Members of Congress continue to call out NOAA's Flawed Vessel Speed Rule
by National Marine Manufacturers Association 13 Jun 2024 16:21 PDT
NOAA Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2025 © House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Last week, during the Environment Subcommittee Hearing of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, "An Overview of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2025," members of Congress questioned NOAA Administrator Dr. Richard Spinrad on the agency's proposed expansion of the 2008 North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction rule. The members pressed Dr. Spinrad on whether NOAA included industry input in the drafting of the rule, how the rule would be enforced, and how NOAA plans to protect right whales without hurting coastal economies.
Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) asked Dr. Spinrad about failing to meet with marine industry representatives ahead of drafting the rule, including the recreational boating industry, saying:
"Why did NOAA meet with several outside groups such as the Center for Biological Diversity, but not the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), prior to the proposed rule being published?"
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