II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1523 

To prohibit drilling in the Arctic Ocean. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 16, 2019 

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Ms. HARRIS, Ms. WARREN, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. SANDERS, 

Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. PETERS, and Mr. 

CARDIN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To prohibit drilling in the Arctic Ocean. 

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 ‘‘Stop Arctic Ocean 

5 Drilling Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that, as of the date 

8 of enactment of this Act— 

9 (1) global climate change is occurring due 

10 largely to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse 


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1 gases and will continue to pose ongoing risks and 

2 challenges to the people and the Government of the 

3 United States; 

4 (2) the evidence of impacts and dangers of cli5 mate change are supported by numerous reports and 

6 panels, such as— 

7 (A) the 2018 National Climate Assess8 ment; 

9 (B) the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on 

10 Climate Change special report, which details 

11 significant economic and ecological damage 

12 from a 1.5 degree Celsius increase in tempera13 ture; and 

14 (C) the 2018 United States Geological 

15 Survey Scientific Investigations Report, which 

16 highlights that developments on Federal land 

17 account for a significant quantity of greenhouse 

18 gas emissions; 

19 (3)(A) the average temperature in the United 

20 States during the decade preceding the date of en21 actment of this Act was 0.8 degree Celsius (1.5 de22 grees Fahrenheit) warmer than the 1901–1960 aver23 age; and 

24 (B) that decade was the warmest on record 

25 both in the United States and globally; 


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1 (4) the Arctic is warming at twice the rate of 

2 the rest of the planet; 

3 (5) a global temperature increase of 2 degrees 

4 Celsius will lead to increased droughts, rising seas, 

5 mass extinctions, heat waves, desertification, 

6 wildfires, and acidifying oceans; 

7 (6) delaying action on climate change will result 

8 in severe economic losses, and global mitigation costs 

9 increase by approximately 40 percent for each dec10 ade of delay; 

11 (7) at least 80 percent of the carbon from 

12 known fossil fuel reserves must not be released into 

13 the atmosphere to have an 80 percent chance of 

14 avoiding the worst effects of climate change stem15 ming from a 2 degree Celsius change in global tem16 perature; 

17 (8) developing oil and gas reserves in the Arctic 

18 Ocean is incompatible with staying within that glob19 al carbon budget and avoiding the worst effects of 

20 climate change; and 

21 (9) the Arctic Ocean is home to invaluable and 

22 fragile ecosystems, which are critical to— 

23 (A) marine mammals, including whales, 

24 walrus, ice seals, and polar bears; 

25 (B) fisheries; 


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1 (C) migratory birds; 

2 (D) indigenous populations; and 

3 (E) subsistence hunters. 

4 (b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 

5 United States that the Arctic Ocean should be managed 

6 for the best interests of the people of the United States, 

7 including by keeping fossil fuels in the ground to avoid 

8 the dangerous impacts of climate change. 

9 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION OF OIL AND GAS LEASING IN ARCTIC 

10 AREAS OF THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF. 

11 Section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 

12 (43 U.S.C. 1337) is amended by adding at the end the 

13 following: 

14 ‘‘(q) PROHIBITION OF OIL AND GAS LEASING IN

15 ARCTIC AREAS OF THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF.— 

16 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF ARCTIC.—In this sub17 section, the term ‘Arctic’ has the meaning given the 

18 term in section 112 of the Arctic Research and Pol19 icy Act of 1984 (15 U.S.C. 4111). 

20 ‘‘(2) PROHIBITION.—Notwithstanding any other 

21 provision of this Act or any other law, the Secretary 

22 of the Interior shall not issue or extend a lease or 

23 any other authorization for the exploration, develop24 ment, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other 


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1 mineral on Arctic areas of the outer Continental 

2 Shelf.’’. 

Æ 


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