Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 5.djvu/689

 PUBLIC LAW 105-383—NOV. 13, 1998 112 STAT. 3447 TITLE VI—HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND HYPOXIA SEC. 601. SHORT TITLE. This title may be cited as the "Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998". SEC. 602. FINDINGS. The Congress finds that— (1) me recent outbreak of the harmful microbe Pfiesteria piscicida in the coastal waters of the United States is one example of potentially harmful algal blooms composed of naturally occurring species that reproduce explosively and that are increasing in frequency and intensity in the Nation's coastal waters; (2) other recent occurrences of harmful algal blooms include red tides in the Gulf of Mexico and the Southeast; brown tides in New York and Texas; ciguatera fish poisoning in Hawaii, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands; and shellfish poisonings in the Gulf of Maine, the Pacific Northwest, and the Gulf of Alaska; (3) in certain cases, harmful algal blooms have resulted in fish kills, the deaths of numerous endangered West Indian manatees, beach and shellfish bed closures, threats to public health and safety, and concern among the public about the safety of seafood; (4) according to some scientists, the factors causing or contributing to harmful algal blooms may include excessive nutrients in coastal waters, other forms of pollution, the transfer of harmful species through ship ballast water, and ocean currents; (5) hsirmful algal blooms may have been responsible for an estimated $1,000,000,000 in economic losses during the past decade; (6) harmful algal blooms and blooms of non-toxic algal species may lead to other damaging marine conditions such as h3rpoxia (reduced oxygen concentrations), which are harmful or fatal to fish, shellfish, and benthic organisms; (7) according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the Department of Commerce, 53 percent of United States estuaries experience h3rpoxia for at least part of the year and a 7,000 square mile area in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana and Texas suffers from hypoxia; (8) according to some scientists, a factor believed to cause hypoxia is excessive nutrient loading into coastal waters; (9) there is a need to identify more workable and effective actions to reduce nutrient loadings to coastal waters; (10) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through its ongoing research, education, grant, and coastal resource management programs, possesses a full range of capabilities necessary to support a near and long-term com- Erehensive effort to prevent, reduce, and control harmful algal looms and hypoxia; (11) funding for the research and related programs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will aid in improving the Nation's understanding and capabilities for Hannful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998. 16 USC 1451 note. 16 USC 1451 note.

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