OFFSHORE DRILLING IN CUBA AND THE BAHAMAS: THE U.S. COAST GUARD’S OIL SPILL READINESS AND RESPONSE PLANNING (112–70) HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION JANUARY 30, 2012 Printed for the use of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ( Available online at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/ committee.action?chamber=house&committee=transportation U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 72–582 PDF WASHINGTON : 2012 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE JOHN L. MICA, Florida, Chairman DON YOUNG, Alaska NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia THOMAS E. PETRI, Wisconsin PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of FRANK A. LOBIONDO, New Jersey Columbia GARY G. MILLER, California JERROLD NADLER, New York TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON, Illinois CORRINE BROWN, Florida SAM GRAVES, Missouri BOB FILNER, California BILL SHUSTER, Pennsylvania EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland JEAN SCHMIDT, Ohio LEONARD L. BOSWELL, Iowa CANDICE S. MILLER, Michigan TIM HOLDEN, Pennsylvania DUNCAN HUNTER, California RICK LARSEN, Washington ANDY HARRIS, Maryland MICHAEL E. CAPUANO, Massachusetts ERIC A. ‘‘RICK’’ CRAWFORD, Arkansas TIMOTHY H. BISHOP, New York JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER, Washington MICHAEL H. MICHAUD, Maine FRANK C. GUINTA, New Hampshire RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri RANDY HULTGREN, Illinois GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California LOU BARLETTA, Pennsylvania DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois CHIP CRAVAACK, Minnesota MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii BLAKE FARENTHOLD, Texas JASON ALTMIRE, Pennsylvania LARRY BUCSHON, Indiana TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota BILLY LONG, Missouri HEATH SHULER, North Carolina BOB GIBBS, Ohio STEVE COHEN, Tennessee PATRICK MEEHAN, Pennsylvania LAURA RICHARDSON, California RICHARD L. HANNA, New York ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey JEFFREY M. LANDRY, Louisiana DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland STEVE SOUTHERLAND II, Florida JEFF DENHAM, California JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma REID J. RIBBLE, Wisconsin CHARLES J. ‘‘CHUCK’’ FLEISCHMANN, Tennessee SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION FRANK A. LOBIONDO, New Jersey, Chairman DON YOUNG, Alaska RICK LARSEN, Washington HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland ANDY HARRIS, Maryland CORRINE BROWN, Florida FRANK C. GUINTA, New Hampshire TIMOTHY H. BISHOP, New York CHIP CRAVAACK, Minnesota MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii BLAKE FARENTHOLD, Texas MICHAEL H. MICHAUD, Maine JEFFREY M. LANDRY, Louisiana, NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia Vice Chair (Ex Officio) JOHN L. MICA, Florida (Ex Officio) (II) VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN CONTENTS Page Summary of Subject Matter .................................................................................... iv TESTIMONY Baumgartner, Rear Admiral William, Commander, Seventh District, United States Coast Guard .............................................................................................. 10 Carroll, Hon. Jennifer, Lieutenant Governor, State of Florida ........................... 10 Herbst, Lars, Regional Director, Gulf of Mexico Region, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, U.S. Department of the Interior ................ 10 Payton, Debbie, Chief, Emergency Response Division, Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ..................................................................................................... 10 Proni, John R., Ph.D., Executive Director, Florida International University Applied Research Center (ARC) .......................................................................... 10 Thomas, Rear Admiral Cari, Director of Response Policy, United States Coast Guard .................................................................................................................... 10 PREPARED STATEMENTS SUBMITTED BY WITNESSES Baumgartner, Rear Admiral William, and Thomas, Rear Admiral Cari, joint statement .............................................................................................................. 39 Carroll, Hon. Jennifer ............................................................................................. 44 Herbst, Lars ............................................................................................................. 47 Payton, Debbie ......................................................................................................... 51 Proni, John R., Ph.D. ............................................................................................... 56 (III) VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN iv VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 1 here 72582.001 v VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 2 here 72582.002 vi VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 3 here 72582.003 vii VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 4 here 72582.004 viii VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 5 here 72582.005 ix VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 6 here 72582.006 x VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 7 here 72582.007 xi VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 8 here 72582.008 xii VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 9 here 72582.009 xiii VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 10 here 72582.010 VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN OFFSHORE DRILLING IN CUBA AND THE BAHAMAS: THE U.S. COAST GUARD’S OIL SPILL READINESS AND RESPONSE PLANNING MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON THE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:04 a.m., in The Atlantic Room, Double Tree by Hilton Ocean Point Resort and Spa, 17375 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Hon. John Mica (Chairman of the committee) presiding. Present: Representatives Mica, Hultgren, Long, and Gibbs. Also Present: Representatives Ros-Lehtinen, Diaz-Balart, Rivera, and West. Mr. MICA. Good morning. I would like to call this hearing of the United States House of Representatives Transportation and Infra- structure Committee, and the Subcommittee on the United States Coast Guard hearing to order. I am pleased to be here in South Florida, and first want to wel- come my colleagues who have come from across the country to be with us today, and I will introduce them in just a second. The order of business today is we will be conducting a hearing that will focus on Cuban and Bahamanian oil drilling off of Florida shores. The order of business will be opening statements by Members of Congress, then we will turn to the distinguished panel who has been assembled to assist our subcommittee. And we will then move to questions after we have heard from all the witnesses. I want to particularly welcome members of the committee that have traveled from colder climates to be with us, it is a very in- tense time in Washington and I know in their districts right now. But I am very pleased that they have joined us. I will introduce them: Randy Hultgren, and Randy is from the 14th District of Illi- nois. That is east of Chicago. Pleased to have him in this sub- committee hearing today. And Billy Long next to him, the Seventh District of Missouri, and southwestern Missouri, Springfield, and some of that area. Bob Gibbs, Bob is also the chair of the Water Resources Subcommittee in the House of Representatives, and he is the 18th District of Ohio, central Ohio. (1) VerDate Aug 31 2005 13:17 Mar 12, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\1-30-1~1\72582.TXT JEAN 2 Then we are very pleased with the response we have had from Members of South Florida to attend and also participate in this hearing today.