II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5508 

To require the Secretary of the Interior to annually submit to Congress, 

and make publicly available on a website, a report on decommissioning 

offshore oil and gas wells, platforms, and pipelines. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 12, 2024 

Mr. WELCH (for himself, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. WYDEN, and Mr. MARKEY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of the Interior to annually submit 

to Congress, and make publicly available on a website, 

a report on decommissioning offshore oil and gas wells, 

platforms, and pipelines. 

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 ‘‘Plug Offshore Wells 

5 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT ON DECOMMISSIONING OFF2 SHORE OIL AND GAS WELLS, PLATFORMS, 

3 AND PIPELINES. 

4 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

5 (1) DECOMMISSIONING.—The term ‘‘decommis6 sioning’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

7 250.1700 of title 30, Code of Federal Regulations 

8 (or successor regulations). 

9 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

10 the Secretary of the Interior. 

11 (b) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after 

12 the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, 

13 the Secretary shall submit to Congress and make publicly 

14 available on the website of the Department of the Interior 

15 a report that describes, with respect to the preceding cal16 endar year— 

17 (1) the number of applications for decommis18 sioning an offshore oil and gas well, platform, or 

19 pipeline that were required to be submitted pursuant 

20 to subpart Q of part 250 of title 30, Code of Federal 

21 Regulations (or successor regulations); 

22 (2) the number of applications described in 

23 paragraph (1) that were received by the Secretary; 

24 (3) the number of offshore oil and gas wells, 

25 platforms, and pipelines for which decommissioning 

26 did not occur by the date required pursuant to subVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:16 Jan 18, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5508.IS S5508

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1 part Q of part 250 of title 30, Code of Federal Reg2 ulations (or successor regulations); 

3 (4) the number of offshore oil and gas wells and 

4 platforms approved for decommissioning in place 

5 pursuant to section 250.1750 of title 30, Code of 

6 Federal Regulations (or successor regulations); 

7 (5) the length of any offshore oil and gas pipe8 lines that— 

9 (A) were decommissioned in place pursu10 ant to section 250.1750 of title 30, Code of 

11 Federal Regulations (or successor regulations); 

12 and 

13 (B) were removed pursuant to— 

14 (i) section 250.1752 of title 30, Code 

15 of Federal Regulations (or successor regu16 lations); and 

17 (ii) section 250.1754 of title 30, Code 

18 of Federal Regulations (or successor regu19 lations); and 

20 (6) the status of enforcement actions, including 

21 notices of incident of noncompliance, orders, cita22 tions, civil penalties, and disqualifications from fu23 ture offshore operations, by the Bureau of Safety 

24 and Environmental Enforcement with respect to deVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:16 Jan 18, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5508.IS S5508

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1 commissioning offshore oil and gas wells, platforms, 

2 and pipelines. 

Æ 


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