I 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1572 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 15, 2011 Mr. Landry 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 amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to improve safety at manned offshore installations, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Offshore Installation Emergency Evacuation Act.

2.

Manned emergency response and rescue vessels at OCS installations

Section 21(c) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1347(c)) is amended by designating the existing text as paragraph (1) and adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph: (2)

Emergency response and rescue vessels

(A)

In general

The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall, within 180 days after the date of enactment of the Offshore Installation Emergency Evacuation Act, promulgate regulations requiring that a manned Emergency Response and Rescue Vessel must be located within 3 blocks of every manned outer Continental Shelf facility or mobile offshore drilling unit, as follows: (i)In the case of such a facility or unit being used for deep water drilling operations, the Emergency Response and Rescue Vessel must be so located at all times. (ii)In the case of such a facility or unit being used for shallow water drilling operations, the Emergency Response and Rescue Vessel must be so located at all times when workers on the facility or unit are performing drilling, plugging, abandoning, or construction operations. (B)

Definitions

In this paragraph: (i)The term block means an area of the outer Continental Shelf that has been appropriately platted for leasing in accordance with section 256.8 of title 30, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the date of enactment of the Offshore Installation Emergency Evacuation Act. (ii)The term deep water drilling operation means any drilling operation conducted in 500 feet of water or more. (iii)The term Emergency Response and Rescue Vessel means a standby vessel that meets the requirements of subpart E of part 143 of title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the date of enactment of the Offshore Installation Emergency Evacuation Act. (iv)The term shallow water drilling operation means any drilling operation in no more than 500 feet of water. .