|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PERMALINK
House Natural
Resources Committee 8/15/12
Chairman Hastings Calls on Obama Admin. to Provide
Transparent Answers to Outstanding Questions, Disclose
Documents on National Ocean Policy Prior to Imposing
Final Implementation Plan
WASHINGTON,
D.C. –
House Natural
Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today
sent a letter to the co-chairs of President Obama’s
National Ocean Council to repeat his request that the
Obama Administration answer outstanding questions and
document requests regarding President Obama’s National
Ocean Policy and mandatory ocean zoning initiative
before finalizing the draft implementation plan. Click
here to read a full copy of the letter sent today.
“More than
two years have passed since President Obama unilaterally
issued a new National Ocean Policy that created an
expansive federal bureaucracy to manage ocean activities
and resources without any specific Congressional
approval, and more than eight months have passed since a
draft plan was released containing more than 50 proposed
actions for implementing the National Ocean Policy and
mandatory zoning of the ocean and coastal areas. Despite
this passage of time, Congress and the American public
are still left questioning the legal justification,
regulatory burdens, funding sources, and economic
impacts of the National Ocean Policy,”
writes Hastings
in the letter.
“Since last year, a number of specific questions and
requests for information have gone unanswered. Based on
the lack of specificity in earlier responses and the
failure to provide all of the requested information and
documentation, it seems apparent the Administration is
intent on avoiding scrutiny of its plans to establish
this new federal bureaucracy to manage economic and
recreational activities affecting the oceans, including
those occurring far inland. It is imperative that the
National Ocean Council provide the long-requested
information before the draft implementation plan is
finalized.”
BACKGROUND:
Chairman
Hastings has sent several letters to the Co-Chairs of
the National Ocean Council requesting information on the
development, legal authority, activities, staffing, and
funding of the National Ocean Policy. The Administration
has yet to fully comply with the requests. Hastings also
sent two letters asking that the Administration extend
the public comment period on the draft National Ocean
Policy Implementation Plan for an extra 90 days to allow
ample time for public and Congressional review of the
sweeping new policy. The Administration declined the
request.
In May, the
House of Representatives
passed an amendment by Rep. Bill Flores (TX-17) to
the FY2013 Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science
and Related Agencies Appropriations bill to halt funding
for the implementation of President Obama’s ocean zoning
and National Ocean Policy. Over 80 groups across a
spectrum of sectors including agriculture, fishing,
construction, manufacturing, mining, oil and natural
gas, and renewable energy, joined forces in a
letter to support Rep. Flores' amendment. These
industries support tens of millions of jobs and
contribute trillions of dollars to the U.S. economy. The
House also included a provision in the FY2013 Interior
and Environment Appropriations bill prohibiting funding
for the President’s National Ocean Policy and requiring
a report on previous funding for the policy.
For more
information on President Obama’s plans to impose
mandatory ocean zoning visit:
http://naturalresources.house.gov/OceanZoning.
|
