I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3408 

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 

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. 

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 

7 Act’’. 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 3408 IH

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds that oil shale resources located within 

3 the United States— 

4 (1) total almost 2 trillion barrels of oil in place; 

5 (2) are a strategically important domestic re6 source that should be developed on an accelerated 

7 basis to reduce our growing reliance on politically 

8 and economically unstable sources of foreign oil im9 ports; 

10 (3) are one of the best resources available for 

11 advancing American technology and creating Amer12 ican jobs; and 

13 (4) will be a critically important component of 

14 the Nation’s transportation fuel sector in particular, 

15 by providing a secure domestic source of aviation 

16 fuel for both commercial and military uses. 

17 SEC. 3. EFFECTIVENESS OF OIL SHALE REGULATIONS, 

18 AMENDMENTS TO RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 

19 PLANS, AND RECORD OF DECISION. 

20 (a) REGULATIONS.—Notwithstanding any other law 

21 or regulation to the contrary, the final regulations regard22 ing oil shale management published by the Bureau of 

23 Land Management on November 18, 2008 (73 Fed. Reg. 

24 69,414) are deemed to satisfy all legal and procedural re25 quirements under any law, including the Federal Land 

26 Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 3408 IH

1 seq.), the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 

2 1531 et seq.), the National Environmental Policy Act of 

3 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the Energy Policy Act 

4 of 2005 (Public Law 109–58), and the Secretary of the 

5 Interior shall implement those regulations, including the 

6 oil shale leasing program authorized by the regulations, 

7 without any other administrative action necessary. 

8 (b) AMENDMENTS TO RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

9 PLANS AND RECORD OF DECISION.—Notwithstanding 

10 any other law or regulation to the contrary, the November 

11 17, 2008 U.S. Bureau of Land Management Approved Re12 source Management Plan Amendments/Record of Decision 

13 for Oil Shale and Tar Sands Resources to Address Land 

14 Use Allocations in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming and 

15 Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement are 

16 deemed to satisfy all legal and procedural requirements 

17 under any law, including the Federal Land Policy and 

18 Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the 

19 Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), 

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

21 4321 et seq.), and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public 

22 Law 109–58), and the Secretary of the Interior shall im23 plement the oil shale leasing program authorized by the 

24 regulations referred to in subsection (a) in those areas cov25 ered by the resource management plans amended by such 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 3408 IH

1 amendments, and covered by such record of decision, with2 out any other administrative action necessary. 

3 SEC. 4. OIL SHALE LEASING. 

4 (a) ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

5 LEASE SALES.—The Secretary of the Interior shall hold 

6 a lease sale within 180 days after the date of enactment 

7 of this Act offering an additional 10 parcels for lease for 

8 research, development, and demonstration of oil shale re9 sources, under the terms offered in the solicitation of bids 

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

11 Reg. 10). 

12 (b) COMMERCIAL LEASE SALES.—No later than Jan13 uary 1, 2016, the Secretary of the Interior shall hold no 

14 less than 5 separate commercial lease sales in areas con15 sidered to have the most potential for oil shale develop16 ment, as determined by the Secretary, in areas nominated 

17 through public comment. Each lease sale shall be for an 

18 area of not less than 25,000 acres, and in multiple lease 

19 blocs. 

20 (c) REDUCED PAYMENTS TO ENSURE PRODUC21 TION.—The Secretary of the Interior may temporarily re22 duce royalties, fees, rentals, bonus, or other payments for 

23 leases of Federal lands for the development and produc24 tion of oil shale resources as necessary to incentivize and 

25 encourage development of such resources, if the Secretary 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 3408 IH

1 determines that the royalties, fees, rentals, bonus bids, 

2 and other payments otherwise authorized by law are hin3 dering production of such resources. 

Æ 


pwalker on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with BILLS