Cohen Reintroduces Bill to Create U.S. Maritime Jobs and Protect American Workers & Waters

Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) today reintroduced legislation -- the American Coastal Waters and Shorelines Protection Act -- to require all vessels conducting offshore drilling in U.S. coastal waters to register as a U.S. vessel and fly the American flag. Doing so would create jobs, strengthen the domestic maritime industry and safeguard American workers and the environment.

"The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year might have been prevented if the Deepwater Horizon had been subject to the same safety standards required by vessels flying the U.S. flag," said Congressman Cohen. "Because the Deepwater Horizon was flagged in the Marshall Islands, it was subject to limited safety examinations and minimal oversight, levels that pale in comparison to U.S. vessels. I am reintroducing this bill to not only strengthen the U.S maritime industry but also to ensure that companies performing risky drilling in our waters meet American safety standards."

The United States has always depended on the maritime industry for its growth, success and security, but the United States maritime industry has been severely weakened because of "flags of convenience." This commonly used practice of registering a merchant ship in a sovereign state different from the ship's owners hurts the American maritime industry, endangers Americans working on these ships, and threatens our environment.

As a Marshall Islands flagged vessel, the Deepwater Horizon was subject to a safety examination that took between four and eight hours and was performed by a private entity that had been paid for by the vessel owner -- a significant conflict of interest. U.S. flagged vessel inspections are performed by the U.S. Coast Guard and take two to three weeks.

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