Sec. 3. Leasing program for land within the Coastal Plain
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Congress authorizes the exploration, leasing, development, production, and transportation of oil and gas in and from the 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 Coastal Plain; and to administer this Act through regulations, lease terms, conditions, restrictions, prohibitions, stipulations, and other provisions that— ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that the oil and gas exploration, development, and production activities on the Coastal Plain will result in no significant adverse effect on fish and wildlife, fish and wildlife habitat, subsistence resources, and the environment; 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.
Section 1003 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act ( 16 U.S.C. 3143 ) is repealed. The table of contents contained in section 1 of that Act ( 16 U.S.C. 3101 note) is amended by striking the item relating to section 1003. 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 authorized by this Act, and any activities authorized under this Act, including exploration, development, production, and transportation activities, 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 the preleasing and leasing program and the activities authorized under this Act.
Subject to paragraph (3), the oil and gas preleasing and leasing program authorized by this Act, including the first lease sale conducted under the leasing program and exploration, development, production, and transportation activities associated with any lease issued under the first lease sale, shall not constitute a major Federal action for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ). Subject to paragraph (3), no further review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) shall be required to implement the oil and gas preleasing and leasing program authorized by this Act, including the first lease sale conducted under the leasing program and exploration, development, production, and transportation activities associated with any lease issued under the first lease sale.
Before conducting the second lease sale under 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 actions authorized by this Act that are not referred to in 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 effects of those courses of action.
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall identify only a preferred action and a single leasing alternative for the second lease sale authorized under this Act. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, compliance with this paragraph shall be considered to satisfy all requirements for the analysis and consideration of the environmental effects of proposed leasing under this Act. Nothing in this Act expands or limits any State or local regulatory authority.
The Secretary shall not close land within the Coastal Plain to oil and gas leasing or to exploration, development, or production except in accordance with this Act. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, in consultation with the State of Alaska, North Slope Borough, Alaska, the City of Kaktovik, Alaska, and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, the Secretary shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to carry out this Act. Exploratory drilling, leasing, development, and production of oil and gas resources are authorized on the private land owned by the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation described in Appendix 2 of the agreement between the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and the United States, dated August 9, 1983.
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Sec. 3
Leasing program for land within the Coastal Plain
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