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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5657 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5657

     To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to ensure that 
    protection of the marine and coastal environment is of primary 
importance in making areas of the outer Continental Shelf available for 
     leasing, exploration, and development rather than expeditious 
development of oil and gas resources, to prohibit oil and gas leasing, 
exploration, and development in important ecological areas of the outer 
               Continental Shelf, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 30, 2010

 Mr. Quigley introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
     To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to ensure that 
    protection of the marine and coastal environment is of primary 
importance in making areas of the outer Continental Shelf available for 
     leasing, exploration, and development rather than expeditious 
development of oil and gas resources, to prohibit oil and gas leasing, 
exploration, and development in important ecological areas of the outer 
               Continental Shelf, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. PROTECTIVE APPROACH TO OIL AND GAS LEASING, EXPLORATION, AND 
              DEVELOPMENT ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF.

    (a) Revised National Outer Continental Shelf Policy.--Section 3 of 
the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331) is amended by 
striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) while the outer Continental Shelf is a vital national 
        resource reserve held by the Federal Government for the public, 
        any leasing, exploration, or development of the outer 
        Continental Shelf necessarily impacts the marine environment 
        and coastal environment, so the protection and maintenance 
        (and, when necessary, restoration) of the marine environment 
        and coastal environment is of primary importance and leasing, 
        exploration, or development of the outer Continental Shelf will 
        be authorized in limited areas only when sound science shows 
        that such activities can proceed with minimal risk to the 
        health of the marine environment and coastal environment.''.
    (b) Protective Mandate.--Such section is further amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a) Declaration of Policy.--'' before 
        ``It is hereby declared''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) Protective Approach to Leasing, Exploration, and 
Development.--The leasing, exploration, and development of oil and gas 
resources of the outer Continental Shelf may be authorized only if--
            ``(1) the Secretary has a thorough understanding of the 
        marine environment and coastal environment impacted by the 
        activity and an environmental baseline, the risks of 
        exploration or development, and the potential consequences of 
        accidents and other emergencies; and
            ``(2) the Secretary determines, on the basis of sound 
        science, that risks are minimal, rigorous safety measures are 
        in place and will be enforced, and there is a demonstrated 
        ability to mount an effective response to accidents in real-
        world conditions.''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON OIL AND GAS ACTIVITIES IN IMPORTANT ECOLOGICAL 
              AREAS OF OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF.

    Section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1344) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by inserting ``subject to 
        subsection (i),'' before ``existing''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(i) The Secretary may not approve for inclusion in an oil and gas 
leasing program under this section any area of the outer Continental 
Shelf that, by itself or in a network, has distinguishing ecological 
characteristics, is important for maintaining habitat heterogeneity or 
the viability of a species, or contributes disproportionately to the 
health of an ecosystem, including its biodiversity, function, 
structure, or resilience. In designating an important ecological area 
of outer Continental Shelf, the Secretary should give particular 
consideration to--
            ``(1) areas of high productivity or diversity;
            ``(2) areas that are important for feeding, migration, or 
        the lifecycle of species; and
            ``(3) areas of biogenic habitat, structure forming habitat, 
        or habitat for endangered or threatened species.''.
                                 <all>
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