(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Access Act - (Sec. 2) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the National Petroleum Reserve (NPR) in Alaska remains explicitly designated to provide oil and natural gas resources to the United States, and (2) it is national policy to actively advance oil and gas development within the NPR.
(Sec. 3) Amends the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to require the mandatory program of competitive leasing of oil and gas in the NPR to include at least one lease sale annually in those areas of the NPR most likely to produce commercial quantities of oil and natural gas each year in the period 2013-2023.
(Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to ensure permits according to a specified time line for all surface development activities, including pipelines and roads construction to: (1) develop and bring into production any areas within the NPR that are subject to oil and gas leases, and (2) transport oil and gas from and through the NPR to existing transportation or processing infrastructure on the North Slope of Alaska.Requires the Secretary to ensure that any federal permitting agency shall issue permits for construction for transportation of oil and natural gas under existing federal oil and gas leases with drilling permits within 60 days after enactment of this Act. Requires approval of drilling permits under new federal oil and gas leases within 6 months after submission to the Secretary of a permit request.
Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress a plan for approved rights-of-way for any plan for pipeline, road, and any other necessary surface infrastructure that will ensure that all leasable tracts in the NPR are within 25 miles of an approved road and pipeline right-of-way that can serve future development of the NPR.
(Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary to issue: (1) a new proposed integrated activity plan from among the non-adopted alternatives in the NPR Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision dated February 21, 2013, and (2) an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) for issuance of oil and gas leases in the NPR-Alaska to promote efficient and maximum development of oil and natural gas resources of such reserve.
Nullifies the February 21, 2013, Record of Decision, including its integrated activity plan and environmental impact statement.
(Sec. 6) Instructs the Secretary to issue regulations establishing clear requirements to ensure that the Department of the Interior is supporting development of oil and gas leases in the NPR.
(Sec. 7) Prescribes requirements for the new proposed integrated activity plan, including a departmental deadline for response to lease development permit applications and a timeline for processing each application.
(Sec. 8) Requires the Secretary to assess all technically recoverable fossil fuel resources within the NPR, including all conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas.
Directs the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the state of Alaska and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, to carry out and complete the resource assessment within 24 months after enactment of this Act.
Authorizes the USGS to use resources and funds provided by the state of Alaska in carrying out such assessment.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1964 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1964
To amend the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to direct
the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an expeditious program of
competitive leasing of oil and gas in the National Petroleum Reserve in
Alaska, including at least one lease sale in the Reserve each year in
the period 2013 through 2023, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 14, 2013
Mr. Hastings of Washington (for himself and Mr. Young of Alaska)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to direct
the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an expeditious program of
competitive leasing of oil and gas in the National Petroleum Reserve in
Alaska, including at least one lease sale in the Reserve each year in
the period 2013 through 2023, 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 bill shall be called the ``National Petroleum Reserve Alaska
Access Act''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS AND REAFFIRMING NATIONAL POLICY FOR THE
NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE IN ALASKA.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska remains
explicitly designated, both in name and legal status, for
purposes of providing oil and natural gas resources to the
United States; and
(2) accordingly, the national policy is to actively advance
oil and gas development within the Reserve by facilitating the
expeditious exploration, production, and transportation of oil
and natural gas from and through the Reserve.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE IN ALASKA: LEASE SALES.
Section 107(a) of the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of
1976 (42 U.S.C. 6506a(a)) is amended to read as follows:
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct an expeditious
program of competitive leasing of oil and gas in the reserve in
accordance with this Act. Such program shall include at least one lease
sale annually in those areas of the reserve most likely to produce
commercial quantities of oil and natural gas each year in the period
2013 through 2023.''.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE IN ALASKA: PLANNING AND PERMITTING
PIPELINE AND ROAD CONSTRUCTION.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with other appropriate
Federal agencies, shall facilitate and ensure permits, in a timely and
environmentally responsible manner, for all surface development
activities, including for the construction of pipelines and roads,
necessary to--
(1) develop and bring into production any areas within the
National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska that are subject to oil
and gas leases; and
(2) transport oil and gas from and through the National
Petroleum Reserve in Alaska in the most direct manner possible
to existing transportation or processing infrastructure on the
North Slope of Alaska.
(b) Timeline.--The Secretary shall ensure that any Federal
permitting agency shall issue permits in accordance with the following
timeline:
(1) Permits for such construction for transportation of oil
and natural gas produced under existing Federal oil and gas
leases with respect to which the Secretary has issued a permit
to drill shall be approved within 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act.
(2) Permits for such construction for transportation of oil
and natural gas produced under Federal oil and gas leases shall
be approved within 6 months after the submission to the
Secretary of a request for a permit to drill.
(c) Plan.--To ensure timely future development of the Reserve,
within 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of the Interior shall submit to Congress a plan for approved
rights-of-way for a plan for pipeline, road, and any other surface
infrastructure that may be necessary infrastructure that will ensure
that all leasable tracts in the Reserve are within 25 miles of an
approved road and pipeline right-of-way that can serve future
development of the Reserve.
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF A NEW INTEGRATED ACTIVITY PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT STATEMENT.
(a) Issuance of New Integrated Activity Plan.--The Secretary of the
Interior shall, within 180 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, issue--
(1) a new proposed integrated activity plan from among the
non-adopted alternatives in the National Petroleum Reserve
Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision issued by
the Secretary of the Interior and dated February 21, 2013; and
(2) an environmental impact statement under section
102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)) for issuance of oil and gas leases in the
National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to promote efficient and
maximum development of oil and natural gas resources of such
reserve.
(b) Nullification of Existing Record of Decision, IAP, and EIS.--
Except as provided in subsection (a), the National Petroleum Reserve-
Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision issued by the
Secretary of the Interior and dated February 21, 2013, including the
integrated activity plan and environmental impact statement referred to
in that record of decision, shall have no force or effect.
SEC. 6. DEPARTMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR DEVELOPMENT.
The Secretary of the Interior shall issue regulations not later
than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act that establish
clear requirements to ensure that the Department of the Interior is
supporting development of oil and gas leases in the National Petroleum
Reserve-Alaska.
SEC. 7. DEADLINES UNDER NEW PROPOSED INTEGRATED ACTIVITY PLAN.
At a minimum, the new proposed integrated activity plan issued
under section 5(a)(1) shall--
(1) require the Department of the Interior to respond
within 5 business days to a person who submits an application
for a permit for development of oil and natural gas leases in
the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska acknowledging receipt of
such application; and
(2) establish a timeline for the processing of each such
application, that--
(A) specifies deadlines for decisions and actions
on permit applications; and
(B) provide that the period for issuing each permit
after submission of such an application shall not
exceed 60 days without the concurrence of the
applicant.
SEC. 8. UPDATED RESOURCE ASSESSMENT.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior shall complete a
comprehensive assessment of all technically recoverable fossil fuel
resources within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, including
all conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas.
(b) Cooperation and Consultation.--The resource assessment required
by subsection (a) shall be carried out by the United States Geological
Survey in cooperation and consultation with the State of Alaska and the
American Association of Petroleum Geologists.
(c) Timing.--The resource assessment required by subsection (a)
shall be completed within 24 months of the date of the enactment of
this Act.
(d) Funding.--The United States Geological Survey may, in carrying
out the duties under this section, cooperatively use resources and
funds provided by the State of Alaska.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Discharged.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 26 - 14.
Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 113-197.
Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 113-197.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 144.
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