Interior Alaska News

U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee, expressed his approval following the Senate's unanimous passage of amendments to the Save Our Seas (SOS) 2.0 Act and the Marine Debris Act. These changes aim to enhance the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) ability to manage marine debris by allowing more flexibility in resource allocation and forming cooperative agreements for prevention and cleanup efforts.

The legislation was introduced by Senators Sullivan, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Bob Menendez in the Senate, along with Representatives Suzanne Bonamici and Jenniffer González-Colón in the House. It seeks to clarify the role of the Marine Debris Foundation, which Sullivan advocates should be based in Alaska.

Senator Sullivan highlighted the significance of addressing marine debris: “Marine debris is a serious threat to so many aspects of life in Alaska—communities along our thousands of miles of coastline, our pristine marine ecosystem, and the health our world-class fisheries. Tackling this challenge has been a consistent focus of mine as Alaska’s senator.”

The SOS 2.0 Act was originally signed into law in 2020 as a comprehensive measure against marine debris affecting coastal ecosystems and communities. The recent amendments are designed to provide NOAA with greater flexibility in fund deployment and collaboration with private and public partners.

Senator Sullivan emphasized progress since earlier legislation: “We’ve made a lot of progress since the 2018 Save Our Seas Act... My Senate colleagues unanimously passed amendments to SOS 2.0 that will... give NOAA greater flexibility... I look forward to keeping the momentum going.”

The SOS 2.0 Act builds on previous legislation from 2018 aimed at tackling marine debris issues through collaborative efforts between lawmakers.