Oil Spill Prevention Act of 2010

Oil Spill Prevention Act of 2010 - Establishes in the Department of the Interior the Minerals Management Service with the following components: (1) an Office of Leasing and Permitting, which shall perform functions relating to the leasing of areas of the outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and the issuance of activity permits under such leases that were vested in the Minerals Management Service (MMS) (or its Director) on May 19, 2010; (2) an Office of Inspection, which shall perform functions relating to vessel and facility inspection that were vested in the MMS (or its Director) on that date; and (3) an Office of Revenue, which shall perform functions relating to the collection of OCS lease revenue that were vested in the MMS (or its Director) on such date.

Requires the Secretary of the Interior to issue regulations that require each MMS employee to be subject to random testing for the use of a controlled substance at least twice a year.

Prohibits, during the two-year period beginning on an individual's departure from MMS employment, the employment of such individual by any person conducting any activity under a lease or permit issued by MMS or subject to MMS regulation.

Directs the Secretary, acting through MMS, to inspect monthly each vessel and facility used for OCS oil or gas drilling.

Prohibits the Secretary from exempting any category of vessel or facility activity in OCS oil or gas drilling in waters deeper than 1,000 feet from any applicable federal requirement or restriction.

Amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to repeal the liability limits applicable to a responsible party for discharge of oil from an offshore facility.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5572 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5572

To reform the Minerals Management Service and offshore drilling for oil 
 and gas, to repeal the limitation of liability of a responsible party 
for discharge of oil from an offshore facility, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 22, 2010

 Mr. Buchanan (for himself and Mr. Crenshaw) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 
 addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To reform the Minerals Management Service and offshore drilling for oil 
 and gas, to repeal the limitation of liability of a responsible party 
for discharge of oil from an offshore facility, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Oil Spill Prevention Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. REFORM OF MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE.

    (a) Components.--Notwithstanding Secretarial Order No. 3299, issued 
by the Secretary of the Interior on May 19, 2010, there shall be in the 
Department of the Interior the Minerals Management Service, which shall 
have--
            (1) an Office of Leasing and Permitting, which shall 
        perform such functions relating to leasing of areas of the 
        outer Continental Shelf and the issuance of permits for 
        activities under such leases, as were vested in the Minerals 
        Management Service (or the Director thereof) on May 19, 2010;
            (2) an Office of Inspection, which shall perform such 
        functions relating to inspection of vessels and facilities used 
        for such activities as were vested in the Minerals Management 
        Service (or the Director thereof) on that date; and
            (3) an Office of Revenue, which shall perform such 
        functions relating to the collection of revenue from leases of 
        the outer Continental Shelf as were vested in the Minerals 
        Management Service (or the Director thereof) on that date.
    (b) Drug Testing.--The Secretary of the Interior shall issue 
regulations that require each employee of the Minerals Management 
Service to be subjected to random testing for the use of a controlled 
substance in violation of law or a United States Government regulation 
not less than 2 times each year.
    (c) Employment Restriction.--During the 2-year period beginning on 
the date of departure of an individual from employment by the Minerals 
Management Service, the individual may not be employed by any person 
conducting any activity under a lease or permit issued by the Minerals 
Management Service or subject to regulation by the Minerals Management 
Service.

SEC. 3. OVERSIGHT OF PERMITTING AND INSPECTIONS.

    (a) Monthly Inspection Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting 
        through the Minerals Management Service, shall inspect each 
        month each vessel and facility used for drilling for oil and 
        gas on the outer Continental Shelf.
            (2) Rescheduling of missed inspection.--If for any reason 
        the Secretary does not conduct a monthly inspection under this 
        subsection, the Secretary shall conduct the inspection within 
        14 days after the date on which it was scheduled to be 
        conducted.
    (b) Prohibition on Categorical Exemptions.--The Secretary of the 
Interior may not exempt any category of activity by a vessel or 
facility engaged in drilling for oil or gas on the outer Continental 
Shelf in waters deeper than 1,000 feet from any requirement or 
restriction that applies with respect to that activity under Federal 
law.

SEC. 4. REPEAL OF LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF RESPONSIBLE PARTY FOR 
              DISCHARGE OF OIL FROM AN OFFSHORE FACILITY.

    (a) Repeal.--Section 1004(a) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 
U.S.C. 2704(a)) is amended by--
            (1) inserting ``and'' after the semicolon at the end of 
        paragraph (2);
            (2) striking paragraph (3); and
            (3) redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (3).
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) take 
effect on April 15, 2010.
                                 <all>