The White House: Washington
The White House: Washington
The White House: Washington
W A S H I N G T O N
The details of this request are set forth in the enclosed letter
from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Together, these amendments will provide critical funds and
authorities needed to respond to this spill as well as changes
to current law to better prepare the Nation for any future
spills.
Sincerely,
Enclosure
Estimate No. 5
111th Congress, 2nd Session
THE DIRECTOR
The President
The White House
Submitted for your consideration is an amendment to Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 proposals in
your FY 2011 Budget. The amendment includes General Provision proposals for the
Departments of Labor, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, the Interior, the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and the
Treasury in the wake of a spill of national significance.
This request responds to urgent and essential needs and, therefore, the specific proposals
are being requested as emergency requirements. These General Provision proposals are
described below and in more detail in the enclosures:
Department of Labor
• Sec. 3. This section would create a new program of unemployment assistance for
workers who are unemployed as a result of a spill of national significance and who
have no entitlement to any other unemployment compensation.
• Sec. 4. This section would amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to create an
oil spill relief employment assistance program. This proposal also provides $50
million to carry out oil spill relief employment assistance.
• Sec. 5. This section would allow the reservation of up to one percent of funds
provided under sections 3 and 4 to administer and support the Oil Spill
Unemployment Assistance program authorized by section 3 of this Act and the Oil
Spill Relief Employment Assistance program authorized by section 4 of this Act, as
well as worker protection and other activities in conjunction with the Department of
Labor's response to an oil spill of national significance.
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Department of Commerce
• Sec. 7. This section would provide $15 million to the Secretary of Commerce
to be available if other sources do not sufficiently mitigate economic impacts
on fishermen and fishery-dependent businesses in the event of a commercial
fisheries failure pursuant to either the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act or the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act.
This section would also provide $5 million for the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration for activities that support the response to the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but may not qualify as recoverable from the
responsible parties or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
• Sec. 8. This section would provide $5 million for the Economic Development
Administration's Economic Adjustment Assistance program (EAA). EAA
will award grants to State, local, and non-profit entities in the affected region
for strategic planning and technical assistance. Potential activities to be
funded include short- and long-term economic recovery plans, and State and
local economic recovery coordinators.
Department of Justice
• Sec. 9. This section would provide $10 million for the Attorney General for
litigation expenses related to affirmative and defensive litigation associated
with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that may not qualify as recoverable from
the Responsible Parties or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
• Sec. 10. This section would provide $29 million for the Secretary of the
Interior for additional inspections, enforcement, studies and other activities
that may not qualify as recoverable from the responsible parties or the Oil
Spill Liability Trust Fund.
• Sec. 11. This section would extend the time allowed by statute for the
Department to review and approve oil and gas lessee exploration plans to
provide additional time for the required review.
• Sec. 12. This section would provide $2 million for a study of long-term risks
and impacts from crude oil releases and use of chemical dispersants led by the
Environmental Protection Agency in coordination with the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration and the Minerals Management Service.
• Sec. 13. This section would provide $2 million to the FDA to monitor and
respond to the environmental impact of the oil on seafood fished from the gulf
and surrounding areas. These efforts could include, but are not limited to,
testing and deploying technology to speed the analysis of seafood samples for
contamination that could harm consumers.
• Sec. 14. This section would permit the Coast Guard to obtain one or more
advances -( up to $100 million each) from the Principal Fund within the Oil
Spill Liability Trust Fund to underwrite Federal response activities with
regard to discharge of oil that began in 2010 in connection with the explosion
on, and sinking of, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon. This
proposal permits advances only up to the total expenditures limitation allowed
under current law, as amended by section 15 of these general provisions.
• Sec. 15. This section would, for any single incident, raise (1) the statutory
expenditure limitation for the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund from $1 billion to
$1.5 billion and (2) the cap on natural resource damage assessments and
claims from $500 million to $750 million. The proposal would also raise the
limitation on liability for responsible parties. The Administration looks
forward to working with the Congress to develop levels for the various caps
that provide for substantial, and proportional, increases.
The section would also amend the Oil Pollution Act's judicial review
provision for assessments of damages to natural resources in order to clarify
that the review should follow established administrative law principles. It
would also amend the Oil Pollution Act to allow the President to require a
responsible party to provide data related to the responsible party's claims
process activity to the government. This will allow the Government to
exercise appropriate oversight of the responsible parties' required actions
under the Oil Pollution Act. The proposal would clarify the provisions under
the Act to place tribal governments on equal footing with States and
local governments to avail themselves of the same benefits afforded under the
section 1002(b)(2)(D) and (F) of the Act when recovering damages to
revenues and public services from a responsible party or parties.
• Sec.16. This section would adjust the rate of tax per barrel of oil to replenish
the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
Recommendation
I have carefully reviewed this request and am satisfied that it is necessary at this
time. Therefore, I join the heads of the affected agencies in recommending that you
transmit this proposal to the Congress.
Sincerely,
Peter R. Orszag
Director
Enclosure
FY 2010 Supplemental Proposal in the FY 2011 Budget
FY 2011 Budget
Appendix Page: 1366
FY 2010
Pending Request: ---
(In the appropriations language under the above heading, add the following seventeen new
sections directly following section 2:)
(c) Provisions of agreement.--Any agreement under subsection (b) shall provide that the State
agency of the State will -
(1) make payments of oil spill unemployment assistance to individuals who-
FY 2010 Supplemental Proposal in the FY 2011 Budget
(d) Weekly benefit amount, due process rights.--For purposes of any agreement under this
section, the terms and conditions of Federal law and regulations which apply to claims for
disaster unemployment assistance and to the payment thereof shall apply to claims for oil spill
unemployment assistance and the payment thereof, except where otherwise inconsistent with the
provisions of this section or with the regulations or operating instructions of the Secretary
promulgated to carry out this section.
(e) Unauthorized Aliens Ineligible.--A State shall require as a condition of oil spill
unemployment assistance under this section that each alien who receives such assistance must be
legally authorized to work in the United States, as defined for purposes of the Federal
Unemployment Tax Act (26 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.). In determining whether an alien meets the
requirements of this subsection, a State must follow the procedures provided in section 1137(d)
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-7(d)).
the National Directory of New Hires Reported Hire and Benefit payment databases a minimum
of once each week and investigate all matches.
(4) Recovery by State agency.
(A) In General.--The State agency may recover the amount to be repaid, or any part
thereof, by deductions from any oil spill unemployment assistance payable to such individual
under this section or from any unemployment compensation payable to such individual under
any State or Federal unemployment compensation law administered by the State agency or under
any other State or Federal law administered by the State agency which provides for the payment
of any assistance or allowance with respect to any week of unemployment, during the 3-year
period after the date such individuals received the payment of the oil spill unemployment
assistance to which they were not entitled, except that no single deduction may exceed 50
percent of the weekly benefit amount from which such deduction is made.
(B) Opportunity for Hearing.--No repayment shall be required, and no deduction shall be
made, until a determination has been made, notice thereof and an opportunity for a fair hearing
has been given to the individual, and the determination has become final.
(5) Review.--Any determination by a State agency under this subsection shall be subject to
review in the same manner and to the same extent as determinations under the State
unemployment compensation law, and only in that manner and to that extent.
(h) Financing.
(1) In General.--There are appropriated out of the general fund of the United States Treasury
such funds as may be necessary in meeting the costs of benefits, Federal administration, and
State administration of agreements under this section.
(2) The Secretary shall from time to time certify to the Secretary of the Treasury for payment
to each State the sums payable to such State under this section. Upon receipt of the certification
from the Secretary, the Secretary of the Treasury shall make payments to the State in accordance
with such certification, by transfers from the general fund of the United States Treasury.
(i) Relationship with Income Replacement Payments for Lost Wages or Self Employment
Income by the Responsible Party.
(1) The total combined amount an individual receives of oil spill unemployment assistance
and payments by the responsible party for either lost wages or self-employment income shall not
exceed the greater of—
(A) the total amount of unemployment assistance that an individual is entitled to receive
under subsection (a), as determined by the State agency, or
(B) the liability of the responsible party to such individual for lost wages or self-
employment income.
FY 2010 Supplemental Proposal in the FY 2011 Budget
(2) If a responsible party or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund under the Oil Pollution Act (33
U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) makes a payment to the individual for lost wages related to unemployment
resulting from a covered incident, and an individual has previously received unemployment
assistance under this section for such period of unemployment, the responsible party or the Oil
Spill Liability Trust Fund shall subtract from such payment the amount of such unemployment
assistance and shall reimburse such subtracted amount to the United States for deposit in the
general fund of the Treasury. If a responsible party fails to reimburse such subtracted amount
pursuant to this paragraph, the Secretary of the Treasury shall request the Attorney General to
bring a civil action against the responsible party or a guarantor in an appropriate district court to
recover the amount of the demand, plus all costs incurred in obtaining payment including
prejudgment interest, attorneys fees, and any other administrative and adjudicative costs
involved.
