Governors of California, Oregon and Washington on Tuesday launched an action plan to safeguard critical marine resources along the West Coast of the United States.
Under the Ocean Action Plan signed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski and Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, the three states will forge a long-term partnership to tackle obstacles facing the Pacific Oceanand its coastal communities.
A Federal Working Group, led by the U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Environment Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has also been formed to help implement the actions, according to a statement by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's office.
"This agreement is another key step in our aggressive efforts to maintain clean water and beaches along our coast," and will "ensure a healthy ocean environment for current and future generations," Schwarzenegger said in the statement.
As part of the plan, the three states and the working group will work on 26 actions to help combat polluted runoff and reduce marine garbage, advocate for stricter ocean going vessel emission standards and prevent the introduction of invasive species, among others, the statement added.
The action plan "is the result of our three states working side-by-side to identify problems and develop a comprehensive action plan to solvethem," said the statement.
The governors have formally committed to report on the status of actions at the end of two years, the statement said.
Source:Xinhua
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