H-4334              _______________________________________________

                                           HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 4037

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Representatives Spanel, Sutherland, Beck, Rust, Walker, May, Fox, Pruitt, Unsoeld, D. Sommers, Cole, Basich, Sayan, Sprenkle, K. Wilson, Kremen, Leonard, Braddock, Schmidt, Jesernig, S. Wilson, Jacobsen, Miller, Winsley, Nelson, Todd and Anderson

Read first time 1/25/88 and referred to Committee on Environmental Affairs.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, The United States is blessed with thousands of miles of shorelines that are important for recreation and tourism, and serve as critical habitat for fish and wildlife; and

          WHEREAS, The United States is dependent on the marine and ocean waters  that surround the country for seafood, navigation, commerce, and recreation; and

          WHEREAS, The amount of discarded plastic and other garbage stranded on the nation's beaches and found in marine and ocean waters has been increasing at an alarming rate; and

          WHEREAS, In addition to diminishing the appeal of recreational areas and being extremely unsightly, this discarded plastic and garbage causes the death of a large number of marine mammals and seabirds, blocks water intakes of marine vessels, entangles ship propellers, and fouls fishing nets; and

          WHEREAS,  Civic organizations in Washington state sponsor annual ocean beach cleanups in which hundreds of volunteers collect tons of debris but they are unable to continually clean up the large amount of garbage originating from offshore sources; and

          WHEREAS, The International Maritime Organization has recognized these problems and proposed Annex V to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.  Annex V prohibits the dumping of plastic material from ships, and regulates the discharge of other types of garbage; and

          WHEREAS, The President and Congress recognized the need to reduce the amount of plastic and other refuse on our beaches and in our marine waters and enacted the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987.  The Act formally adopted Annex V of the international treaty and established research, enforcement, and educational programs; and

          WHEREAS, The Act authorized three million dollars for implementation of these programs during fiscal years 1988, 1989, and 1990, but funds have not been appropriated;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the Congress and President appropriate three million dollars for the implementation of the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.