During her opening statement today at a U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee oversight hearing on the Council of Environmental Quality, CEQ Chair Mary Neumayr highlighted CEQ’s work on oceans and specifically the new federal ocean policy.
Noting that “the health and prosperity of our Nation’s oceans, Great Lakes, and coastal communities is a priority for many members of this Committee” and among several priorities and directives that CEQ is currently implementing, Neumayr specifically referenced the 2018 Executive Order Regarding the Ocean Policy to Advance the Economic, Security, and Environmental Interests of the United States, which she said “streamlines Federal agency coordination on ocean-related matters through the establishment of an interagency Ocean Policy Committee” and “prioritizes Federal agency engagement with State-led regional ocean partnerships, coordination on research technology and ocean resource management, and expanded public access to Federal ocean-related data.”
During Q&A, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) thanked Neumayr and CEQ “for the work that you have done to facilitate our bipartisan work in the Senate on oceans issues.” In particular, Whitehouse noted that Neumayr and CEQ “have been very helpful in terms of getting agency connections and buy-in and ideas and so forth” with regard to the recently-introduced bipartisan BLUE GLOBE Act, which seeks to improve marine data collection and monitoring and accelerate the development of new monitoring technologies, as well as statutorily establish both the Ocean Policy Committee created by the 2018 Executive Order and an Interagency Ocean Exploration Committee.
Whitehouse cited other examples of “bipartisan progress” on oceans including the Port State Measures legislation, illegal fishing, and marine debris, noting his work with U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) on a “Save Our Seas 2.0” bill with regard to the latter.
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) also mentioned the Save Our Seas Act 2.0 effort, noting that draft legislation was being reviewed by the White House and that he “certainly would be excited about your support.” He added that the President has been very supportive of legislative action on marine debris, noting that most marine plastic waste originates in Asia and that it is a “solvable problem.”
Asked about CEQ efforts to address ocean pollution and plastics issues in particular, Neumayr called marine debris “a priority” that agencies including NOAA, EPA, and the State Department have been working to address, with CEQ focusing on the issue through the new Ocean Policy Committee.
