Great Lakes Environmental Sensitivity Index Act of 2019

Great Lakes Environmental Sensitivity Index Act of 2019

This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to update at least once every seven years its environmental sensitivity index products for each coastal area of the Great Lakes. An environmental sensitivity index product is a map or similar tool that is utilized to identify sensitive shoreline resources prior to an oil spill event.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2551 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2551

  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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 7, 2019

   Mr. Kildee (for himself, Mr. Joyce of Ohio, Mrs. Dingell, and Mr. 
  Huizenga) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  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.

    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 2019''.

SEC. 2. UPDATE TO ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY INDEX PRODUCTS OF NATIONAL 
              OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION FOR GREAT LAKES.

    (a) Update Required 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 
subsection, 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) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Under Secretary $7,500,000 to carry out subsection (a).
            (2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated or otherwise made 
        available pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be available to the 
        Under Secretary for the purposes set forth in such paragraph 
        until expended.
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