Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act

Bill: 116-hr-1606
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Beyer, Donald S., Jr. [D-VA-8]
Introduced: 2019-03-07
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Atlantic Ocean

Earth sciences

Environmental assessment, monitoring, research

Florida

Mammals

Marine and coastal resources, fisheries

Oil and gas

Wildlife conservation and habitat protection
Latest action: action_date: 2019-03-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-03-07
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act</b></p> <p>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.</p> <p>The geological and geophysical activities are described in a final programmatic environmental impact statement by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management titled &quot;Atlantic OCS Proposed Geological and Geophysical Activities, Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Planning Areas.&quot;</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1606 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act . 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. .