H.R. 1606 — Introduced in House

I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1606 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 7, 2019Mr. Beyer (for himself and Mr. Smith of New Jersey) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit oil-, gas-, and methane hydrate-related seismic activities in the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida planning areas of the outer Continental Shelf, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act. 2. Moratorium on oil-, gas-, and methane hydrate-related seismic activities in North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida planning areas of outer Continental Shelf Section 11 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1340) is amended by adding at the end the following: (i) Moratorium on oil-, gas-, and methane hydrate-Related seismic activities in North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida planning areas Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person or agency of the United States may conduct geological or geophysical activities (as those terms are described in the final programmatic environmental impact statement of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management entitled Atlantic OCS Proposed Geological and Geophysical Activities, Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Planning Areas and completed February 2014) in support of oil, gas, or methane hydrate exploration or development in any area located in the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, or Straits of Florida planning areas of the outer Continental Shelf. .