American Energy First Act - Prohibits petroleum product from being drawn down, sold, or exchanged from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) unless the President has taken the actions required by this Act.
Instructs the President to direct the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) and the heads of other relevant federal agencies to treat certain Bureau of Land Management final regulations regarding oil shale management as well as the November 17, 2008, U.S. Bureau of Land Management Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments/Record of Decision for Oil Shale and Tar Sands Resources to Address Land Use Allocations in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement as satisfying all legal and procedural requirements under specified laws.
Directs the Secretary to implement the oil shale leasing program authorized in those areas covered by the resource management plans amended by such amendments, and covered by such record of decision, without any other administrative action necessary.
Instructs the President to direct the Secretary to conduct offshore oil and gas: (1) Lease Sale 216 in the Central Gulf of Mexico within four months after enactment of this Act, (2) Lease Sale 218 in the Western Gulf of Mexico within eight months after enactment of this Act, (3) Lease Sale 222 in the Central Gulf of Mexico not later than June 1, 2012.
Deems the Environmental Impact Statement for the 2007-2012 5-Year OCS Plan and the Multi-Sale Environmental Impact Statement to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for the purposes of such lease sales.
Instructs the President to direct the Secretary to: (1) approve a certain permit concerning certain energy-related facilities and land transportation crossings on the international boundaries of the United States for the Keystone XL pipeline project, and (2) expedite permitting of activities under oil and gas leases for federal onshore lands and federal submerged lands in the Gulf of Mexico.
Prescribes Keystone XL pipeline permit requirements, including: (1) reconsideration of routing of the Keystone XL pipeline within Nebraska; (2) a review period during which routing within Nebraska may be reconsidered and the route of the Keystone XL pipeline through the state altered with any accompanying modification to a specified Plan; and (3) the obligation of the President to coordinate review with the state of Nebraska, provide necessary data and reasonable technical assistance material to the review process, and approve the route within Nebraska submitted by its governor to the Secretary of State.
Deems approved, within 10 days after its date of submission, the route submitted by the governor of Nebraska pursuant to the permit approved under this Act if the President does not approve that route.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4211 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4211
To prohibit the drawdown of petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve unless the President has taken certain actions.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 19, 2012
Mr. Poe of Texas (for himself and Mr. Burton of Indiana) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural
Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and
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 prohibit the drawdown of petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve unless the President has taken certain actions.
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 ``American Energy First Act''.
SEC. 2. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACTION REQUIRED AS CONDITION FOR DRAWDOWN
FROM STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE.
No petroleum product may be drawn down and sold or exchanged from
the Strategic Petroleum Reserve unless the President has taken all of
the actions required by sections 3 through 8 of this Act.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVENESS OF OIL SHALE REGULATIONS, AMENDMENTS TO RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT PLANS, AND RECORD OF DECISION.
(a) Regulations.--The President shall direct the Secretary of the
Interior and the heads of all other relevant Federal agencies to treat
the final regulations regarding oil shale management published by the
Bureau of Land Management on November 18, 2008 (73 Fed. Reg. 69,414),
as satisfying all legal and procedural requirements under any law,
including the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.
1701 et seq.), the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.), the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.), and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58), and the
Secretary of the Interior shall implement those regulations, including
the oil shale leasing program authorized by the regulations, without
any other administrative action necessary.
(b) Amendments to Resource Management Plans and Record of
Decision.--Notwithstanding any other law or regulation to the contrary,
the President shall direct the Secretary of the Interior and the heads
of all other relevant Federal agencies to treat the November 17, 2008,
U.S. Bureau of Land Management Approved Resource Management Plan
Amendments/Record of Decision for Oil Shale and Tar Sands Resources to
Address Land Use Allocations in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming and Final
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement as satisfying all legal and
procedural requirements under any law, including the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58), and the Secretary of the
Interior shall implement the oil shale leasing program authorized by
the regulations referred to in subsection (a) in those areas covered by
the resource management plans amended by such amendments, and covered
by such record of decision, without any other administrative action
necessary.
SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT TO CONDUCT PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE 216 IN
THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO.
(a) In General.--The President shall direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 216 under section 8
of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (33 U.S.C. 1337) as soon as
practicable, but not later than 4 months after the date of enactment of
this Act.
(b) Environmental Review.--For the purposes of that lease sale, the
Environmental Impact Statement for the 2007-2012 5-Year OCS Plan and
the Multi-Sale Environmental Impact Statement are deemed to satisfy the
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
SEC. 5. REQUIREMENT TO CONDUCT PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE 218 IN
THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO.
(a) In General.--The President shall direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 218 under section 8
of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (33 U.S.C. 1337) as soon as
practicable, but not later than 8 months after the date of enactment of
this Act.
