California Central Coast Conservation Act
Bill: H.R.479 | Sponsor: Rep. Panetta, Jimmy (D-CA)
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
California Central Coast Conservation Act
This bill prohibits the Bureau of Land Management from administering an oil and gas leasing and development program on the Central Coast of California (e.g., Fresno, Monterey, and San Benito Counties) until it completes and publishes a supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS) assessing the environmental effects of such leasing and development, including the effects on air quality, seismicity, and greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, the bill establishes requirements for the Environmental Protection Agency's review of the EIS.

To establish a moratorium on oil and gas leasing on public land on the 
                      Central Coast of California.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``California Central Coast 
Conservation Act''.

SEC. 2. MORATORIUM ON OIL AND GAS LEASING ON PUBLIC LAND ON THE CENTRAL 
              COAST OF CALIFORNIA.

    Section 17(a) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(a)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(q) Moratorium on Oil and Gas Leasing on Public Land on the 
Central Coast of California.--
            ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        this Act or any other law and except as provided in paragraph 
        (2), beginning on the date of enactment of this subsection, the 
        Record of Decision for the Central Coast Field Office Resource 
        Management Plan Amendment for Oil and Gas Leasing and 
        Development published on October 7, 2019 (84 Fed. Reg. 53470), 
        shall have no force or effect until the Bureau of Land 
        Management Central Coast Field Office completes and circulates 
        for public comment a supplemental environmental impact 
        statement under section 102 of the National Environmental 
        Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332) and chapter 5 of title 5, 
        United States Code, that considers the environmental effects of 
        all oil and gas development authorized to occur under the 
        Bureau of Land Management's preferred alternative `Alternative 
        F', which appears in the final Environmental Impact Statement 
        published on May 10, 2019 (84 Fed. Reg. 20657), but was not 
        included or analyzed in the Draft Environmental Impact 
        Statement published January 6, 2017 (82 Fed. Reg 1754), along 
        with the environmental effects of oil and gas development that 
        would be authorized as a result of such record of decision, 
        including such effects on--
                    ``(A) air quality;
                    ``(B) greenhouse gas emissions and the climate;
                    ``(C) groundwater quality and availability;
                    ``(D) surface water quality and availability;
                    ``(E) seismicity;
                    ``(F) wildlife and plant species, including 
                threatened species and endangered species; and
                    ``(G) low-income communities, communities of color, 
                and indigenous communities, including federally- and 
                State-recognized Indian Tribes.
            ``(2) New review.--If the supplemental environmental impact 
        statement under paragraph (1) finds any significant detrimental 
        effects on any matter described in subparagraphs (A) through 
        (G) of such paragraph, the Record of Decision referred to in 
        paragraph (1) shall have no force or effect and the Director of 
        the Bureau of Land Management shall conduct a new review of 
        Federal oil and gas leasing on the Central Coast of California 
        under section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
        1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332).
            ``(3) Environmental protection agency review.--
                    ``(A) After the date of the publication, pursuant 
                to paragraph (2), of a supplemental environmental 
                impact statement under section 102(2)(C) of the 
                National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
                4332(2)(C)), the Administrator of the Environmental 
                Protection Agency shall review and publish comments 
                regarding such statement, including--
                            ``(i) identification of any significant 
                        environmental impacts of oil and gas leasing on 
                        the Central Coast of California that should be 
                        avoided to adequately protect the region's 
                        natural resources; or
                            ``(ii) a determination that the 
                        supplemental environmental impact statement 
                        does not contain sufficient information to 
                        assess such impacts.
                    ``(B) If the Administrator identifies significant 
                impacts under subparagraph (A)(i) or makes a 
                determination described in subparagraph (A)(ii), the 
                Director of the Bureau of Land Management shall consult 
                with the Administrator before taking any action to 
                proceed with Federal oil and gas leasing on the Central 
                Coast of California.
            ``(4) Effect.--Nothing in this subsection affects any 
        rights under leases issued under this Act before the date of 
        enactment of this subsection.''.
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