently, there are two National Marine Sanctuaries in the Great Lakes, with another two sites being proposed as sanctuaries.
NOAA has published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register inviting the public to comment on this first step of the sanctuary designation process. Comments will be accepted until July 18, 2023.
The Soo Locks Security and Economic Reporting Act Introduced in Congress
The Soo Locks Security and Economic Reporting Act of 2023 (H.R. 3399) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last week by Rep. John James (R-MI). The bipartisan bill, which is cosponsored by Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Hillary Scholten (D-MI), would require the Secretary of Transportation, in coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Defense, to submit a report to Congress studying the economic and security impacts that the Soo Locks have on the U.S economy.
More specifically, the legislation calls for the following to be studied:
Security deficiencies that exist with respect to the Soo Locks;
Supply chain, logistical, and economic effects that would result in the event of a malfunction or failure of the Soo Locks and how such effects would impact the region surrounding the Soo Locks and the U.S.;
Potential domestic or inter-16 national threats to the integrity of the Soo Locks;
The current security structure of the 18 Coast Guard and other relevant Federal, State, or local agencies to protect the Soo Locks; and
Recommendations and cost estimates for strengthening the security of the Soo Locks, and reducing the impacts to the supply chain of the United States that would result in a malfunction or failure of the Soo Locks.
The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and will be marked up tomorrow.
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