229 
SEC. 241. CLEAN AIR ACT AND CLEAN WATER ACT. 
(a) DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO THE MINERALS 
MANAGEMENT SERVICE.—The Administrator of the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency shall delegate to the Min-
erals Management Service the permitting and enforcement 
authority under the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et 
seq.) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) for the Federal outer Continental 
Shelf for all activities conducted under the authority of 
the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 
et seq.). Because the Federal outer Continental Shelf is 
not a part of any State, the Minerals Management Service 
shall be treated no less favorably under these delegations 
than would the government of a State for these purposes. 
(b) ISSUANCE OF AREA-WIDE PERMITS.—After re-
ceiving the delegations under subsection (a), the Minerals 
Management Service shall issue 5-year area-wide permits 
under the Clean Air Act and Federal Water Pollution Con-
trol Act for activities conducted under the authority of the 
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act for each outer Conti-
nental Shelf Planning Area upon request by a lessee or 
association of lessees. 
SEC. 242. RESOURCE ASSESSMENTS. 
Section 357 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 15912) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
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230 
‘‘(c) OIL AND GAS RESOURCE ASSESSMENTS.—As 
discussed by the National Research Council in ‘Undis-
covered Oil and Gas Resources: An Evaluation of the De-
partment of the Interior’s 1989 Assessment Procedures’ 
(1991), the Secretary of the Interior shall include in all 
future oil and natural gas resource assessments— 
‘‘(1) estimates of oil and natural gas from both 
conventional and unconventional sources; 
‘‘(2) estimates of in-place resources; and 
‘‘(3) estimates of technically recoverable re-
sources, that assume the use of current and foresee-
able technologies. 
‘‘(d) FULL CONSIDERATION.—In all future oil and 
natural gas resource assessments for the outer Conti-
nental Shelf, the Secretary shall ensure full consideration 
of the data and findings generated by— 
‘‘(1) the National Petroleum Council; 
‘‘(2) the Deep Sea Drilling Program; and 
‘‘(3) the Ocean Drilling Program. 
‘‘(e) NEW NATIONAL ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary 
shall complete a new national assessment of oil and nat-
ural gas resources within the United States and its exclu-
sive economic zone within 24 months after the date of the 
enactment of SEACOR, and the Secretary shall renew 
that assessment at least every five years. 
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231 
‘‘(f) INITIAL NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL RE-
VIEW.—The National Research Council, with funding 
from the Departments of Energy and the Interior, shall 
within 24 months after the date of the enactment of 
SEACOR, complete the following: 
‘‘(1) Review and evaluate the methodologies of 
estimates by the Minerals Management Service and 
the United States Geological Survey regarding the 
quantity and chemical composition of potential hy-
drocarbon resources within the United States and its 
exclusive economic zone. 
‘‘(2) Assess the adequacy and reliability of the 
existing scientific and technical information to make 
the following determinations in each subject and 
area under consideration: 
‘‘(A) What is known plus reasonable ex-
trapolation accompanied by an expression of the 
error or uncertainty. 
‘‘(B) What information is missing and the 
reasons why (such as difficulty of measurement, 
confounding of data, lack of theory, or insuffi-
cient time). 
‘‘(C) What information could be obtained 
with reasonable increments of investigative re-
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232 
sources (such as personnel, financial support, 
facilities, and time). 
‘‘(g) ADDITIONAL NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL 
REVIEWS.—The National Research Council, with funding 
from the Departments of Energy and the Interior, shall 
conduct a review described in subsection (f) of each na-
tional oil and gas resource assessment conducted by the 
Department of the Interior. Such review shall be com-
pleted within 24 months after the issuance of the assess-
ment.’’. 
Æ 
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