Offshore Energy and Jobs Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WITTMAN. I rise in support of the gentleman from Virginia's amendment that sets a deadline for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to complete an environmental review to allow offshore Atlantic seismic studies to go forward. I have joined 42 bipartisan House colleagues urging President Obama to move quickly to complete the environmental analysis.

Unfortunately, the Department of Interior is well over a year behind in completing its work. As you know, delays continue to prevent the creation of thousands of good-paying jobs and around $19.5 billion in Federal, State, and local revenue.

I'm glad to join with Chairman Hastings in support of the Offshore Energy and Jobs Act. These measures are important for Virginia and this Nation, supporting domestic energy security, revenue sharing, and job creation. This is about jobs, energy independence, and just plain, old common sense. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and this important energy bill.

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES,

Washington, DC, March 21, 2013.
Hon. BARACK OBAMA,
President of the United States of America,
Washington, DC.

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: We are writing to urge that your Administration act to diligently complete the long-delayed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the conduct of a safe, environmentally protective seismic assessment of the oil and natural gas resources offshore the Atlantic outer continental shelf (OCS). The gathering of such information represents a critical step toward making science-based decisions with regard to any future commercial or recreational activities in the federal waters off our Atlantic coastline that could provide the nation much needed energy, economic, and environmental benefits.

It has been nearly two generations since seismic testing was last conducted along our eastern seaboard. Since that time, technological advancements have rendered those previous findings nearly irrelevant. For example, while 2-D imaging was restricted by certain geological characteristics, today's 3-D and 4-D imaging techniques allow us to identify resources previously unknown to exist. By relying solely on outdated technology and information, we are blindly assessing offshore resource potential and making uninformed decisions without the benefit of sound science. To further illustrate this point, in 1987 the Minerals Management Service estimated that there were 9.57 billion barrels of oil within the Gulf of Mexico. In 2011, with more recent seismic data and exploration, they adjusted that estimate to 48.4 billion barrels of oil--roughly a 500% increase.

Contrary to the hyperbolic comments of many opposed to this simple information-gathering process, history tells us it can be done safely with great deference to our valuable ocean ecosystems. Industry employs a number of effective mitigation measures to reduce any potential impacts to wildlife in the seismic survey areas such as ramping up the sound levels to allow animals to leave the area before the full survey begins and placing marine mammal observers onboard the survey vessel to shut down the survey if an animal is spotted in the vicinity. Industry has been performing seismic surveys around the world, including the Gulf of Mexico, for decades and there has never been a documented case where use of an air gun to perform a seismic survey has caused the death of an animal. Similarly, a report by the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council stated that ``No scientific studies have conclusively demonstrated a link between exposure to sound and adverse effects on a marine mammal population.'' It is past time to continue your Administration's efforts to safely accumulate this information using modern technology.

As you know, the Department of the Interior (DOI) held an initial scoping meeting on their EIS for Atlantic OCS seismic in April 2010. Previous to that in 2009, the FY 2010 House Interior Appropriations bill instructed DOI to indicate their expected timeline for completion of the EIS. DOI's response in February 2010 indicated a Final EIS being issued in April 2012. With nearly a full year having passed beyond this target date, we would urge the swift completion of this environmental analysis so that the many seismic permits already submitted to DOI may be properly considered, along with any future applications.

Finally, in order to ensure a viable market for Atlantic seismic data, we also urge your reconsideration of current policies prohibiting any new oil and gas leasing in the Atlantic OCS. Only the prospect of future leasing provides proper market incentive to make the significant investments needed to obtain this data.

We thank you for your consideration and hope to quickly move forward on Atlantic seismic testing to enable a science-based decision making process with regard to OCS access.

Sincerely,
Jeff Duncan; Doc Hastings; John Fleming; Steve Scalise; Joe Wilson, Morgan Griffith; Robert Wittman; Doug Lamborn; Rob Bishop; Tom Graves; Randy Forbes; Paul Broun.
Mick Mulvaney; Virginia Foxx; Robert Hurt; Tom Rooney; Frank Wolf; Richard Hudson; Trey Gowdy; Glenn Thompson; Tom Rice; Renee Ellmers; Scott Rigell; Bob Goodlatte; Mark Meadows; Robert Pittenger; Lynn Westmoreland; Bill Cassidy.
Cynthia Lummis; Michael Conaway; Steve Stivers; Kevin Cramer; Henry

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Cuellar; Gene Green; Blake Farenthold; Bill Flores; Chris Stewart; Mark Amodei; Tim Huelskamp; Charles Boustany; Bill Johnson; Andy Harris.
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY,

Washington, DC, June 19, 2013.
Hon. ROBERT WITTMAN,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.

DEAR REPRESENTATIVE WITTMAN: Thank you for your letter dated March 21, 2013, to President Barack Obama expressing your support for the completion of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate potential effects of multiple geological and geophysical (G&G) activities in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). President Obama has asked me to respond. A similar letter is being sent to each co-signer of your letter.

We share your commitment to ensuring that our resource management decisions are based on the best available science. To that end, the information developed from the PEIS will help guide future decision making regarding the resources available on the Atlantic Coast OCS as well as the social, economic, and environmental impacts of developing those resources.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is in the process of preparing a PEIS under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to evaluate potential effects of multiple G&G activities in these areas, including seismic surveys using air guns. BOEM was directed to develop this PEIS under the Conference Report for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

This PEIS is part of a region-specific strategy for oil and gas exploration and development in the Mid and South Atlantic that focuses on the need to update resource information in order to inform future decisions about whether and, if so, where leasing would be appropriate in these areas. Seismic surveys and other G&G activities being evaluated in this PEIS are valuable to understanding the location, extent, and properties of hydrocarbon resources. G&G surveys are also used to identify geologic hazards, archaeological resources, and hard bottom habitats that would need to be avoided during exploration and development. A variety of G&G techniques in addition to air guns are being evaluated in the study. These techniques are also used to understand the potential to site renewable energy structures and locate marine mineral resources, such as sand and gravel used for beach and barrier island restoration.

In preparing the PEIS, BOEM uses the best available science and works with experts and other regulatory agencies, such as the National Marine Fisheries Service. BOEM has contributed close to $40 million over the last decade on groundbreaking research to better understand the potential for acoustic impacts to marine life from geophysical sound sources. The BOEM has also conducted several expert stakeholder workshops to discuss and identify information needs on acoustic impacts and reasonable measures to manage and mitigate such effects.

We appreciate your interest in potential seismic exploration in the Mid and South Atlantic OCS waters. Please be assured that completion of this important environmental review remains a high priority for us.

Sincerely,
TOMMY P. BEAUDREAU,

Acting Assistant Secretary--Land
and Minerals Management.

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