Washington, D.C. — Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) has co-sponsored S. 1833, the Protecting Whales, Human Safety, and the Economy Act.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposed a rule that would broaden the boundaries and expand speed restrictions off of the Atlantic coast. This rule is not backed by scientific evidence and would cripple North Carolina’s coastal economy.
The bill would prohibit NOAA from issuing a final rule until:
- Mitigation steps required in the 2022 Coast Guard Authorization Act are fully developed and deployed.
- Reports to Congress are submitted on how the deployed mitigation steps will inform any proposed changes to the rule.
The bill was originally introduced by Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and John Boozman (R-AR).
Sen. Budd said in a statement:
“The hundreds of miles of North Carolina’s coastline are an economic necessity to many and a treasured part of our state. This bill would force NOAA to do what Congress has already instructed them to do and make sure a common sense, tailored approach to protecting whales does not cause a massive disruption for our coastal economy.”
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