1998 Year of the Ocean The U.S. Marine Transportation System 



For petroleum cargoes, the Voluntary Tanker Agreement that provides a mechanism for 

 U.S. tanker owners to make their vessels available to DoD for point-to-point transport of military 

 fiiels and lubricants. This agreement is designed to meet contingency or war requirements, it is 

 not applicable to peacetime re-supply operations normally addressed by commercial type 

 charters. 



Complementing these resources are the vessels and crews employed in the domestic 

 waterbome trades. Under section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, known as the Jones 

 Act, coastal and inland trades are reserved for U.S. -citizen owned vessels built in the United 

 States, which meet U.S. -citizen crew requirements. Over 75 percent of the oceangoing Jones Act 

 vessels are militarily useful, as defined by DoD, and the pool of seafarers with experience on 

 these vessels has been relied upon to operate government-owned reserve fleet vessels for many 

 missions. 



Marine Transportation and the Environment 



The immense size of the marine transportation infrastructure and the fact that much is 

 located in sensitive coastal environments raise concerns over possible environmental impacts to 

 marine ecosystems. Dredging operations that are necessary for the safe and operational function 

 of port facilities raise environmental concerns regarding the disposal of dredged material. The 

 purpose of many statutes and regulations is to prevent environmental damage when building or 

 utilizing the marine transportation system. 



Dredging is necessary for many ports to remain operational and accommodate a wide 

 diversity of transport vessels. However, deeper dredging may expose concentrated toxins that are 

 currently sealed by a layer of silt and clay. An example of this is the ketones disposed of by old 

 industrial processes at the mouth of the James River. Dredging in this area would create an 

 envirormiental disaster. The disposal of dredge spoils has become a major environmental concern 

 in conflict with port and waterway development. 



In response to environmental concern over the ocean disposal of material, the United 

 States Congress enacted the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) to 

 address and control the dumping of materials into ocean waters. As a result, all operations 

 involving the transport and disposal of dredged material are evaluated, disposal sites are 

 designated and selected to reduce environmental impacts, and monitoring programs are 

 established by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to 

 ensure unnecessary environmental degradation. 



Plants, animals, and microorganisms are incidentally transported through ballast water 

 fi-om their natural habitats to other areas of the globe. Without local predators, they can become 

 an invasive nuisance and overwhelm indigenous populations. Zebra mussel larvae, introduced to 

 the United States waters, have become widespread and can clog the water intake pipes of plant 

 operations. Control and eradication efforts are costly. San Francisco Bay is home to some 230 

 invasive species, the largest introduced population in the nation. 



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