I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 869
To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from issuing oil and gas leases
on certain portions of the Outer Continental Shelf.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 25, 1999
Mr. LOBIONDO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
A BILL
To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from issuing oil
and gas leases on certain portions of the Outer Continen-
tal Shelf.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PROHIBITION.
(a)(1) The Secretary of the Interior shall not issue
a lease, permit, or license for the exploration for or extrac-
tion of oil or gas on or from submerged lands described
in subsection (b).
(2)(A) No person shall explore for or extract oil or
gas on or from any area of the submerged lands described
in subsection (b) after the date of the cancellation, expira-
tion, relinquishment, surrender, or termination of a lease
with respect to such area.
(B) Except as provided in subparagraph (A), this
subsection shall not prohibit exploration for or extraction
of oil or gas on or from any area of submerged lands under
the terms of a lease, permit, or license in effect on the
date of enactment of this Act with respect to such area.
(b)(1) The lands with respect to which subsection (a)
applies shall include—
(A) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 100 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of Florida, including areas with respect
to which a moratorium on oil and gas leasing activi-
ties existed before the date of enactment of this Act,
and all submerged lands south of 26 degrees north
latitude and east of 86 degrees west longitude;
(B) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 100 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of Georgia;
(C) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 100 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of South Carolina;
(D) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 175 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of North Carolina;
(E) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 100 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of Virginia;
(F) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 50 miles of any point of the coast line of
the State of Maryland, including areas with respect
to which a moratorium on oil and gas leasing activi-
ties existed before the date of enactment of this Act;
(G) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 100 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of Delaware, including areas with re-
spect to which a moratorium on oil and gas leasing
activities existed before the date of enactment of this
Act;
(H) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 125 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of New Jersey, including areas with re-
spect to which a moratorium on oil and gas leasing
activities existed before the date of enactment of this
Act;
(I) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 125 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of New York, including areas with re-
spect to which a moratorium on oil and gas leasing
activities existed before the date of enactment of this
Act;
(J) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 125 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of Connecticut, including areas with re-
spect to which a moratorium on oil and gas leasing
activities existed before the date of enactment of this
Act;
(K) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 125 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of Rhode Island, including areas with
respect to which a moratorium on oil and gas leasing
activities existed before the date of enactment of this
Act;
(L) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 50 miles of any point of the coast line of
the State of Massachusetts, including areas with re-
spect to which a moratorium on oil and gas leasing
activities existed before the date of enactment of this
Act, and lands within the 400 meter isobath sur-
rounding Georges Bank, identified by the Depart-
ment of the Interior as consisting of the following
blocks: in protraction diagram NJ 19–1, blocks
numbered 12–16, 54–55 and 57–58; in protraction
diagram NK 19–5, blocks numbered 744, 788, 831–
832, and 1005–1008; in protraction diagram NK
19–6, blocks numbered 489–491, 532–537, 574–
576, 578–581, 618–627, 661–662, 664–671, 705–
716, 749–761, 793–805, and 969–971; in protrac-
tion diagram NK 19–8, blocks numbered 37–40, 80–
84, 124–127, and 168–169; in protraction diagram
NK 19–9, blocks numbered 13–18, 58–63, 102–105,
107–108, 146–149, 151–152, 191–193, 195–197,
235–237, 240–242, 280–282, 284–286, 324–331,
368–376, 412–420, 456–465, 500–510, 543–554,
587–594, 596–599, 631–637, 640–644, 675–688,
718–733, 762–778, 805–821, 846–865, 887–891,
894–908, 930–950, and 972–994; in protraction
diagram NK 19–10, blocks numbered 474–478,
516–524, 560–568, 604–612, 647–660, 692–704,
737–748, 787–792, 830–836, 873–880, 967–968,
and 1011–1012; in protraction diagram NK 19–11,
blocks numbered 621–632, 665–676, 700, 709–720,
744, 753–764, 785, 797–808, 825–827, 841–852,
856–860, 869, 890–905, 907–909, 929–931, 941–
945, 947–949, 973–975, and 985–989; and in pro-
traction diagram NK 19–12, blocks numbered 452–
456, 495–499, 536–537, 539–541, 575–577, 579–
582, 617–621, 623–624, 661–662, 664–665, and
705–706;
(M) all submerged lands seaward from the
landward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf
that lie within 100 miles of any point of the coast
line of the State of New Hampshire;
(N) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 100 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of Maine;
(O) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 145 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of California, including areas with re-
spect to which a moratorium on oil and gas leasing
activities existed before the date of enactment of this
Act;
(P) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 100 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of Oregon; and
(Q) all submerged lands seaward from the land-
ward boundary of the Outer Continental Shelf that
lie within 100 miles of any point of the coast line
of the State of Washington.
(2) The lands with respect to which subsection (a)
applies shall not include any portion of the Central or
Western Gulf of Mexico planning areas of the Department
of the Interior.
(c)(1)(A) Notwithstanding section 5(a)(2) (A) and
(B) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C.
1334(a)(2) (A) and (B)), the Secretary of the Interior
shall cancel any lease or permit in effect on the date of
enactment of this Act in areas described in subparagraph
(B), and such cancellation shall entitle the lessee to receive
compensation under section 5(a)(2)(C) of the Outer Con-
tinental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1334(a)(2)(C)).
(B) The areas with respect to which subparagraph
(A) applies are lands south of 26 degrees north latitude
and east of 86 degrees west longitude.
(2) The Secretary of the Interior shall report to the
Congress within 9 months after the date of the enactment
of this Act on alternative options for compensating lease-
holders on blocks numbered 204, 246, 247, 290, 291, 334,
335, 378, 379, 422, 423, 466, 467, 510, 511, 553, 554,
555, 597, 598, 599, 640, 641, and 642 on protraction dia-
gram NI 18–2 of the Universal Transverse Mercator Grid
System, assuming the compensation procedures outlined
in section 5 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43
U.S.C. 1334). These options shall include, to the extent
practicable, credits in lieu of appropriations, such as cred-
its on Federal royalties on producing Outer Continental
Shelf leases.
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