NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 75 



The Commission's function would be the formulation and conduct of 

 programs for exploration and development of the marine resources 

 of the Continental Shelf and Avaters above it, including but not lim- 

 ited to the following: exploration to describe the topography and to 

 identify, locate, and economically develop the physical, chemical, 

 geological, and biological resources of the Continental Shelf; coop- 

 erative expeditions for these purposes with other concerned Federal 

 agencies; development of an engineering capability for exploration 

 and development of the Continental Shelf and superjacent waters; 

 promotion of participation in marine exploration and economic devel- 

 opment by scientific institutions and industry, through grants, loans, 

 and cost-sharmg arrangements ; and dissemination of information on 

 marine discoveries, development of instrumentation, ecpupment, and 

 facilities, and other appropriate information. 



The Commission would be authorized to make agreements with 

 other Government agencies, public or private scientific institutions, 

 private enterprises, or individuals, and to make loans, grants, or other 

 cost-sharing arrangements with such institutions, private enterprises, 

 or individuals from a marine exploration and development fund, for 

 which a $100 million appropriation would be authorized. Annual 

 appropriations not to exceed $50 million would be authorized for the 

 work of the Commission. The Commission would be directed to make 

 its findings available to other Government agencies, and, consistent 

 with national security, to others, and to make an annual report to 

 Congress with any legislative recommendations. 



The purpose of title III-, the exploitation of the resources of the 

 Continental Shelf, touches on certain program interests of this De- 

 partment. These interests include the use of the shelf for the dis- 

 posal of municii:>al, industrial, and radioadtive w^astes, the presence of 

 naturally occurring toxins, and the effect of these contaminants on the 

 suitability for human consumption of the marine food resources of 

 the waters above the shelf. Although Ave have no specific recoimnen- 

 dation regarding title III, we do hope that, if such a Commission is 

 established, it will be so constituted and its functions so defined as to 

 give appropriate consideration to the program interests of this Depart- 

 ment. 



Since Ave object to certain sections of this bill, we recommend that 

 II.R. 7849 not be enacted. 



We are advised by the Bureau of the Budget that there is no objec- 

 tion to the presentation of this report from the standpoint of the 

 administration's program. 

 Sincerely, 



Wilbur J. Cohen, 



Under Secretarry. 



U.S. Department of the Interior, 



Office of the Secretary, 

 Washington, D.C., July 29, 1965. 

 Hon. Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of 

 Representatives, Washington, D.C. 

 Dear Mr. Bonner: Your committee has requested our views and 

 recommendations on seven specific bills concerned with the problem 



