Title: Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act
This bill prohibits conducting geological or geophysical activities in support of oil, gas, or methane hydrate exploration and development on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. Geological and geophysical activities for oil and gas exploration generally include deep penetration seismic airgun surveys, electromagnetic surveys, deep stratigraphic and shallow test drilling, and various remote-sensing methods.
The geological and geophysical activities are described in a final programmatic environmental impact statement by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management titled "Atlantic OCS Proposed Geological and Geophysical Activities, Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Planning Areas."

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1606 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1606

To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit oil-, gas-, 
 and methane hydrate-related seismic activities in the North Atlantic, 
Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida planning areas of 
          the outer Continental Shelf, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 7, 2019

  Mr. Beyer (for himself and Mr. Smith of New Jersey) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit oil-, gas-, 
 and methane hydrate-related seismic activities in the North Atlantic, 
Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida planning 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection 
Act''.

SEC. 2. MORATORIUM ON OIL-, GAS-, AND METHANE HYDRATE-RELATED SEISMIC 
              ACTIVITIES IN NORTH ATLANTIC, MID-ATLANTIC, SOUTH 
              ATLANTIC, AND STRAITS OF FLORIDA PLANNING AREAS OF OUTER 
              CONTINENTAL SHELF.

    Section 11 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1340) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) Moratorium on Oil-, Gas-, and Methane Hydrate-Related Seismic 
Activities in North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits 
of Florida Planning Areas.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
no person or agency of the United States may conduct geological or 
geophysical activities (as those terms are described in the final 
programmatic environmental impact statement of the Bureau of Ocean 
Energy Management entitled `Atlantic OCS Proposed Geological and 
Geophysical Activities, Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Planning Areas' 
and completed February 2014) in support of oil, gas, or methane hydrate 
exploration or development in any area located in the North Atlantic, 
Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, or Straits of Florida planning areas of 
the outer Continental Shelf.''.
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