Federal bill aims to keep foreign marine debris away

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Marine debris from other countries is invading the United States. A bipartisan effort is underway in Washington, D.C., to address marine debris along the nation’s coastline, as senators have begun weighing in on the Save Our Seas Act of 2017. The efforts do not call for a wall to be built. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, introduced Senate Bill 756 (S. 756) in late March to bolster efforts to combat large amounts of trash found in ocean waters within the country’s jurisdiction. The bill would authorize the White House to partner with other countries to prevent the flow of marine debris to the U.S. coastline. “This bill encourages the Trump administration to forge alliances with these countries and to take a stand against the dangerous levels of debris in our oceans and make sure that they do not reach America’s coastlines,” Sullivan said in a released statement. A majority of marine debris found on U.S. shores, according to S. 756, arrives here from other countries. “Intact marine debris from foreign countries travel great distances and pose problems for nations who are not responsible for the mismanagement of the source country’s solid waste,” a statement issued from Sullivan’s office stated. “This is particularly true in...