Oceans agency may win independent status

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would become an independent agency within the Commerce Department under a bill approved Wednesday by the Senate Commerce Committee. The bill (S. 2647) passed by voice vote just one day after the committee held a hearing in response to a report on the dire conditions of oceans by the U.S. Commission on Oceans.

During the hearing, several prominent scientists contended that the current structure of federal agencies is ill-equipped to handle the critical situation of oceans.

The revamped NOAA would take on the same role as the current agency, which is charged with managing and conserving ocean resources, observing climate and atmospheric conditions, as well as educational outreach.

NOAA's administrator would negotiate a budget directly with the Office of Management and Budget and develop a 20-year research plan for the agency.

The bill would create within the executive branch a Council on Ocean Stewardship, consisting of three to five full-time members, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. This council would improve coordination among federal agencies that administer ocean conservation programs and evaluate their effectiveness, identifying redundancies and filling in potential gaps in planning. It would conduct an annual review of funding proposed for oceanic and atmospheric research and provide recommendations to the agencies and the administration.

The bill authorizes $4 million for fiscal year 2005. The funding level increases in increments of about $120,000 through fiscal 2010.

Although there was little discussion of the bill at the markup, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said at Tuesday's hearing that the legislation would be the first step in addressing the report's concerns. Both Boxer and Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., said oceans and other environmental concerns have been largely ignored by the Bush administration.

"A lot can be done and this administration is doing very little," McCain said. "We are going to pay a very, very, heavy price."