A bill to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit preleasing, leasing, and related activities in the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea Planning Areas unless certain conditions are met.

Summary

Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from offering for leasing, preleasing, and specified related activity within the Chukchi or Beaufort Sea Planning Area until the following prerequisites have been met: (1) the Secretary enters into an agreement with the National Research Council to report to Congress upon specified missing information regarding the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea marine and coastal ecosystems, and the adequacy of environmental, public health and cultural studies; (2) the polar bear is listed as an endangered species or a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and critical habitat is designated for it, or the Secretary publishes a determination that such a listing is not warranted; (3) the Secretary determines that specified deployable mechanical oil spill response technologies exist; and (4) the Secretary determines that oil and gas exploration and development can be conducted in the Planning Areas without risk of substantial adverse impact to wildlife or wildlife habitat and subsistence, and that risk avoidance measures are identified and their efficacy established.

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Timeline

1. 29 January 2008

   Introduced

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 29 January 2008

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in Senate · 29 January 2008 · Official file

Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 29 January 2008

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate (PDF)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 29 January 2008

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 29 January 2008

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [D-DE] · D · Cosponsor
• Maria Cantwell · D · Cosponsor
• Bernie Sanders · I · Cosponsor
• Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] · D · Cosponsor
• · sseg00 · Standing

Related records

• related to → To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from selling any oil and gas lease for any tract in the Lease Sale 193 Area of the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region until the Secretary determines whether to list the polar bear as a threatened species or an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for other purposes.
• related to → To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from offering for oil and gas leasing or any related activity any tract in the Lease Sale 193 Area of the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region until the Secretary determines whether to list the polar bear as a threatened species or an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for other purposes.
• related to → Polar Bear Seas Protection Act