An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century - California Ocean ...

Recommendation 12–4The National Dredging Team should ensure vigorous and sustained implementation of therecommendations contained in its Dredged Material Management: Action Agenda for theNext Decade, moving toward more ecosystem-based approaches. Regional dredging teams,working with regional ocean councils, should establish sediment management programs thatexpand beyond single watersheds to larger regional ecosystems.Recommendation 12–5The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, working with U.S. Department of the Interior agencies, theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency, in consultation with state and local governments, should develop and implement astrategy for improved assessments, monitoring, research, and technology development toenhance sediment management.Recommendation 12–6Congress should modify its current authorization and funding processes to require the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), or an appropriate third party, to monitor outcomes frompast USACE projects and assess the cumulative, regional impacts of USACE activities withincoastal watersheds and ecosystems. Such assessments should be peer-reviewed consistentwith recommendations from the National Research Council.Recommendation 12–7The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, working with other appropriate entities, includingstate and local governments, should build upon EPA’s 2002 draft contaminated sedimentsscience plan to develop and conduct coordinated strategies for assessment, monitoring, andresearch to better understand how contaminated sediment is created and transported. Thestrategies should also develop technologies for better prevention, safer dredging or onsitetreatment, and more effective post-recovery treatment of contaminated dredged material.Chapter 13: Supporting Marine Commerce and TransportationRecommendation 13–1Congress should designate the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as the lead federalagency for planning and oversight of the marine transportation system and DOT shouldsubmit regular reports to Congress on the condition and future needs of the system. TheNational Ocean Council should identify overlapping functions in other federal agencies andmake recommendations concerning the advisability of transferring those functions to DOT.Recommendation 13–2Congress should codify the Interagency Committee for the Marine Transportation System andplace it under the oversight of the National Ocean Council (NOC).Under the oversight of the NOC’s Committee on Ocean Resource Management, the InteragencyCommittee for the Marine Transportation System should:• be chaired by the U.S. Department of Transportation.• improve coordination among all participants in the U.S. marine transportation system.• promote the integration of marine transportation with other modes of transportationand with other ocean and coastal uses and activities.• recommend strategies and plans for: better informing the public of the importance ofmarine commerce and transportation; devising alternate funding scenarios to meetshort- and long-term demands on the marine transportation system; matching federalrevenues derived from marine transportation with funding needs to maintain andimprove the system; and delineating short- and long-term priorities.CHAPTER 31: SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS493