House Passes Coast Guard Bill

Press Release

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act, providing $8.4 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard to carry out its homeland security and marine safety missions. U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) voted in support of the legislation, which will add an additional 1,500 Coast Guard personnel over the next year and includes many important provisions for northern Michigan.

"This bill helps train, prepare and equip the Coast Guard to protect our waterways and borders," Stupak said. "In particular, it includes measures important to my district, the state of Michigan and the entire Great Lakes region."

Stupak offered an amendment to the bill, which was adopted unanimously, to facilitate a land transfer between the Coast Guard and the city of Marquette. Stupak's amendment conveys the old Coast Guard facility to the city upon completion of the Coast Guard's move to a new facility just south of the Marquette Maritime Museum. The transfer is supported by both the Coast Guard and the city.

"This is a win-win for the Coast Guard and for the city of Marquette," Stupak said. "The Coast Guard station in Marquette plays a vital role in responding to emergencies in Marquette, the surrounding area and on Lake Superior. This land transfer will facilitate a continued Coast Guard presence in the region."

Also included in the bill was language crafted by Stupak authorizing the transfer of the Fresnel lens for the Presque Isle Lighthouse from the Coast Guard to Presque Isle Township. The lighthouse's historic Fresnel lens - first lit in 1871 - was removed in 2002 for restoration but was never reinstalled. In February 2007, Stupak introduced the Lester Nichols Presque Isle Light Station Act, which would have required the Coast Guard to reinstall the historic Fresnel lens. Later that year, an agreement was reached to reinstall the lens and transfer control of the lighthouse to the township. The Coast Guard Authorization Act codifies this agreement.

"The Presque Isle Lighthouse is an important historical landmark for northern Michigan," Stupak said. "Restoring the Fresnel lens and allowing the lighthouse to operate will not only preserve its history and attract visitors, it will also enhance the lighthouse's primary function as a navigational aid."

In order to address invasive species, their impact on the Great Lakes and the economic ripple effect they have on local economies, Stupak joined with several of his colleagues in urging that standards for ballast water treatment be included in the bill and be implemented as soon as possible. H.R. 2830 includes provisions requiring that by Dec. 31, 2013, ships use ballast water treatment technology to eliminate invasive species carried into U.S. waters. In the interim, the bill would require that ships entering U.S. waters conduct ballast water exchanges at least 200 miles off the coast, or use existing technologies to treat ballast water by Dec. 31, 2008.

"Invasive species have devastating effects on our Great Lakes ecosystem and the economies of surrounding communities," Stupak said. "This bill takes quick and decisive action to prevent invasive species from entering the Great Lakes in the future. Now we must continue to invest the resources necessary to eradicate the species that have already made it to our waterways."

Stupak led the fight to prohibit the Coast Guard from conducting live-fire exercises on the Great Lakes. The Coast Guard Authorization Act requires the Coast Guard to test and implement laser training equipment instead of conducting any live gunfire exercises on the Great Lakes. The tests will be conducted on small vessels using individual weapons and machine guns connected to lasers instead of live ammunition.

Although not included in the legislation, Stupak did receive a commitment from House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) to work with him in order to address outstanding Coast Guard issues in northern Michigan. Stupak first raised the issue of the Coast Guard Cutter ACACIA, which was decommissioned in June 2006 after more than 60 years of service. To address the need for a continued Coast Guard presence in Charlevoix, Stupak included language in the Coast Guard Authorization Act two years ago to require the Coast Guard to sustain icebreaking vessel capacity in the Great Lakes. Since that time the Coast Guard has ignored congressional intent and Oberstar agreed to work with Stupak to address the problem.

"This year's cold winter illustrated the need for a cutter presence when Beaver Island again had to make an emergency call to the Coast Guard to break the ice to facilitate a fuel shipment," Stupak said. "This is a common occurrence during cold winters, and I am pleased Chairman Oberstar recognizes the problem and will be working with me to address this important issue."

Stupak also addressed the need for a land transfer between the Coast Guard and the Cornerstone Christian Academy in Cheboygan. Oberstar agreed to work with Stupak to accommodate this simple land transfer as the Coast Guard bill continues through the legislative process.

The Coast Guard Authorization Act is of particular importance to Michigan's First Congressional District. The district is the only one in the nation to border three of the five Great Lakes. It also contains more shoreline - 1,613 miles - than any other district in the continental United States. H.R. 2830 passed the House in a bipartisan 395 to 7 vote and now awaits consideration in the Senate.

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