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Union Calendar No. 272 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3408 

[Report No. 112–392] 

To set clear rules for the development of United States oil shale resources, 

to promote shale technology research and development, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 14, 2011 

Mr. LAMBORN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

FEBRUARY 9, 2012 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on November 14, 2011] 

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A BILL 

To set clear rules for the development of United States 

oil shale resources, to promote shale technology research 

and development, and for other purposes. 

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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Investment 

5 in Oil Shale the Next Generation of Environmental, En6 ergy, and Resource Security Act’’ or the ‘‘PIONEERS Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. EFFECTIVENESS OF OIL SHALE REGULATIONS, 

8 AMENDMENTS TO RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 

9 PLANS, AND RECORD OF DECISION. 

10 (a) REGULATIONS.—Notwithstanding any other law or 

11 regulation to the contrary, the final regulations regarding 

12 oil shale management published by the Bureau of Land 

13 Management on November 18, 2008 (73 Fed. Reg. 69,414) 

14 are deemed to satisfy all legal and procedural requirements 

15 under any law, including the Federal Land Policy and 

16 Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the En17 dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the 

18 National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 

19 4321 et seq.), and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public 

20 Law 109–58), and the Secretary of the Interior shall imple21 ment those regulations, including the oil shale leasing pro22 gram authorized by the regulations, without any other ad23 ministrative action necessary. 

24 (b) AMENDMENTS TO RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANS

25 AND RECORD OF DECISION.—Notwithstanding any other 

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1 law or regulation to the contrary, the November 17, 2008 

2 U.S. Bureau of Land Management Approved Resource 

3 Management Plan Amendments/Record of Decision for Oil 

4 Shale and Tar Sands Resources to Address Land Use Allo5 cations in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming and Final Pro6 grammatic Environmental Impact Statement are deemed 

7 to satisfy all legal and procedural requirements under any 

8 law, including the Federal Land Policy and Management 

9 Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Endangered Spe10 cies Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the National Envi11 ronmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and 

12 the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109–58), and 

13 the Secretary of the Interior shall implement the oil shale 

14 leasing program authorized by the regulations referred to 

15 in subsection (a) in those areas covered by the resource 

16 management plans amended by such amendments, and cov17 ered by such record of decision, without any other adminis18 trative action necessary. 

19 SEC. 3. OIL SHALE LEASING. 

20 (a) ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

21 LEASE SALES.—The Secretary of the Interior shall hold a 

22 lease sale within 180 days after the date of enactment of 

23 this Act offering an additional 10 parcels for lease for re24 search, development, and demonstration of oil shale re25 sources, under the terms offered in the solicitation of bids 

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1 for such leases published on January 15, 2009 (74 Fed. Reg. 

2 10). 

3 (b) COMMERCIAL LEASE SALES.—No later than Janu4 ary 1, 2016, the Secretary of the Interior shall hold no less 

5 than 5 separate commercial lease sales in areas considered 

6 to have the most potential for oil shale development, as de7 termined by the Secretary, in areas nominated through 

8 public comment. Each lease sale shall be for an area of not 

9 less than 25,000 acres, and in multiple lease blocs. 

10 SEC. 4. POLICIES REGARDING BUYING, BUILDING, AND 

11 WORKING FOR AMERICA. 

12 (a) CONGRESSIONAL INTENT.—It is the intent of the 

13 Congress that— 

14 (1) this Act will support a healthy and growing 

15 United States domestic energy sector that, in turn, 

16 helps to reinvigorate American manufacturing, trans17 portation, and service sectors by employing the vast 

18 talents of United States workers to assist in the devel19 opment of energy from domestic sources; 

20 (2) to ensure a robust oil shale industry and en21 sure that the benefits of development support local 

22 communities, under this Act, the Secretary shall make 

23 every effort to promote the development of oil shale in 

24 a manner that will support the long-term commercial 

25 development of oil shale, and shall take into considermstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 ation the socioeconomic impacts, infrastructure re2 quirements, and fiscal stability for local communities 

3 located within areas containing oil shale resources; 

4 and 

5 (3) the Congress will monitor the deployment of 

6 personnel and material onshore to encourage the de7 velopment of American technology and manufacturing 

8 to enable United States workers to benefit from this 

9 Act through good jobs and careers, as well as the es10 tablishment of important industrial facilities to sup11 port expanded access to American resources. 

12 (b) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior 

13 shall when possible, and practicable, encourage the use of 

14 United States workers and equipment manufactured in the 

15 United States in all construction related to mineral re16 source development under this Act. 

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Union Calendar No. 272 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3408 

[Report No. 112–392] 

A BILL 

To set clear rules for the development of United 

purposes. nology research and development, and for other States oil shale resources, to promote shale techFEBRUARY 9, 2012 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 

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