(3) If a responsible party or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund has made a payment to an
individual for lost wages related to unemployment resulting from a covered incident, the amount
of such payment shall be subtracted from the unemployment assistance under this section that the
individual subsequently receives for such period of unemployment.
(4) Any individual's receipt of unemployment assistance under this section related to
unemployment resulting from a covered incident shall be conditional on the individual taking
appropriate actions, as determined by the Secretary, to seek payment for lost wages for such
period of unemployment under the Oil Pollution Act from the responsible party or the Oil Spill
Liability Trust Fund.
(5) Any individual, as a condition of receiving oil spill unemployment assistance, shall
provide informed consent to the sharing of benefit information between the State agency and the
responsible party (or its claim processor) or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, as appropriate, for
the purpose of determining eligibility and to avoid duplicate payments as deemed necessary.
(6) If the Secretary determines the actions described in paragraphs (2) through (5) have not
succeeded in avoiding duplicate payments, the Secretary may take such other actions as the
Secretary determines necessary in order to avoid duplicate payments, consistent with the
responsible party or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund making payments to individuals for lost
wages related to unemployment resulting from a covered incident.
(7) The Secretary may take such actions as the Secretary determines are necessary for
implementing this section, including entering into agreements with States that have agreements
with the Secretary to administer this program, and the responsible party with respect to each
State's administration of this program and payments made by the responsible party to claimants
for lost wages and self-employment income to establish processes for—
(A) the coordination of payment of oil spill unemployment assistance under this section
and payments for lost wages and self employment income by the responsible party or the Oil
Spill Liability Trust Fund so as to minimize duplicate payments to claimants, including methods
to:
(i) prevent duplicate payments, such as developing methods for claims processing that
identify eligibility for both types of payments so as to ensure the individual receives no more
than the amount specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection;
(ii) document that individuals who received either oil spill unemployment assistance
or payments by the responsible party or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund prior to execution of
the agreement were unemployed as a result of the oil spill; and
FY 2010 Supplemental Proposal in the FY 2011 Budget
(iii) ensure prompt and accurate payment of oil spill unemployment assistance under
this section or payment of claims by the responsible party or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund;
(B) sharing and protecting information regarding an individual's claim for oil spill
unemployment assistance or claims for replacement of wages that is necessary to coordinate
benefit payments and claims by the responsible party or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund under
subparagraph (A);
(C) reimbursement by the responsible party to the Federal government and States for
payment of oil spill unemployment assistance to individuals whose unemployment was the
result of a covered incident and for the administration of this program, which may include the
responsible party developing a special fund for use by the States to pay benefits under this
program, in accordance with process developed under subparagraph (A) with a periodic
reconciliation process to make future claims unnecessary;
(D) ensuring that the responsible party shall make benefit information available to
government organizations upon request subject to the safeguards applicable to confidential
unemployment compensation information in Federal law and regulations, which shall apply to
the Secretary, the State agencies administering the oil spill unemployment assistance program,
the responsible party, and the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund; and
(E) developing similar agreements with the responsible party to coordinate payments of
unemployment compensation under State law related to a covered incident and payments made
by the responsible party or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
(8) The procedures developed under this section may be employed by States to coordinate
payments of unemployment compensation under State law related to a covered incident and
payments made by the responsible party or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
(j) Each responsible party under the Oil Pollution Act, 33 U.S.C. 2701, et seq., is liable for any
costs, net of any payments by the responsible party to the United States under subsection (i),
incurred by the United States under this section and shall, upon the demand of the Secretary of
the Treasury, reimburse the general fund of the Treasury for these costs as well as the costs of
the United States in administering its responsibilities under this section. If a responsible party
fails to pay a demand of the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to this subsection, the Secretary
shall request the Attorney General to bring a civil action against the responsible party or a
guarantor in an appropriate district court to recover the amount of the demand, plus all costs
incurred in obtaining payment including prejudgment interest, attorneys fees, and any other
administrative and adjudicative costs involved. Such reimbursement shall be without regard to
limits of liability under the Oil Pollution Act, 33 U.S.C. 2704.
(k) This section shall take effect immediately upon enactment and shall apply to all responsible
parties under the Oil Pollution Act, including any party determined to be liable under the Oil
Pollution Act for any incident that occurred prior to the enactment of this section.
(l) Definitions.
(1) "Duplicate payments" includes any payment that would cause the individual to receive
payments in excess of the amount determined under paragraph (1) of subsection (i).
(2) "Responsible party" means one or more responsible parties.
(3) "Secretary" means United States Secretary of Labor.
FY 2010 Supplemental Proposal in the FY 2011 Budget
(4) "State" means any State, as defined in the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (26 U.S.C.
3306(j)(1)) directly affected by a covered incident.
(5) "State agency" means the State agency which administers the unemployment insurance
law of the State approved by the Secretary of Labor under section 3304 of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986.
This proposal would create a new program of unemployment assistance to workers who
are unemployed as a result of a spill of national significance and who have no entitlement to any
other unemployment compensation. The program is modeled after the Disaster Unemployment
Assistance program and will provide up to 26 weeks of benefits to the self-employed, as well as
other workers ineligible for regular unemployment compensation.
This proposal would appropriate such sums as may be necessary from the General Fund
of the Treasury. This proposal would also ensure that this new program does not provide
assistance that duplicates, or takes the place of, the payments for lost wages that responsible
parties under the Oil Pollution Act or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund make to an unemployed
worker. This section would also ensure that responsible parties under the Oil Pollution Act bear
the cost of the program. In addition, this section would take effect immediately upon enactment
and apply to all responsible parties under the Oil Pollution Act, including any party determined
to be liable under the Oil Pollution Act for any incident that occurred prior to the enactment of
this section.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Sec. 173(a) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2918(a))
is amended by adding a new paragraph (5) as follows:
"(5) to provide assistance to the Governor of any State within the boundaries of an area
that is the subject of a Presidential determination that additional resources are necessary
to respond to an incident related to a spill of national significance declared under the
National Contingency Plan provided for under section 105 of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9605)
("covered incident") to provide oil spill relief employment in the area.".
"(B) may be expended through public and private agencies and organizations
engaged in such projects;
"(C) may be expended to provide employment and training activities;
"(D) may be expended to provide personal protective equipment to workers
engaged in oil spill relief employment described in subparagraph (A);
"(E) may be used to increase the capacity of States to make available the full
range of services authorized under this title and provide information (in languages
appropriate to the individuals served) about, and access to, the variety of public and
private services available to individuals adversely affected by the covered incident in
One-Stop Career Centers and other access points (including other public facilities, mobile
service delivery units, and social services offices); and
"(F) may be used to provide temporary employment by public sector entities for a
period not to exceed six months, in addition to the oil spill relief employment described
in subparagraph (A).
"(5) USE OF AVAILABLE FUNDS.—Funds appropriated for fiscal years 2009 and
2010 and remaining available for obligation by the Secretary to provide any assistance
authorized under this section shall be available to assist workers affected by a covered
incident, including workers who have relocated from areas in which a covered incident
has been declared. Under such conditions as the Secretary may approve, any State may
use funds that remain available for expenditure under any grants awarded to the State
FY 2010 Supplemental Proposal in the FY 2011 Budget
under this section to provide any assistance authorized under this subsection. Funds used
pursuant to the authority provided under this paragraph shall be subject to the
reimbursement requirements described in paragraph (4).
(c) This section shall take effect immediately upon enactment and shall apply to all responsible
parties under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), including any party
determined to be liable under the Oil Pollution Act for any incident that occurred prior to the
enactment of this section.
(d) APPROPRIATIONS.— For an additional amount for "Training and Employment Services",
Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor, to carry out the provisions of
section 173(a)(5) and (h) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2918(a)(5) and
(h), "WIA"), as amended by this Act, $50,000,000, to remain available until June 30, 2011:
Provided, That funding shall be available upon enactment of this Act, notwithstanding section
189(g)(1) of WIA.
