[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 39 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 39

  Expressing the sense of Congress that the moratorium on new oil and 
natural gas leasing activity on submerged land of the outer Continental 
                      Shelf should be maintained.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 17, 2001

  Mrs. Feinstein (for herself and Mrs. Boxer) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
                         and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of Congress that the moratorium on new oil and 
natural gas leasing activity on submerged land of the outer Continental 
                      Shelf should be maintained.

Whereas during the last 8 years, the Federal Government has operated robust 
        offshore and onshore oil, gas, and coal leasing programs that matched or 
        exceeded production levels during the administrations of former 
        President Reagan and former President Bush;
Whereas offshore, the United States has leased and currently manages more than 
        44,000,000 acres of outer Continental Shelf land;
Whereas proposals to provide more access to currently protected Federal land for 
        development by the oil, gas, and coal industries ignore the quantity of 
        land that is already available for that purpose;
Whereas it is not necessary to drill in sensitive areas to meet the energy needs 
        of the United States;
Whereas since 1982, there has been in effect a statutory moratorium on new 
        leasing, pre-leasing, and related activities on submerged land of the 
        outer Continental Shelf;
Whereas in 1990, former President Bush used his authority to declare areas of 
        the outer Continental Shelf along the coastlines of Washington, Oregon, 
        California, Bristol Bay, Alaska, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and 
        more than 100 miles off the Florida coast, off limits to new drilling 
        through calendar year 2000;
Whereas in 1998, former President Clinton extended the Bush limitation through 
        June 2012;
Whereas citizens of California, Florida, and other States affected by the outer 
        Continental Shelf drilling moratorium are overwhelmingly opposed to new 
        oil drilling off their coastlines and are concerned about plans to open 
        the Florida Gulf Coast to new leasing;
Whereas a majority of people of the United States are growing increasingly 
        concerned about the environment and believe that protecting the 
        environment should take precedence over economic development;
Whereas the people of the United States have made a decision to protect the 
        coastlines of the United States from oil development, because the people 
        know that far better alternatives exist; and
Whereas there are many other worthy options before Congress that could increase 
        energy independence and reduce reliance on foreign oil, such as 
        reauthorization of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, incentives to 
        improve energy efficiency, research into renewable energy and 
        alternative fuels, and full funding of energy conservation and 
        efficiency programs (including programs for solar and renewable energy, 
        weatherization, and other initiatives): Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that the moratorium in effect as of 
the date of adoption of this Resolution on new oil and natural gas 
leasing, pre-leasing, and related activities on submerged land of the 
outer Continental Shelf should be maintained.
                                 <all>