Delaware River Protection Act of 2005

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on June 16, 2005. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Delaware River Protection Act of 2005 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Ports and Waterways Safety Act to require any person who knows of a release from a vessel or facility of any object that creates an obstruction in the navigable waters of the United States to notify the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating and the Secretary of the Army.

(Sec. 3) Amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to gradually increase liability limits associated with oil spills for single-hull and double-hull tank vessels and other type tank vessels.

(Sec. 4) Requires the Philadelphia Area Committee to review and revise annually the Philadelphia Area Contingency Plan (a plan to remove a worst case discharge, and to mitigate or prevent a substantial threat of such a discharge, from a vessel, offshore facility, or onshore facility operating in or near an area) to include available data and biological information on environmentally sensitive areas of the Delaware River and Delaware Bay that has been collected by federal and state surveys.

(Sec. 5) Establishes the submerged oil program to detect, monitor, and evaluate the environmental effects of submerged oil. Directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to conduct a demonstration project to develop and demonstrate technologies and management practices to remove submerged oil from the Delaware River and other navigable waters. Authorizes appropriations for FY2006-FY2010.

(Sec. 6) Establishes the Delaware River and Bay Oil Spill Advisory Committee to make recommendations to the Commandant and Congress on methods to improve the prevention of and response to future oil spills in the Delaware River and Delaware Bay.