I

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 219

To require a temporary moratorium on leasing, exploration, and development

on lands of the Outer Continental Shelf off the State of California,

and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 4, 1995

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

Committee on Resources

A BILL

To require a temporary moratorium on leasing, exploration,

and development on lands of the Outer Continental Shelf

off the State of California, 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. PRELEASING AND LEASING ACTIVITIES.

4 The Secretary of the Interior shall not conduct a

5 lease sale or issue a lease for oil or gas under the Outer

6 Continental Shelf Lands Act in the Southern California,

7 Central California, or Northern California Planning Areas

8 until the later of—

9 (1) January 1, 2005; or
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1 (2) 45 days of continuous session of the Con2 gress after the issuance of the final environmental

3 impact statement relating to the second 5 year oil

4 and gas leasing program prepared under section 18

5 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act after the

6 date of enactment of this Act.

7 SEC. 2. EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.

8 (a) MORATORIUM.—The Secretary of the Interior

9 shall not approve any exploration plan, development and

10 production plan, or application for permit to drill, or per11 mit any drilling, for oil or gas under the Outer Continental

12 Shelf Lands Act on any lands of the Outer Continental

13 Shelf in the Southern California, Central California, or

14 Northern California Planning Areas until 45 days of con15 tinuous session of the Congress after submittal to the Con16 gress of the completed studies described in subsection (b).

17 (b) STUDIES.—

18 (1) DESCRIPTION OF STUDIES REQUIRED.—The

19 studies required under subsection (a) are studies

20 with respect to the Southern California, Central

21 California, and Northern California Planning Areas

22 to acquire information found inadequate for Outer

23 Continental Shelf lands offshore California by the

24 National Research Council report entitled ‘‘The Ade25 quacy of Environmental Information for Outer Con-
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1 tinental Shelf Oil and Gas Decisions: Florida and

2 California’’ issued in 1989 by the National Research

3 Council’s Committee to Review the Outer Continen4 tal Shelf Environmental Studies Program, and sup5 ported by the President’s Outer Continental Shelf

6 Leasing and Development Task Force through De7 partment of the Interior Contract No.

8 1435000130495.

9 (2) PEER REVIEW REQUIREMENT.—No study

10 described in paragraph (1) shall be considered com11 pleted unless such study has been reviewed, before

12 submittal to the Congress, by at least 3 scientists

13 who—

14 (A) shall be nominated by the Scripps In15 stitute of Oceanography and approved by the

16 Secretary of the Interior and the Governor of

17 the State of California;

18 (B) are not employees of the Department

19 of the Interior; and

20 (C) are well qualified in the scientific dis21 ciplines required for performance of the particu22 lar study or studies they review.

23 SEC. 3. CONTINUOUS SESSION OF CONGRESS.

24 In computing any 45-day period of continuous session

25 of Congress under this Act—
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1 (1) continuity of session is broken only by an

2 adjournment of the Congress sine die; and

3 (2) the days on which either House of Congress

4 is not in session because of an adjournment of more

5 than 3 days to a day certain are excluded.

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