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50 st / February 2016 www.sea-technology.com The other 2016 awardees include: President Tommy Re- mengesau Jr. of the Republic of Palau for Excellence in Na- tional Stewardship; Dr. Barbara Block for Excellence in Sci- ence; Ian Urbina for Excellence in Media; Dr. Chris Costello for Excellence in Solutions; Tara Expeditions for Excellence in Exploration; Daniela Fernandez for the Christopher Benchley Youth Award; and Serge Dedina for Hero of the Seas. MARAD Offers Grants For Small US Shipyards The U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Admin- istration (MARAD) announced the availability of $4.9 million in federal funding to support capital improvements and em- ployee training at small U.S. shipyards. The grants, provided through the Small Shipyard Grant Program, will support ef- fciency improvements and modernizations that allow U.S. shipyards to compete more effectively in the global market- place. Grants are available to support a variety of projects, in- cluding capital and related improvements and equipment upgrades that foster ship construction, repair and reconfgu- ration in small shipyards across the U.S. The grants can also be used to support maritime training programs that improve technical skills to enhance shipyard worker effciency and productivity. The Small Shipyard Grants, which are limited to no more than 75 percent of the estimated improvement costs, are available to U.S. shipyards with less than 1,200 produc- tion employees. MARAD intends to award grants no later than April 18, 2016. GOMESA Phase II Increases Gulf States Revenue Sharing The U.S. Department of the Interior's Offce of Natural Re- sources Revenue (ONRR) issued a fnal regulation on the dis- tribution and disbursement of qualifed revenues from certain leases on the Gulf of Mexico's Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), in accordance with provisions contained in the Gulf of Mex- ico Energy Security Act of 2006 (GOMESA). In accordance with GOMESA Phase II, ONRR will annually disburse up to $375 million to Gulf States and their eligible coastal political subdivisions and up to $125 million to the stateside Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Phase II broadens the scope of leases subject to revenue sharing and thus increases the annual GOMESA disburse- ments to Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas. GOMESA provides for sharing 37.5 percent of qualifed oil and gas leasing revenues from certain Outer Continental Shelf leases with the four Gulf States and their coastal par- ishes and counties. GOMESA also specifes that 12.5 percent of qualifed revenues are provided to the stateside Land and Water Conservation Fund and that the remaining 50 percent is sent to the U.S. Treasury General Fund. US Crude Oil Export Ban Lifted The U.S. House and the Senate passed legislation to lift the 1970s-era U.S. crude oil export ban, marking a substan- tial victory for America's oil and natural gas industry, NOIA reported. The measure was part of the year-end Omnibus Appropria- tions bill, which President Barack Obama has signed. ST