This section would amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) to create an oil
spill relief employment program. The program is similar to the existing disaster relief
employment assistance program authorized under WIA, but is specifically targeted to spills of
national significance declared under the National Contingency Plan provided for under section
105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980
rather than disasters. Grants could also be used to increase the capacity of One-Stop Career
Centers, social services offices, and other public facilities to provide affected individuals
information about, and access to, the range of needed services. This section would also ensure
that responsible parties under the Oil Pollution Act bear the cost of the program. In addition, this
section would take effect immediately upon enactment and apply to all responsible parties under
the Oil Pollution Act, including any party determined to be liable under the Oil Pollution Act for
any incident that occurred prior to the enactment of this section.
associated with such sections, and for the increased worker protection and workplace benefit
activities and oversight and coordination activities in connection with the application of laws and
regulations associated with the Department's response to spills of national significance declared
under the National Contingency Plan provided for under section 105 of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9605). A
responsible party under the Oil Pollution Act (33 U.S.C. 2701, et seq.) shall, upon the demand of
the Secretary of the Treasury, reimburse the general fund of the Treasury for all or a portion of
the additional amount appropriated herein, as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury. If a
responsible party fails to pay a demand of the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to this section,
the Secretary shall request the Attorney General to bring a civil action against the responsible
party or a guarantor in an appropriate district court to recover the amount of the demand, plus all
costs incurred in obtaining payment including prejudgment interest, attorneys fees, and any other
administrative and adjudicative costs involved. Such reimbursement shall be without regard to
limits of liability under the Oil Pollution Act, 33 U.S.C. 2704. This section shall take effect
immediately upon enactment and shall apply to all responsible parties under the Oil Pollution
Act, including any party determined to be liable under the Oil Pollution Act for any incident that
occurred prior to the enactment of this section. The Secretary of Labor shall provide to the
Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report
describing the use of the funds not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act.
This section would allow the reservation of up to one percent of funds provided under
sections 3 and 4 to administer and support the Oil Spill Unemployment Assistance program
authorized by section 3 of this Act and the Oil Spill Relief Employment Assistance program
authorized by section 4 of this Act, as well as worker protection and other activities in
conjunction with the Department's response to spills of national significance declared under the
National Contingency Plan provided for under section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9605). This section would also
ensure that responsible parties under the Oil Pollution Act bear the cost of the program. In
addition, this section would take effect immediately upon enactment and apply to all responsible
parties under the Oil Pollution Act, including any party determined to be liable under the Oil
Pollution Act for any incident that occurred prior to the enactment of this section.
(A) the Statement of Policy of the Secretary of Agriculture effective July 24, 1971 (36
Fed. Reg. 13804), relating to notices of proposed rulemaking and public participation in
rulemaking;
(B) the notice and comment provisions of section 553 of title 5, United States Code; and
(C) section 4(c) of the Act.
(b) Food Commodities. The Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of
Homeland Security, may utilize funds made available under Section 32 of the Act of August 24,
1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c) in the support of emergency distribution of food in States adversely
impacted by a spill of national significance declared under the National Contingency Plan
provided for under section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9605).
(c) Financing. Each responsible party under the Oil Pollution Act, 33 U.S.C. 2701, et seq., is
liable for any costs incurred by the United States under subsection (a) and (b) and shall, upon the
demand of the Secretary of the Treasury, reimburse the general fund of the Treasury for the costs
incurred under subsections (a) and (b) as well as the costs of the United States in administering
its responsibilities under this section. If a responsible party fails to pay a demand of the
Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to this subsection, the Secretary shall request the Attorney
General to bring a civil action against the responsible party or a guarantor in an appropriate
district court to recover the amount of the demand, plus all costs incurred in obtaining payment
including prejudgment interest, attorneys fees, and any other administrative and adjudicative
costs involved. Such reimbursement shall be without regard to limits of liability under the Oil
Pollution Act, 33 U.S.C. 2704.
(d) This section shall take effect immediately upon enactment and shall apply to all responsible
parties under the Oil Pollution Act, including any party determined to be liable under the Oil
Pollution Act for any incident that occurred prior to the enactment of this section.
USDA has a long history of providing food products to State agencies for distribution to
shelters and other mass feeding sites during an emergency. States mobilize quickly and often
utilize existing inventories of food products, including food products previously provided by
USDA to the States for use in other USDA domestic feeding programs, by diverting these
products to emergency feeding activities. This provision would allow the Secretary of
Agriculture to use Section 32 funds to acquire commodities for use in implementing existing
USDA emergency feeding assistance programs and would allow the Secretary to replenish the
food inventories of States if the States, in carrying out such programs, had diverted food products
previously provided to it by USDA.
SEC. 7. (a) For an additional amount for "Operations, Research, and Facilities", National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, $15,000,000, to remain
available until expended, for responding to economic impacts on fishermen and fishery-
dependent businesses: Provided, That the amounts appropriated herein are not available unless
the Secretary of Commerce determines, in consultation with the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget, that resources provided under other authorities and appropriations
(including by the responsible party (or parties) under the Oil Pollution Act, 33 U.S.C. 2701, et
seq., and by the Small Business Administration and Department of Labor) are not sufficient to
respond to economic impacts on fishermen and fishery-dependent business following an incident
related to a spill of national significance declared under the National Contingency Plan provided
for under section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9605): Provided further, That the National Marine Fisheries
Service shall cause such amounts to be distributed among eligible recipients of assistance for
fishery resource disasters and commercial fishery failures declared by the Secretary of
Commerce under sections 308(b) and 308(d) of the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act (16 U.S.C.
4107) and sections 312(a) and 315 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1861a(a) and 1864).
(b) For an additional amount for "Operations, Research, and Facilities", National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, for activities undertaken as a result of
the incidents related to the discharge of oil that began in 2010 in connection with the explosion
on, and sinking of, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon, $5,000,000, to remain
available until expended.
These funds would enable the Federal Government to establish an interim relief fund to
provide a backstop in the event resources from a responsible party (or parties) under the Oil
Pollution Act are not provided. This proposal would provide funds to the Secretary of
Commerce to respond to economic impacts on fishermen and fishery-dependent businesses in the
event of a commercial fisheries failure pursuant to either the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act or the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act. There are several
other Federal programs that provide financial support for affected fisheries in addition to this
section, and the Secretary of Commerce is required to consult with the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget on any aid pursuant to this section.
This proposal would also provide funds for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration for activities that support the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but
FY 2010 Supplemental Proposal in the FY 2011 Budget
may not qualify as recoverable from the responsible parties under the Oil Pollution Act or the Oil
Spill Liability Trust Fund.
This proposal would provide $5 million for the Economic Development Administration's
Economic Adjustment Assistance program (EAA). EAA will award grants to State, local, and
non-profit entities in the affected region for strategic planning and technical assistance. Potential
activities to be funded include short- and long-term economic recovery plans, and state and local
economic recovery coordinators. Consistent with section 703(b) of the Public Works and
Economic Development Act (42 U.S.C. 3233), the grants do not require matching funds from
recipients.
SEC. 9. For an additional amount for "Salaries and Expenses, General Legal Activities", Legal
Activities and U.S. Marshals, Department of Justice, for the legal activities of the Department of
Justice, not otherwise provided for, $10,000,000, to remain available until expended, for
litigation expenses as a result of incidents related to the discharge of oil that began in 2010 in
connection with the explosion on, and sinking of, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater
Horizon.
This section would provide $10 million for the Civil Division and the Environment and
Natural Resources Division for civil defensive litigation, and civil and criminal enforcement
under the Oil Pollution Act, the Federal Torts Claims Act, and the Clean Water Act.
SEC. 10. For an additional amount for "Salaries and Expenses", Office of the Secretary,
Department of the Interior, for increased inspections, enforcement, investigations, and
engineering studies of offshore facilities and for environmental studies determined to be
appropriate in light of the incidents related to the discharge of oil that began in 2010 in
connection with the explosion on, and sinking of, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater
Horizon, $29,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That such funds may be
transferred by the Secretary to any other account in the Department or to the head of any Federal
department or agency, with the concurrence of the head of the relevant Federal department or
agency, to carry out the purposes provided herein.
This proposal would provide funds for the Secretary of the Interior for additional
inspections, enforcement, studies and other activities that may not qualify as recoverable from
the responsible parties under the Oil Pollution Act or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. This
includes approximately $20 million for increased inspections, engineering studies, investigations,
and enforcement of safety regulations. Another $7 million is for more comprehensive
evaluations of policies, procedures and actions that may be needed in light of the Deepwater
Horizon incident. Finally, $2 million is provided for the Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S.
FY 2010 Supplemental Proposal in the FY 2011 Budget
Geological Survey or others to conduct general environmental studies that would not otherwise
be eligible for reimbursement from the responsible parties.
