National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Access Act

Summary: .  National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Access Act - (Sec. 2) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the National Petroleum Reserve (NPR) in Alaska remains explicitly designated to provide oil and natural gas resources to the United States, and (2) it is national policy to actively advance oil and gas development within the NPR. (Sec. 3) Amends the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to require the mandatory program of competitive leasing of oil and gas in the NPR to include at least one lease sale annually in those areas of the NPR most likely to produce commercial quantities of oil and natural gas each year in the period 2013-2023. (Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to ensure permits according to a specified time line for all surface development activities, including pipelines and roads construction to: (1) develop and bring into production any areas within the NPR that are subject to oil and gas leases, and (2) transport oil and gas from and through the NPR to existing transportation or processing infrastructure on the North Slope of Alaska. Requires the Secretary to ensure that any federal permitting agency shall issue permits for construction for transportation of oil and natural gas under existing federal oil and gas leases with drilling permits within 60 days after enactment of this Act. Requires approval of drilling permits under new federal oil and gas leases within 6 months after submission to the Secretary of a permit request.Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress a plan for approved rights-of-way for any plan for pipeline, road, and any other necessary surface infrastructure that will ensure that all leasable tracts in the NPR are within 25 miles of an approved road and pipeline right-of-way that can serve future development of the NPR. (Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary to issue: (1) a new proposed integrated activity plan from among the non-adopted alternatives in the NPR Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision dated February 21, 2013, and (2) an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) for issuance of oil and gas leases in the NPR-Alaska to promote efficient and maximum development of oil and natural gas resources of such reserve. Nullifies the February 21, 2013, Record of Decision, including its integrated activity plan and environmental impact statement. (Sec. 6) Instructs the Secretary to issue regulations establishing clear requirements to ensure that the Department of the Interior is supporting development of oil and gas leases in the NPR. (Sec. 7) Prescribes requirements for the new proposed integrated activity plan, including a departmental deadline for response to lease development permit applications and a timeline for processing each application.   (Sec. 8) Requires the Secretary to assess all technically recoverable fossil fuel resources within the NPR, including all conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas.  Directs the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the state of Alaska and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, to carry out and complete the resource assessment within 24 months after enactment of this Act. Authorizes the USGS to use resources and funds provided by the state of Alaska in carrying out such assessment.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This bill shall be called the ``National Petroleum Reserve Alaska 
Access Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS AND REAFFIRMING NATIONAL POLICY FOR THE 
              NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE IN ALASKA.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska remains 
        explicitly designated, both in name and legal status, for 
        purposes of providing oil and natural gas resources to the 
        United States; and
            (2) accordingly, the national policy is to actively advance 
        oil and gas development within the Reserve by facilitating the 
        expeditious exploration, production, and transportation of oil 
        and natural gas from and through the Reserve.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE IN ALASKA: LEASE SALES.

    Section 107(a) of the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 
1976 (42 U.S.C. 6506a(a)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct an expeditious 
program of competitive leasing of oil and gas in the reserve in 
accordance with this Act. Such program shall include at least one lease 
sale annually in those areas of the reserve most likely to produce 
commercial quantities of oil and natural gas each year in the period 
2013 through 2023.''.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE IN ALASKA: PLANNING AND PERMITTING 
              PIPELINE AND ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with other appropriate 
Federal agencies, shall facilitate and ensure permits, in a timely and 
environmentally responsible manner, for all surface development 
activities, including for the construction of pipelines and roads, 
necessary to--
            (1) develop and bring into production any areas within the 
        National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska that are subject to oil 
        and gas leases; and
            (2) transport oil and gas from and through the National 
        Petroleum Reserve in Alaska in the most direct manner possible 
        to existing transportation or processing infrastructure on the 
        North Slope of Alaska.
    (b) Timeline.--The Secretary shall ensure that any Federal 
permitting agency shall issue permits in accordance with the following 
timeline:
            (1) Permits for such construction for transportation of oil 
        and natural gas produced under existing Federal oil and gas 
        leases with respect to which the Secretary has issued a permit 
        to drill shall be approved within 60 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act.
            (2) Permits for such construction for transportation of oil 
        and natural gas produced under Federal oil and gas leases shall 
        be approved within 6 months after the submission to the 
        Secretary of a request for a permit to drill.
    (c) Plan.--To ensure timely future development of the Reserve, 
within 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of the Interior shall submit to Congress a plan for approved 
rights-of-way for a plan for pipeline, road, and any other surface 
infrastructure that may be necessary infrastructure that will ensure 
that all leasable tracts in the Reserve are within 25 miles of an 
approved road and pipeline right-of-way that can serve future 
development of the Reserve.

SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF A NEW INTEGRATED ACTIVITY PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL 
              IMPACT STATEMENT.

    (a) Issuance of New Integrated Activity Plan.--The Secretary of the 
Interior shall, within 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act, issue--
            (1) a new proposed integrated activity plan from among the 
        non-adopted alternatives in the National Petroleum Reserve 
        Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision issued by 
        the Secretary of the Interior and dated February 21, 2013; and
            (2) an environmental impact statement under section 
        102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
        U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)) for issuance of oil and gas leases in the 
        National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to promote efficient and 
        maximum development of oil and natural gas resources of such 
        reserve.
    (b) Nullification of Existing Record of Decision, IAP, and EIS.--
Except as provided in subsection (a), the National Petroleum Reserve-
Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision issued by the 
Secretary of the Interior and dated February 21, 2013, including the 
integrated activity plan and environmental impact statement referred to 
in that record of decision, shall have no force or effect.

SEC. 6. DEPARTMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR DEVELOPMENT.

    The Secretary of the Interior shall issue regulations not later 
than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act that establish 
clear requirements to ensure that the Department of the Interior is 
supporting development of oil and gas leases in the National Petroleum 
Reserve-Alaska.

SEC. 7. DEADLINES UNDER NEW PROPOSED INTEGRATED ACTIVITY PLAN.

    At a minimum, the new proposed integrated activity plan issued 
under section 5(a)(1) shall--
            (1) require the Department of the Interior to respond 
        within 5 business days to a person who submits an application 
        for a permit for development of oil and natural gas leases in 
        the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska acknowledging receipt of 
        such application; and
            (2) establish a timeline for the processing of each such 
        application, that--
                    (A) specifies deadlines for decisions and actions 
                on permit applications; and
                    (B) provide that the period for issuing each permit 
                after submission of such an application shall not 
                exceed 60 days without the concurrence of the 
                applicant.

SEC. 8. UPDATED RESOURCE ASSESSMENT.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior shall complete a 
comprehensive assessment of all technically recoverable fossil fuel 
resources within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, including 
all conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas.
    (b) Cooperation and Consultation.--The resource assessment required 
by subsection (a) shall be carried out by the United States Geological 
Survey in cooperation and consultation with the State of Alaska and the 
American Association of Petroleum Geologists.
    (c) Timing.--The resource assessment required by subsection (a) 
shall be completed within 24 months of the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
    (d) Funding.--The United States Geological Survey may, in carrying 
out the duties under this section, cooperatively use resources and 
funds provided by the State of Alaska.