See our earlier story on President’s poor leasing record. -dh
On Wednesday, the House Natural Resources Committee approved by a bipartisan 24-17 vote, H.R. 6082, the Congressional Replacement of President Obama’s Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan. The bill would replace the Obama Administration’s final offshore drilling plan, which keeps 85 percent of America’s offshore areas off-limits to energy production, with a real plan that creates new American jobs by allowing offshore American energy production in those areas with the greatest known oil and natural gas resources.
“For over three years the Obama Administration has been playing politics with our nation’s offshore energy future, sending energy jobs overseas and deepening America’s dependence on unfriendly foreign countries for energy,” said Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04). “In stark contrast to President Obama’s plan that outsources American jobs and American energy, the bipartisan plan that passed today, is an environmentally responsible drill-smart plan that will create jobs, grow our economy, and lower gasoline prices with more American energy.”
The Obama Administrator announced its proposed 2012-2017 offshore lease plan on June 28th. According to federal law, it’s now undergoing a mandatory 60-day Congressional review. As part of that review, the Committee acted today to make clear that the President’s plan is inacceptable and that it should be replaced with the environmentally responsible plan of H.R. 6082 that truly supports increased American energy and American jobs.
As amended, H.R. 6082 will implement a new schedule for 29 lease sales, protect national defense and military operations and provide for separate environmental reviews for each specific lease sale.
H.R. 6082’s Proposed Lease Sale Schedule:
Sale No. | Area | Year |
229 | Western Gulf of Mexico | 2012 |
220 | Mid-Atlantic Sale (Virginia) | 2013 |
225 | Eastern Gulf of Mexico | 2013 |
227 | Central Gulf of Mexico | 2013 |
249 | So. Cal. Existing Infrastructure | 2013 |
233 | Western Gulf of Mexico | 2013 |
244 | Cook Inlet | 2013 |
212 | Chukchi Sea | 2013 |
228 | Southern California | 2014 |
230 | Mid-Atlantic | 2014 |
231 | Central Gulf of Mexico | 2014 |
238 | Western Gulf of Mexico | 2014 |
242 | Beaufort Sea | 2014 |
221 | Chukchi Sea | 2014 |
245 | Mid-Atlantic | 2015 |
232 | North Atlantic | 2015 |
234 | Eastern Gulf of Mexico | 2015 |
235 | Central Gulf of Mexico | 2015 |
246 | Western Gulf | 2015 |
255 | South Atlantic-South Carolina | 2015 |
237 | Chukchi Sea | 2016 |
239 | North Aleutian Basin | 2016 |
248 | Western Gulf of Mexico | 2016 |
241 | Central Gulf of Mexico | 2016 |
226 | Eastern Gulf of Mexico | 2016 |
217 | Beaufort Sea | 2016 |
243 | Southern California | 2017 |
250 | Mid-Atlantic | 2017 |
247 | Central Gulf | 2017 |
Offshore Areas Open for Drilling under H.R. 6082, the Congressional Replacement of President Obama’s Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan
Offshore Areas Blocked for Drilling under President Obama’s
Final 2012-2017 Plan
Final 2012-2017 Plan
Offshore Areas Available for Drilling when President Obama
Took Office (January 2009)
Took Office (January 2009)
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