110 HR 6724 IH: Drill Offshore to Pay Less U.S. House of Representatives 2008-07-31 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6724 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 31, 2008 Mr. Cantor (for himself, Mrs. Drake, and Mr. Wittman of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To terminate prohibitions on expenditures for, and withdrawals from, offshore oil and gas leasing off the coast of Virginia, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Drill Offshore to Pay Less Act.

2.

Termination of prohibitions on expenditures for, and withdrawals from, offshore oil and gas leasing off the coast of Virginia

(a)

Prohibitions on expenditures

Except as provided in subsection (c), all provisions of Federal law that prohibit the expenditure of appropriated funds to conduct oil and natural gas leasing and preleasing activities shall have no force or effect with respect to any area of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Virginia. (b)

Withdrawals

Except as provided in subsection (c), all withdrawals of Federal submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Virginia from leasing, including withdrawals by the President under the authority of section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1341(a)), are hereby revoked and are no longer in effect with respect to the leasing of areas for exploration for, and development and production of, oil and natural gas. (c)

Areas within 50 miles of the coastline

Subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply with respect to any area of the Outer Continental Shelf located less than 50 miles from the coastline of the United States.

3.

State request for leasing required

Any area of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Virginia shall not be available for leasing for exploration for, or the development or production of, oil or natural gas unless the Governor of Virginia, with the concurrence of the Virginia State legislature, has submitted to the Secretary of the Interior a request that the Secretary make such area available for such leasing.

4.

Protection of fish and wildlife, habitat, subsistence resources, and the environment

The Secretary of the Interior shall take such actions as are necessary to ensure that oil and gas exploration, development, and production activities under Federal leases of areas that are off the coast of Virginia will result in no significant adverse effect on fish and wildlife, their habitat, subsistence resources, and the environment, including by requiring the application of the best commercially available technology for oil and gas exploration, development, and production to all such activities in a manner that ensures the receipt by the public of the fair market value of the mineral resources that are subject to such leases.

5.

Use of revenues

(a)

In general

Amounts received by the United States in the form of bonus bids, rents, and royalties for oil and gas leases for areas of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Virginia issued after the date of the enactment of this Act shall be deposited into a separate account in the Treasury and available for use in accordance with this section. (b)

Allocation

Of the amount deposited under this section each fiscal year— (1)20 percent shall be deposited in a separate account in the Treasury that shall be administered by the Secretary of the Treasury and available to mitigate any environmental damages that occur as a result of exploration, development, or production of oil and gas under leases for areas of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Virginia, including damage caused by human error or natural disasters; and (2)80 percent shall be paid by the Secretary of the Treasury to the State of Virginia to administer cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay and watersheds in Virginia.

6.

Limitation on conflict with military operations

No person may engage in any exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas off the coast of Virginia that would conflict with any military operation, as determined by the Secretary of Defense.

7.

Off the coast of Virginia defined

For purposes of this Act— (1)subject to paragraph (2), the term off the coast of Virginia means the area for which the laws of the State of Virginia are declared to be the law of the United States under section 4(a)(2)(A) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1333(a)(2)(A)); and (2)the extended boundaries referred to in that section are deemed for purposes of paragraph (1) to be as indicated on the map entitled Atlantic OCS Region State Adjacent Zones and OCS Planning Areas, dated September 2005 and on file in the Office of the Director, Minerals Management Service.