Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act

I 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 Conti- nental Shelf, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Atlantic Seismic 4 Airgun Protection Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:08 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1606.IH H1606 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1606 IH SEC. 2. MORATORIUM ON OIL-, GAS-, AND METHANE HY- 1 DRATE-RELATED SEISMIC ACTIVITIES IN 2 NORTH ATLANTIC, MID-ATLANTIC, SOUTH AT- 3 LANTIC, AND STRAITS OF FLORIDA PLAN- 4 NING AREAS OF OUTER CONTINENTAL 5 SHELF. 6 Section 11 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 7 (43 U.S.C. 1340) is amended by adding at the end the 8 following: 9 ‘‘(i) MORATORIUM ON OIL-, GAS-, AND METHANE 10 HYDRATE-RELATED SEISMIC ACTIVITIES IN NORTH AT- 11 LANTIC, MID-ATLANTIC, SOUTH ATLANTIC, AND STRAITS 12 OF FLORIDA PLANNING AREAS.—Notwithstanding any 13 other provision of law, no person or agency of the United 14 States may conduct geological or geophysical activities (as 15 those terms are described in the final programmatic envi- 16 ronmental impact statement of the Bureau of Ocean En- 17 ergy Management entitled ‘Atlantic OCS Proposed Geo- 18 logical and Geophysical Activities, Mid-Atlantic and South 19 Atlantic Planning Areas’ and completed February 2014) 20 in support of oil, gas, or methane hydrate exploration or 21 development in any area located in the North Atlantic, 22 Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, or Straits of Florida plan- 23 ning areas of the outer Continental Shelf.’’. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:08 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1606.IH H1606 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS