80 



the Office of Fisheries — NMFS — Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Services, and Office of Research and Development. 



To insure that those efforts are well coordinated and effective, 

 NOAA has proposed the establishment of an Office of Marine 

 Pollution Assessment within the Office of Research and Develop- 

 ment. 



That office would have authority to coordinate planning and 

 budgeting of all NOAA's marine pollution activities. We are now 

 developing a 5-year plan for NOAA's programs which will help 

 assure that they are responsive to the priorities and recommenda- 

 tions of the Federal plan. 



The act provides authority to fund work in high-priority areas 

 which are identified in the Federal plan as underemphasized. 

 Funding can be provided to academic institutions, private firms, 

 and other Federal agencies. $1.5 million in fiscal year 1980 funds 

 will be devoted to the program, and we will be soliciting research, 

 development, and monitoring proposals shortly. 



Section 8 of the act requires the Administrator of NOAA to 

 insure that the results of ocean pollution research, development, 

 and monitoring are made available in timely and useful fashion, a 

 critical problem in our opinion. 



Responsibility for that effort has been assigned to NOAA's Envi- 

 ronmental Data and Information Service in the Office of Oceanic 

 and Atmospheric Services. 



Two major initiatives are planned. The first will be development 

 of a central coordination and referral capability to facilitate 

 making data and information more readily accessible to potential 

 users. The second will be establishment of a capability to provide 

 data and information from diverse sources in a form more suitable 

 for analysis and assessment. This is particularly useful for the 

 Federal Government. 



That assessment capability will be directed at reducing large 

 volumes of scientific data into forms which are more useful in 

 making decisions on utilization, conservation, and development of 

 ocean and coastal resources. 



The Administration seeks reauthorization of Public Law 95-273 

 for $3 million in fiscal year 1981, and such sums as may be appro- 

 priate in fiscal year 1982. As I mentioned earlier, a legislative 

 change is also requested to move the due date for the 5-year plan 

 from February 15 to April 30. 



This concludes my prepared testimony. I will be happy to answer 

 questions the subcommittee may have. 



[The following was received for the record:] 



Statement of James P. Walsh, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce 



Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I welcome the opportunity to 

 appear today in support of reauthorization of Public Law 95-273 — the National 

 Ocean Pollution Research and Development and Monitoring Planning Act of 1978. 

 The Act mandated that a comprehensive 5-year plan for Federal ocean pollution 

 research, development, and monitoring programs be developed in order to provide 

 improved planning and coordination of such programs within the Federal Govern- 

 ment. A further purpose is to develop and disseminate information about pollution 

 and its impact on the development of ocean and coastal resources. 



This undertaking has proved to be no small task. At present, seven departments 

 and four agencies are conducting or sponsoring nearly 1,000 discrete projects relat- 



