§ 2801 — Purposes

The purposes of this chapter are to— (1) establish a comprehensive national program for consistent monitoring of the Nation’s coastal ecosystems; (2) establish long-term water quality assessment and monitoring programs for high priority coastal waters that will enhance the ability of Federal, State, and local authorities to develop and implement effective remedial programs for those waters; (3) establish a system for reviewing and evaluating the scientific, analytical, and technological means that are available for monitoring the environmental quality of coastal ecosystems; (4) establish methods for identifying uniform indicators of coastal ecosystem quality; (5) provide for periodic, comprehensive reports to Congress concerning the quality of the Nation’s coastal ecosystems; (6) establish a coastal environment information program to distribute coastal monitoring information; (7) programs authorized under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) with information necessary to design land use plans and coastal zone regulations that will contribute to the protection of coastal ecosystems; and (8) provide certain water pollution control programs authorized under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) with information necessary to design and implement effective coastal water pollution controls.