Alan S. Lowenthal Blue Whales, Blue Skies Act

TL;DR (AI)

• The bill establishes a Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program to reduce air pollution, underwater acoustic impacts, and the risk of fatal vessel whale strikes by encouraging vessels to reduce speed along the western coast of the United States.
• The program will annually award Excellence Awards to vessels that demonstrate successful participation and compliance by transiting the program area at a speed of 10 knots or lower.
• The program is modeled after an existing Vessel Speed Reduction Program in California and may be extended to all shipping channels along the U.S. Pacific coast, with NOAA directed to report findings to Congress.