Sec. 3. Leasing program for land within the Western Coastal Plain
543 words·~2 min read·
/bill/113/s/2408/is/section-3A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
There is authorized the exploration, leasing, development, and production of oil and gas from the Western Coastal Plain. The Secretary shall take such actions as are necessary— to establish and implement, in accordance with this Act, a competitive oil and gas leasing program that will result in an environmentally sound program for the exploration, development, and production of the oil and gas resources of the Western Coastal Plain; and to administer this Act through regulations, lease terms, conditions, restrictions, prohibitions, stipulations, and other provisions that— ensure the oil and gas exploration, development, and production activities on the Western Coastal Plain will result in no significant adverse effect on fish and wildlife, fish and wildlife habitat, subsistence resources, and the environment; prohibit surface occupancy of the Western Coastal Plain during oil and gas development and production; and require the application of the best commercially available technology for oil and gas exploration, development, and production to all exploration, development, and production operations under this Act in a manner that ensures the receipt of fair market value by the public for the mineral resources to be leased.
For purposes of the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.)— the oil and gas preleasing and leasing program and activities authorized by this section in the Western Coastal Plain shall be considered to be compatible with the purposes for which the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was established; and no further findings or decisions shall be required to implement that program and those activities. The Final Statement shall be considered to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) that apply with respect to preleasing activities, including exploration programs and actions authorized to be taken by the Secretary to develop and promulgate the regulations for the establishment of a leasing program authorized by this Act before the conduct of the first lease sale.
Prior to conducting the first lease sale pursuant to this Act, the Secretary shall prepare an environmental impact statement in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) with respect to the activities authorized by this Act that are not covered by paragraph (2). Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in carrying out this paragraph, the Secretary shall not— identify nonleasing alternative courses of action; or analyze the environmental effect of those courses of action.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall identify only a preferred action and a single leasing alternative for the first lease sale conducted pursuant to this Act. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, compliance with this paragraph shall be considered to satisfy any provision of law or other requirement that requires analysis and consideration of the environmental effects of leasing with respect to the leasing conducted pursuant to this Act.
Nothing in this Act expands or limits any State or local regulatory authority. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, in consultation with the State of Alaska, the North Slope Borough, Alaska, and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, the Secretary shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to carry out this Act.
Connectionstraces to 2
Traces to 2 documents
Citation graph
cites case law
Cites 2Cited by 0 across 0 sources