(b) Environmental Review.--For the purposes of that lease sale, the
Environmental Impact Statement for the 2007-2012 5-Year OCS Plan and
the Multi-Sale Environmental Impact Statement are deemed to satisfy the
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
SEC. 6. REQUIREMENT TO CONDUCT PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE 222 IN
THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO.
(a) In General.--The President shall direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 222 under section 8
of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (33 U.S.C. 1337) as soon as
practicable, but not later than June 1, 2012.
(b) Environmental Review.--For the purposes of that lease sale, the
Environmental Impact Statement for the 2007-2012 5-Year OCS Plan and
the Multi-Sale Environmental Impact Statement are deemed to satisfy the
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
SEC. 7. KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE PERMIT APPROVAL.
(a) Permit Approval.--The President shall direct the Secretary of
State to approve the permit described in subsection (b).
(b) Description of Permit.--The permit approved under subsection
(a) is the permit with respect to certain energy-related facilities and
land transportation crossings on the international boundaries of the
United States for the Keystone XL pipeline project, an application for
which was filed on September 19, 2008 (including amendments).
(c) Requirements.--The permit granted under subsection (a) shall
require the following:
(1) The permittee shall comply with all applicable Federal
and State laws (including regulations) and all applicable
industrial codes regarding the construction, connection,
operation, and maintenance of the United States facilities.
(2) The permittee shall take all appropriate measures to
prevent or mitigate any adverse environmental impact or
disruption of historic properties in connection with the
construction, operation, and maintenance of the United States
facilities.
(3) For the purpose of the permit approved under subsection
(a) (regardless of any modifications under subsection (d))--
(A) the final environmental impact statement issued
by the Secretary of State on August 26, 2011, satisfies
all requirements of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and section 106 of
the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C.
470f);
(B) any modification required by the Secretary of
State to the Plan described in paragraph (4)(A) shall
not require supplementation of the final environmental
impact statement described in that paragraph; and
(C) no further Federal environmental review shall
be required.
(4) The construction, operation, and maintenance of the
facilities shall be in all material respects similar to that
described in the application described in subsection (b) and in
accordance with--
(A) the construction, mitigation, and reclamation
measures agreed to by the permittee in the Construction
Mitigation and Reclamation Plan found in appendix B of
the final environmental impact statement issued by the
Secretary of State on August 26, 2011, subject to the
modification described in subsection (d);
(B) the special conditions agreed to between the
permittee and the Administrator of the Pipeline
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the
Department of Transportation found in appendix U of the
final environmental impact statement described in
subparagraph (A);
(C) if the modified route submitted by the Governor
of Nebraska under subsection (d)(3)(B) crosses the Sand
Hills region, the measures agreed to by the permittee
for the Sand Hills region found in appendix H of the
final environmental impact statement described in
subparagraph (A); and
(D) the stipulations identified in appendix S of
the final environmental impact statement described in
subparagraph (A).
(5) Other requirements that are standard industry practice
or commonly included in Federal permits that are similar to a
permit approved under subsection (a).
(d) Modification.--The permit approved under subsection (a) shall
require--
(1) the reconsideration of routing of the Keystone XL
pipeline within the State of Nebraska;
(2) a review period during which routing within the State
of Nebraska may be reconsidered and the route of the Keystone
XL pipeline through the State altered with any accompanying
modification to the Plan described in subsection (c)(4)(A); and
(3) the President--
(A) to coordinate review with the State of Nebraska
and provide any necessary data and reasonable technical
assistance material to the review process required
under this subsection; and
(B) to approve the route within the State of
Nebraska that has been submitted to the Secretary of
State by the Governor of Nebraska.
(e) Effect of No Approval.--If the President does not approve the
route within the State of Nebraska submitted by the Governor of
Nebraska under subsection (d)(3)(B) not later than 10 days after the
date of submission, the route submitted by the Governor of Nebraska
under subsection (d)(3)(B) shall be considered approved, pursuant to
the terms of the permit approved under subsection (a) that meets the
requirements of subsection (c) and this subsection, by operation of
law.
(f) Private Property Savings Clause.--Nothing in this section
alters the Federal, State, or local processes or conditions in effect
on the date of enactment of this Act that are necessary to secure
access from private property owners to construct the Keystone XL
pipeline.
SEC. 8. REQUIREMENT TO EXPEDITE PERMITTING FOR EXISTING OIL AND GAS
LEASES.
The President shall direct the Secretary of the Interior to
expedite permitting of activities under oil and gas leases for Federal
onshore lands and Federal submerged lands in the Gulf of Mexico.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and 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.
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and 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.
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and 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.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
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