H.R. 3650: HAB legislation fails in the House

H.R. 3650, The Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2009 failed to reach the 2/3 majority required to pass it under suspension.

According to GovTrack.us The breakdown of the vote was:

                               
                       Dem Rep  Ind 
Yea:         263 (61%) 231  32  0
Nay:         142 (33%)   8 134  0
Present:       0 (0%)    0   0  0
Not Voting:   25 (6%)   14  11  0
Required:  2/3 of 405 votes (=270 votes)

See the full breakdown of the vote at the Clerk of the House web site and GovTrack

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S.952 HABHRCA Reauthorization reported favorably

Via GovTrack.us:
The Snowe-sponsored 2009 HABHRCA Reauthorization [S.952] was ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably by the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for consideration by the full Senate.

S.952 is "a bill to develop and promote a comprehensive plan for a national strategy to address harmful algal blooms and hypoxia through baseline research, forecasting and monitoring, and mitigation and control while helping communities detect, control, and mitigate coastal and Great Lakes harmful algal blooms and hypoxia events."

According to the CRS summary:

Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2009 - Amends the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 to require the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to establish criteria for determining which states should serve on the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia and to implement a nominations process to select representatives for such Task Force.

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Maine Red Tide May Be Abating

According to the Bangor Daily News, the HAB that prompted Senator Olympia Snowe to requests emergency funding for NOAA research appears to be past its peak:

The massive blooms of red tide algae that have shut down much of Maine’s shellfish industry for weeks may be abating, according to the Department of Marine Resources.

Read the article here.

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NOAA Awards Emergency Funding

NOAA has responded to Sen Snowe's July 16th request for aid with the Gulf of Maine HAB:
NOAA Awards Emergency Funding to Aid New England Red Tide Response

NOAA is taking steps to respond to the New England red tide in the Gulf of Maine that has caused a near-complete shutdown of shellfish harvesting in Maine. Today the agency awarded $121,000 to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in partnership with the University of Maine to conduct research cruises to monitor the toxins. The information obtained will help managers determine how long the severe red tide conditions may last, if there are regions where the bloom is receding, and whether the bloom will expand to new areas.

Read the entire announcement at NOAA News.
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Sen Snowe requests HAB research

As far as I can tell, the Snowe-sponsored 2009 HABHRCA Reauthorization [S.952] is still tied up in the Oceans, Atmospheres, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Subcommittee. It doesn't appear to have been rolled into any omnibus bills.

Snowe Calls for Additional Research on Gulf of Maine Red Tide


July 16, 2009

Washington, D.C. -

Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmospheres, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) today, in a letter, urged National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Jane Lubchenco to reallocate at minimum $500,000 in federal funding to conduct additional research in the Gulf of Maine to determine the extent of the disastrous red tide that has closed nearly all of the state’s clam and quahog beds. ?The research would help predict the bloom’s duration as well as what it could mean for outbreaks in future years.

"The state of Maine is currently besieged by the most virulent red tide event ever recorded in the region.? As a result of this outbreak, over 97 percent of the coast of our state has been closed to the harvest of clams, mussels, ocean quahogs, and other shellfish," wrote Senator Snowe.

Senator Snowe continued, "I request that you allocate at least $500,000 to carry out one or more such research cruises as soon as possible.? I understand that this may require reassignment of one of NOAA’s research vessels undertaking alternate research in the area, but given the immediacy and the historic nature of this unprecedented event, disruption of ongoing research may be warranted to deal with this natural disaster."

Read the letter here.

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Remote, Underwater Detection of HABs

Scientists Report First Remote, Underwater Detection of Harmful Algae, Toxins

Scientists at NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have successfully conducted the first remote detection of a harmful algal species and its toxin below the ocean’s surface. The achievement was recently reported in the June issue of Oceanography.

This achievement represents a significant milestone in NOAA’s effort to monitor the type and toxicity of harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs are considered to be increasing not only in their global distribution, but also in the frequency, duration, and severity of their effects.

Read the entire announcement here at NOAA News
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