A group of US Congress members has introduced a bipartisan legislation to accelerate the research and development of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) in the United States.
The Removing and Sequestering Carbon Unleashed in the Environment and Oceans Act (ReSCUE Oceans Act) was presented by representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR), and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI).
This bill comes at a critical time for climate action, and it will facilitate the examining of risks and benefits around mCDR, fortifying the leading role of the U.S. in this emerging sector.
Designed to correspond to important segments of the National Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Strategy repor by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the new legislation covers various aspects for advancing mCDR technology.
With its help, federal resources will be channeled towards the NOAA and other agencies to explore the impact and safety of various mCDR technologies and their ecological and socioeconomic effects.
The bill will also present a framework for defining national mCDR research areas, providing researchers and communities with more clarity and opportunities.
To synchronize the monitoring and verification of mCDR efforts, the bipartisan legislation will establish guardrails for mCDR research, complemented by a code of conduct to be used for collecting environmental data and progress reports that would be in line with regulations and scientific scrutiny applicable to mCDR approaches.
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Lastly, the bill lays the groundwork for creating an interagency cooperation group that would be co-chaired by the NOAA and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The purpose of this new organ will be to boost the mCDR coordination between federal agencies, including NOAA, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
For congressman Paul Tonko, this is yet another effort to stimulate CDR growth in the U.S.
Back in 2023, Tonko, together with Senator Brian Schatz, launched the Carbon Dioxide Removal Research and Development Act of 2023, followed by the Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Leadership Act of 2024, which he introduced along with Representative Scott Peters (CA-52) and Senators Chris Coons (DE) and Sheldon Whitehouse (RI).
Read more: New CDR Leadership Act To Channel Up To $10B In Carbon Removal
