To permanently prohibit the conduct of offshore drilling on the outer Continental Shelf off the State of Florida, and for other purposes.

April 25, 2001

Mr. GRAHAM (for himself and Mr. NELSON of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

To permanently prohibit the conduct of offshore drilling on the outer Continental Shelf off the State of Florida, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PROHIBITION OF OIL AND GAS LEASING IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF.

Section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(p) PROHIBITION OF OIL AND GAS LEASING IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF- Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or any other law, the Secretary of the Interior shall not issue a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in--

`(1) the eastern Gulf of Mexico planning area;

`(2) the Straits of Florida planning area; or

`(3) the South Atlantic planning area, extending from the Straits of Florida planning area to the border between the States of Florida and Georgia.'.

SEC. 2. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.

(a) CONDITIONS FOR BIDDING ON OPTION TO LEASE- The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (42 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 24 the following:

`SEC. 24A. CONDITIONS FOR SALE OF OPTION TO LEASE.

`(a) IN GENERAL- The sale of an option to enter into an oil and gas lease described in section 25 (including a lease to drill an exploratory well) shall be contingent on--

`(1) the preparation, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) of an environmental impact statement concerning the activities to be conducted under the oil and gas lease; and

`(2) after preparation of the environmental impact statement, the completion by the affected State of a consistency certification in accordance with section 307(c) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1456(c)).

`(b) EXCLUDED PLANS- This section does not apply to a plan for the production and transportation of natural gas described in section 25(k).'.

(b) APPLICABILITY OF NEPA TO DEVELOPMENT PLANS- Section 25(d) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (42 U.S.C. 1351(d)) is amended by striking `unless the State' and inserting `unless the State, after completion of the environmental impact statement under section 24A,'.

(c) DEADLINE FOR APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF PLANS- Section 25(h)(1) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (42 U.S.C. 1351(h)(1)) is amended in the first sentence by striking `sixty' each place it appears and inserting `90'.

(d) APPLICABILITY TO LEASES IN THE GULF OF MEXICO- Section 25 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (42 U.S.C. 1351) is amended--

(1) by striking `, other than the Gulf of Mexico,' each place it appears; and

(2) by striking subsection (l).

(e) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS-

(1) Section 25(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (42 U.S.C. 1351(a)) is amended--

(A) in paragraph (2)--

(i) by striking `accompanied by a statement' and inserting `accompanied by--

`(A) a statement';

(ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting `; and'; and

(iii) by inserting the following:

`(B) a copy of the environmental impact statement for the oil and gas lease prepared under section 24A'; and

(B) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:

`(3) SUBMISSION OF STATEMENTS- Except for any privileged or proprietary information (as the term is defined in regulations promulgated by the Secretary), the Secretary, not later than 10 days after receipt of the statements described in paragraph (2), shall--

`(A) submit the statements to the Governor of any affected State, and, upon request, to the chief executive officer of any affected local government; and

`(B) make the statements available to any appropriate interstate regional entity and the public.'.

(2) Section 25(e)(2) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (42 U.S.C. 1351(e)(2)) is amended by striking `approved,' and inserting `approved (including plans for exploratory wells),'.

(3) Section 25(f) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (42 U.S.C. 1351(f)) is amended by striking `the draft environmental impact statement' and insert `a copy of the environmental impact statement for the lease prepared under section 24A'.

(4) Section 25(h)(1) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (42 U.S.C. 1351(h)(1)) is amended by striking `subsection (e) of this section' and inserting `section 24A'.

SEC. 3. BUYBACK OF OFFSHORE LEASES.

(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of the Interior may purchase the rights to oil and gas development and production covered by the following outstanding leases in the Gulf of Mexico:

(1) In the Destin Dome planing area, each of leases numbered G06401, G06402, G06405 through G06411, G06432, G06433, G06436, G06440, G06442 through G06444, G08320 through G08322, G08333, G08334, G08346, G10418, G10419, G10422, G10426, and G10427, at a total cost of $38,573,458.

(2) In the Desoto Canyon planning area, each of leases numbered G06464, G06469, G06470, G06474 through G06477, G10446 through G10456, G10459 through G10467, G10471 through G10473, and G10477, at a total cost of $12,278,600.

(3) In the Elbow region, each of leases numbered G10498 through G10514, at a total cost of $4,348,640.

(4) In the Pensacola planning area, each of leases numbered G08308 through G08310, G08317 through G08319, G10408 through G10410, and G10413 through G10417, at a total cost of $16,793,300.

(5) In the Lloyd planning area, each of leases numbered G10493 through G10497, at total cost of $1,213,704.

(6) In the Apalachicola planning area, each of leases numbered G10430 through G10435, at a total cost of $2,936,700.

(7) In the Florida Middle Ground planning area, each of leases numbered G08361 through G08368, G10484, and G10485, at a total cost of $14,018,000.

(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out subsection (a) $90,162,402.

END