![handle is hein.crs/crsaiwu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code RS22145
Updated November 3, 2008
Environmental Activities of
the U.S. Coast Guard
Jonathan L. Ramseur
Analyst in Environmental Policy
Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Summary
The U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG's) environmental activities focus on prevention
programs, accompanied by enforcement and educational activities. An important
component is maritime oil spill prevention, which includes inspection of U.S. and
foreign-flagged ships to ensure compliance with U.S. laws and international agreements.
As required by the Oil Pollution Act and the Superfund law, the USCG's pollution
preparedness and response activities aim to reduce the impact of oil and hazardous
substances spills. USCG's National Pollution Funds Center manages the Oil Spill
Liability Trust Fund, paying certain spill-related costs and certifying that vessels show
evidence of financial responsibility. Another prevention effort, minimizing marine
debris, addresses commercial items (e.g., lost nets and fishing lines), as well as trash
from recreational fishing and boating (e.g., beverage cans, bottles, and pieces of foam
plastic). The Administration estimates that the marine environmental protection mission
will receive $339 million in FY2009, a decrease of approximately $12 million from the
enacted amount estimated for FY2008.
Environmental activities of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) fall within the service's
program for protection of natural resources, and consist of maritime oil spill prevention,
marine debris, and pollution response preparedness. Protection of living marine resources
and fisheries also falls in this category, but is not discussed here.1 Marine environmental
protection is one of six non-homeland security missions specified in the Homeland
Security Act of 2002.2
1 CRS reports that discuss these issues include CRS Report RL33813, Fishery, Aquaculture, and
Marine Mammal Legislation in the I10] Congress, by Eugene H. Buck; CRS Report RL32154,
Marine Protected Areas: An Overview, by Jeffrey A. Zinn, Eugene H. Buck, and Harold F.
Upton; and CRS Report RL32344, Ballast Water Management to Combat Invasive Species, by
Eugene H. Buck.
2 P.L. 107-296, Section 888 (6 U.S.C. 468). The other five are marine safety, search and rescue,
aids to navigation, living marine resources (fisheries law enforcement), and ice operations.](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/crsaiwu0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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