Recent Federal Bills

Below are summaries of Bills Introduced, Committee Reports, Chamber Actions, and Public Laws reported in the most recent issue of ELR's Weekly Update.

would amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to permit funds in the Oil Spill Liability Trust to be used by NOAA, the Coast Guard, and other federal agencies for certain research, prevention, and response capabilities with respect to discharges of oil; for environmental studies; and for grant programs to communities affected by oil spills on the outer continental shelf.

would direct the Administrator of NOAA to institute research into the special circumstances associated with oil spill prevention and response in Arctic waters, including assessment of impacts on Arctic marine mammals and other wildlife, marine debris research and removal, and risk assessment.

would expand the boundaries of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

would establish the Sacramento River National Recreation Area in the state of California.

would amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permanently prohibit the conduct of offshore drilling on the outer continental shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington.

would establish Pinnacles National Park in the state of California as a unit of the National Park System.

would amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide a uniform efficiency descriptor for covered water heaters.

would amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a deadline for restricting sewage dumping into the Great Lakes and to fund programs and activities for improving wastewater discharges into the Great Lakes.

would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain federally owned land located in Story County, Iowa.

would designate as wilderness certain land and inland water within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in the state of Michigan.