III 112th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 77 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 28, 2011 Mrs. Hutchison (for herself, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Wicker, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Begich, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Sessions, and Mr. Shelby) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the Senate that domestic oil and gas resources are critical to our Nation’s security and economy and the Secretary of the Interior should take immediate action to streamline the shallow and deepwater permitting process.

Whereas the Gulf of Mexico produces about 30 percent of oil in the United States and 10 percent of natural gas in the United States; Whereas on May 30, 2010, the Department of the Interior enacted a deepwater moratorium which lasted until October 12, 2010; Whereas more than 400,000 jobs across the Gulf Coast are tied to the offshore drilling industry; Whereas in 2009, the offshore drilling industry accounted for $70,000,000,000 in economic value and provided about $20,000,000,000 in revenue to Federal, State, and local governments through royalties, bonuses, and tax collections; Whereas the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling recognized the importance of the industry in a report, stating, “the development of offshore energy resources contributes substantially to local economies, supporting businesses small and large and employing tens of thousands of workers”; Whereas the Department of the Interior has issued less than 35 new shallow water permits since the shallow water moratorium was lifted and has failed to issue any new permits for deepwater exploration; and Whereas as a result of the de facto moratorium, at least 12 rigs (shallow and deepwater) have departed the Gulf of Mexico, and more are expected to follow: Now, therefore, be it

That it is the sense of the Senate that— (1)the Nation’s economy and security depends upon full and immediate restoration of shallow and deepwater drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico; (2)the long-term economic health of the State of Alaska depends upon the responsible development of the oil and natural gas reserves of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas; and (3)the Secretary of the Interior should— (A)streamline the review and appropriate approval of applications for both shallow and deepwater drilling permits in the Outer Continental Shelf; (B)take immediate action to provide the shallow and deepwater industry with a completed sample application which meets all of the new safety and environmental regulations for use as a template; (C)provide written guidance and clarification to applicants regarding new safety requirements; and (D)provide permit applicants with timely and detailed explanations on any areas of a permit which do not satisfy new requirements.