SEC. 11. Section 11(c)(1) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, as amended (43
U.S.C. 1340(c)(1)), is amended in the fourth sentence by deleting "within thirty days of its
submission," and inserting in lieu thereof:
"within ninety days of its submission or within such additional time as the Secretary determines
is necessary to complete any environmental, safety, or other reviews (in the case of leases issued
after March 17, 2010), or within ninety days of its submission or, with the consent of the holder
of the lease, within such additional time as the Secretary determines is necessary to complete any
environmental, safety, or other reviews (in the case of leases issued on or before March 17,
2010),".
This proposal would extend the time period that the Department of the Interior has to
review an offshore oil and gas exploration plan. This will provide more time for the agency to
determine if statutory and regulatory requirements are being met.
Sec. 12. For an additional amount for "Science and Technology", Environmental Protection
Agency, for a study on the potential human and environmental risks and impacts of the release of
crude oil and the application of dispersants, surface washing agents, bioremediation agents, and
other mitigation measures listed in the National Contingency Plan Product List (40 C.F.R. Part
300 Subpart J) as appropriate, $2,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That
the study shall be performed at the direction of the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, in coordination with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and the Director of the Minerals Management Service in the
Department of the Interior. The study may be funded through the provision of grants to
universities and colleges through extramural research funding.
This section would provide $2 million for a study of long-term risks and impacts from
crude oil releases and use of chemical dispersants led by the Environmental Protection Agency in
coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Minerals
Management Service.
SEC. 13. For an additional amount for "Salaries and Expenses", Food and Drug Administration,
Department of Health and Human Services, for food safety monitoring and response activities in
connection with the incidents related to the discharge of oil that began in 2010 in connection
with the explosion on, and sinking of, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon,
$2,000,000, to remain available until expended.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) operates a safety program for all fish and
fishery products under the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Public
Health Service Act, and related regulations. The FDA program includes research, inspection,
laboratory analysis, compliance, enforcement, and outreach.
FY 2010 Supplemental Proposal in the FY 2011 Budget
This section would provide $2 million to the FDA to monitor and respond to the
environmental impact of the oil on seafood fished from the gulf and surrounding areas. These
efforts could include, but are not limited to, testing and deploying technology to speed the
analysis of seafood samples for contamination that could harm consumers.
(c) by inserting the following language after the newly inserted "; and" and before the concluding
period:
"(2) in the case of discharge of oil that began in 2010 in connection with the explosion
on, and sinking of, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon, may, without
further appropriation, obtain one or more advances from the Oil Spill Liability Trust
Fund as needed, up to a maximum of $100,000,000 for each advance, the total amount of
all advances not to exceed the amounts available under section 9509(c)(2) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 9509(c)(2)), and within 7 days of each advance, shall
notify Congress of the amount advanced and the facts and circumstances necessitating the
advance".
This proposal would permit the Coast Guard to obtain one or more advances (up to $100
million each) from the Principal Fund within the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) to
underwrite Federal response activities with regard to discharge of oil that began in 2010 in
connection with the explosion on, and sinking of, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater
Horizon. This proposal permits advances only up to the total expenditures limitation allowed
under current law, as amended by section 15 of these general provisions.
The Administration has determined the current transfer limitation of a single $100 million
advance is inadequate to address effectively the response and removal effort related to the
Deepwater Horizon spills. The capacity to obtain such advances is essential to avoid potential
delays in providing response resources.
(A) in subparagraph (1)(A) by striking "$3,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "the total of
all removal costs plus $X";
(B) in subparagraph (1)(B) by striking "$1,900" and inserting in lieu thereof "the total of
all removal costs plus $X";
(C) in subclause (1)(C)(i)(I) by striking "$22,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "the
total of all removal costs plus $X";
(D) in subclause (1)(C)(i)(II) by striking "$16,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "the
total of all removal costs plus $X";
(E) in subclause (1)(C)(ii)(I) by striking "$6,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "the
total of all removal costs plus $X";
(F) in subclause (1)(C)(ii)(II) by striking "$4,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "the
total of all removal costs plus $X";
(G) in paragraph (2) by —
(i) striking "$950" and inserting in lieu thereof "the total of all removal costs plus
$X";and
(ii) striking "$800,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "the total of all removal costs
plus $X";
(H) in paragraph (3) by striking "$75,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "$X"; and
(I) in paragraph (4) by striking "$350,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "the total of
all removal costs plus $X".
