43 U.S.C. § 1801 : US Code - Section 1801: Congressional findings

Search 43 U.S.C. § 1801 : US Code - Section 1801: Congressional findings

The Congress finds and declares that -
(1) the demand for energy in the United States is increasing
and will continue to increase for the foreseeable future;
(2) domestic production of oil and gas has declined in recent
years;
(3) the United States has become increasingly dependent upon
imports of oil from foreign nations to meet domestic energy
demand;
(4) increasing reliance on imported oil is not inevitable, but
is rather subject to significant reduction by increasing the
development of domestic sources of energy supply;
(5) consumption of natural gas in the United States has greatly
exceeded additions to domestic reserves in recent years;
(6) technology is or can be made available which will allow
significantly increased domestic production of oil and gas
without undue harm or damage to the environment;
(7) the Outer Continental Shelf contains significant quantities
of oil and natural gas and is a vital national resource reserve
which must be carefully managed so as to realize fair value, to
preserve and maintain competition, and to reflect the public
interest;
(8) there presently exists a variety of technological,
economic, environmental, administrative, and legal problems which
tend to retard the development of the oil and natural gas
reserves of the Outer Continental Shelf;
(9) environmental and safety regulations relating to activities
on the Outer Continental Shelf should be reviewed in light of
current technology and information;
(10) the development, processing, and distribution of the oil
and gas resources of the Outer Continental Shelf, and the siting
of related energy facilities, may cause adverse impacts on
various States and local governments;
(11) policies, plans, and programs developed by States and
local governments in response to activities on the Outer
Continental Shelf cannot anticipate and ameliorate such adverse
impacts unless such States, working in close cooperation with
affected local governments, are provided with timely access to
information regarding activities on the Outer Continental Shelf
and an opportunity to review and comment on decisions relating to
such activities;
(12) funds must be made available to pay for the prompt removal
of any oil spilled or discharged as a result of activities on the
Outer Continental Shelf and for any damages to public or private
interests caused by such spills or discharges;
(13) because of the possible conflicts between exploitation of
the oil and gas resources in the Outer Continental Shelf and
other uses of the marine environment, including fish and
shellfish growth and recovery, and recreational activity, the
Federal Government must assume responsibility for the
minimization or elimination of any conflict associated with such
exploitation;
(14) the oil and gas resources of the Outer Continental Shelf
are limited, nonrenewable resources which must be developed in a
manner which takes into consideration the Nation's long-range
energy needs and also assures adequate protection of the
renewable resources of the Outer Continental Shelf which are a
continuing and increasingly important source of food and protein
to the Nation and the world; and
(15) funds must be made available to pay for damage to
commercial fishing vessels and gear resulting from activities
involving oil and gas exploration, development, and production on
the Outer Continental Shelf.