THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE
Division on Earth and Life Studies
Ocean Studies Board
Committee to Review the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research (ICCOPR) 2022-2027 Research and Technology Plan
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Congressional Briefing
Wednesday, February 22, 2023 – 11:00 a.m.
via Zoom
on
Review of ICCOPR's 2022-2027 Oil Pollution Research and Technology Plan
Requested by Congress in P.L. 116-283, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, this new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides advice and guidance on the approach, structure, adequacy, and implementation of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research (ICCOPR) 2022-2027 Research and Technology Plan.
Coordinated research efforts are necessary so knowledge and capacity related to oil spill prevention, preparedness, response, mitigation, and restoration can be advanced. Future updates of the plan should utilize a more streamlined, transparent, and community-driven development process including development of an oil pollution research dashboard and inclusion of metrics to assess and communicate progress on oil pollution research priorities. ICCOPR should also initiate processes to allow for open-water field trials when appropriate. The report recommendations were developed to assist ICCOPR with developing a Research and Technology Plan that can be widely used to promote progress, coordination, and collaboration on priority oil pollution research needs within the United States and globally - research needs that are important for improving knowledge, capacity, and regulations to safeguard the environment.
This briefing was for members of Congress and congressional staff only. The report was publicly released on February 22, 2023 and can be found, in its entirety, on the Web site of the National Academies Press.