(2) Section 1006(e)(2) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2706(e)) is amended by
(A) striking "rebuttable presumption" and inserting in lieu thereof "Judicial review of
assessments"; and
(B) striking "have the force and effect" and all that follows and inserting in lieu thereof
"be subject to judicial review under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.) on
the basis of the administrative record developed by the Lead Administrative Trustee as provided
in such regulations.".
(3) (A) Title I of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) is amended by
inserting after section 1013 the following new section:
(4) Section 1016(a) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2716(a)) is amended by
striking "sufficient to meet the maximum amount of liability to which the responsible party could
be subjected under section 1004(a) or (d) of this Act, in a case where the responsible party would
be entitled to limit liability under that section." and inserting in lieu thereof "in the amount of
$X.".
(c) The President, by regulations issued not later than three years after the date of enactment of
this section, and not less than every 3 years thereafter, shall adjust the limits on expenditures
specified in Section 9509(c)(2)(A)(i) and (ii) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C.
9509 (c)(2)(A)(i) and (ii)) to reflect significant increases in the Consumer Price Index.
(d) Tribes. Section 1002(b)(2) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2702(b)(2)) is
amended:
(1) in subparagraph (D) by:
(A) striking "or" before "a political subdivision thereof"; and
(B) inserting ", or an Indian tribe" before the concluding period.
(2) in subparagraph (F) by:
(A) striking "or" before "a political sub-division of a State"; and
(B) inserting ", or an Indian tribe" before the concluding period.
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.— This section shall take effect immediately upon enactment and shall
apply to all responsible parties under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.),
including any party determined to be liable under the Oil Pollution Act for any incident that
occurred prior to the enactment of this section.
The Administration has determined the current "incident" limitation ($1 billion) on fund
payments and liability limitations for responsible parties are inadequate to address effectively the
response and removal effort related to some oil spills. These limitations were set in 1990 and
have not been adjusted to reflect the dramatic growth in deepwater exploration and production,
among other things. This proposal would, for any single incident, raise (1) the statutory
expenditure limitation by the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund from $1 billion to $1.5 billion and (2)
the cap on natural resource damage assessments and claims from $500 million to $750 million.
The proposal would also raise the limitation on liability for responsible parties. The
Administration looks forward to working with the Congress to develop levels for the various
caps that provide for substantial, and proportional, increases.
The proposal would also amend the Oil Pollution Act's judicial review provision for
assessments of damages to natural resources in a manner that more closely aligns that review
with established administrative law principles. It would also amend the Oil Pollution Act to
allow the President to require a responsible party to provide data related to the responsible party's
claims process activity to the Government. This will allow the government to exercise
appropriate oversight of the responsible parties' required actions under the Oil Pollution Act.
The proposal would clarify the provisions under the Act to place tribal governments on equal
footing with States and local governments to avail themselves of the same benefits afforded
under the section 1002(b)(2)(D) and (F) of the Act when recovering damages to revenues and
public services from a responsible party or parties. In addition, this section would take effect
immediately upon enactment and apply to all responsible parties under the Oil Pollution Act,
FY 2010 Supplemental Proposal in the FY 2011 Budget
including any party determined to be liable under the Oil Pollution Act for any incident that
occurred prior to the enactment of this section.
SEC. 16. Per Barrel Tax Assessment Increase. -- Section 4611 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 (26 U.S.C. 4611) is amended:
(a) in clause (c)(2)(B):
(1) in clause (i) by deleting "8 cents" and inserting in lieu thereof "9 cents";
(2) in clause (ii) by deleting "9 cents" and inserting in lieu thereof "10 cents";
(c) The amendments made by this section shall apply on and after the first day of the first
calendar quarter after the date of enactment of this Act.
This proposal would adjust the rate of tax per barrel of oil to replenish the Oil Spill
Liability Trust Fund.
SEC._17. None of the provisions of this Act, including any funds appropriated or expenses
authorized herein, shall be construed as relieving or diminishing in any way the legal obligations
of responsible parties to pay or provide reimbursement for removal costs, damages, or other
expenditures under the Oil Pollution Act (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) or other applicable law.
This proposal would make clear that obligations of the responsible parties under the Oil
Pollution Act would not decrease as a result of this amendment.
SEC. _19. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of sections 3 through 18 of this Act, or any
application of such provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the
remainder of the provisions of sections 3 through 18 of this Act and the application of the
provisions to any other person or circumstance shall not be affected.