274 



Secretary of the Interior and the Administrator of tlie Environmental Protection 

 Agency shall enter into appropriate arrangements with the National Academy 

 of Sciences to undertake a full investigation of the environmental hazards at- 

 tendant on offshore oil drilling on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. Such 

 study should take into consideration the recreational, marine resources, ecologi- 

 cal, esthetic, and research values which might be impaired by the proposed drill- 

 ing. A report shall be made to the Congress, to the Administrator, and to the 

 Secretary by July 1, 1973. 



(d) There are authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year in which this 

 Act is enacted and for the next fiscal year thereafter such sums as may be 

 necessary to carry out this section, but the sums appropriated may not exceed 

 $500,000. 



Mr. Pell. I hope the amendment as so modified will be acceptable 

 to the manager of the bill and to my fellow Senators. 



Mr. BoGGs. Mr. President, will the Senator yield briefly? 



Mr. Pell. I yield to the Senator from Delaware. 



Mr. BoGGS. As the Senator has so kindly pointed out, I have asked 

 to be listed as a cosponsor of the amendment, and I have a brief state- 

 ment at this time in support of the amendment. 



Mr. President, I wish to support the amendment offered in behalf of 

 the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts, Mr. Kennedy. I would 

 point out that it follows very closely the lines of S. 2892, which I in- 

 troduced on November 22, 1971. That bill is cosponsored by Senators, 

 Roth, Beall, Brooke, Buckley, Case, Muskie, and Pell. 



S. 2892 authorized a detailed environmental study by three agencies, 

 each with great expertise in matters relating to offshore oil drilling 

 and its potential environmental effects. 



The agencies involved would be the Interior Department, the Na- 

 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Environ- 

 mental Protection Agency. I believe such a three-agency study would 

 be effective and utilize the best resources of the Federal Government. 



In addition, my bill would also declare a moratorium on oceanic 

 mineral exploration for the period of the study, which is up to 2 years, 

 as well as for a period of 1 year after submission of the study to the 

 Congress. Such an extra 1-year moratorium would assure the public 

 sufficient time to evaluate the study and seek possible legislative 

 changes, if such might be necessary. 



Wliile Senaitor Kennedy's amendment is somewhat different from 

 my bill, the intent of the two provisions appears to me to be identical. 



Thus, I wish to express my support for the Senator's amendment 

 and express my belief that it is needed to protect our valuable coastal 

 areas. 



Mr. Stevens. Mr. President, will the Senator peld ? 



Mr. Pell. I yield. 



Mr. Stevens. Mr. President, I am not going to belabor this issue, 

 but it does seem to me that the impact of the amendment is to add to 

 the total framework of the laws that we have already passed for en- 

 vironmental protection. 



We passed a National Environmental Protection Act, and we set up 

 an elaborate procedure — and Alaskans know just how elaborate that 

 procedure is — for anyone who wants to propose to develop the energy 

 resources of this country. 



As I understand, the amendment says "which might be impaired by 

 the proposed drilling." 



