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1 (May 22, 2008)

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                                                                           Order Code RS22145
                                                                           Updated May 22, 2008





C'RS Report for Congress


                        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.' 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 110th 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.

                   Congressional Research Service , The Library of Congress
                         Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress

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