Bill proposes $1.5 billion for two icebreakers

Bill proposes $1.5 billion for two icebreakers    U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has introduced a bill that proposes spending $1.5 billion to build two icebreakers.
   Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment Implementation Act of 2009 (S. 1514) cites thinning ice cover in the Arctic Ocean, security concerns, as well as the possibility that “sovereign interests of the United States in the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea regions may grow with submission of a United States claim for an extended continental shelf.”
The bill proposes authorization of $750 million for each of fiscal years 2011 and 2012 for the construction of two polar capable icebreakers, $5 million per year from fiscal 2011 through 2015 for seasonal operations in the Arctic, $10 million for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2015 to carry out agreements and coordinated action through the International Maritime Organization with other Arctic nations such as Canada and Russia, $5 million for demonstration projects to reduce emissions or discharges from vessels operating in the Arctic from 2011 to 2015.
The icebreakers would “ensure safe, secure, and reliable marine shipping in the Arctic including the availability of aids to navigation, vessel escorts, spill response capability, and maritime search and rescue in the Arctic,” the bill said.
   The bill can be seen here.
https://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:s1514is.txt.pdf