News Release
FOR RELEASE - June 24, 2024
Contact: Shawn Balcomb, press@aapa-ports.org

American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org

Biden Admin Poised to Appease Environmental Activists with Vessel Speed Restrictions

Washington, D.C. — The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) and representatives from East Coast ports recently met with the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) on the Biden Administration's proposed vessel speed restrictions and emphasized a wide range of safety and economic effects the Final Rule would have on the port and maritime industry.

"As currently proposed, NOAA's vessel speed restriction rule places the safety of mariners and the surrounding ecosystem beneath the North Atlantic Right Whale," stated Cary S. Davis, AAPA CEO and President. "Though America's ports and maritime industry support responsible and reasonable efforts to preserve the species, we call on the Biden Administration to heed the consistent warnings of Congress and industry to craft a wiser and more balanced policy outcome."
 
The meeting with OIRA, a White House Office of Management and Budget division, comes in the final stages of the rulemaking process before the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries rule is likely to be finalized.
 
The coalition of interests urging caution and prudence on the vessel speed restriction rule includes four Democratic House Members. U.S. Representatives Mary Peltola (D-AK), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Brendan Boyle (D-PA) wrote in December 2023 to the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service urging the agency to suspend the proposed changes to expand the current North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) vessel speed rule.
 

Recently, the U.S. House Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill included language prohibiting funds from being used to implement or enforce NARW vessel speed restriction rules. While this bill sends a strong signal of opposition to the Administration, it will be challenging to retain the text in the final DHS Appropriations bill.

Also of note, the House Natural Resources Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee will hold a hearing this Thursday and consider bipartisan legislation that would prevent the implementation of the NARW vessel speed restriction rule.

Since the rule was proposed, AAPA has taken actions to oppose it including:

• Submitting official comments to NOAA;
• Joining industry allies to push back, including in the media;
• Working with key Members of Congress in both parties to support legislation withdrawing or delaying the rule until real-time speed monitoring systems are implemented; and
• Raising safety and economic concerns directly with NOAA leadership on many occasions.

About AAPA:

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) is the unified voice of port leaders and maritime industry partners across the Western Hemisphere who serve a vital role in job-creation, international competitiveness, and economic prosperity. Connecting small business owners, retailers, and manufacturers to the global marketplace, AAPA member organizations advocate for national policies and infrastructure investments in support of a resilient global supply chain and a positive impact on the way people live, work, travel, and engage in commerce.