As the Committee with primary jurisdiction over offshore oil and gas policy, the House Natural Resources Committee, led by Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), is vigorously investigating the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the broader context of what it means for future offshore oil and gas drilling.
Press Releases | Hearings on Oil Spill | Hearings on Offshore Drilling | Letters | Legislation | GAO Reports
Press Releases:
Hearings on Deepwater Horizon:
- May 26, 2010 - Full Committee Oversight Hearing on the "Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Strategy and Implications of the Deepwater Horizon Rig Explosion" (Day 1)
- May 27, 2010 - Full Committee Oversight Hearing on the "Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Strategy and Implications of the Deepwater Horizon Rig Explosion" (Day 2)
- June 10, 2010 - Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Oversight Hearing on "Our Natural Resources at Risk: The Short and Long Term Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill"
- June 15, 2010 - Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Oversight Hearing on "Ocean Science and Data Limits in a Time of Crisis: Do NOAA and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Have the Resources to Respond?"
- June 17, 2010 - Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Oversight Hearing on "The Deepwater Horizon Incident: Are the Minerals Management Service Regulations Doing The Job?"
- June 24, 2010 - Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Oversight Hearing on "State Planning for Offshore Energy Development: Standards for Preparedness"
- June 30, 2010 - Full Committee Legislative Hearing On "Discussion Draft, Amendment In The Nature Of A Substitute To H.R. 3534
- July 14, 2010 - Full Committee Markup on H.R. 3534, "Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2009"
Hearings on Offshore Drilling:
- September 17, 2009 - Full Committee Legislative Hearing on H.R. 3534, The CLEAR Act (Part 2 of 2)
- September 16, 2009 - Full Committee Legislative Hearing on H.R. 3534, The CLEAR Act (Part 1 of 2)
- September 9, 2009 - Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Legislative Hearing on the "American Conservation and Clean Energy Independence Act" (H.R. 2227)
- March 24, 2009 - Joint Subcommittee Oversight Hearing on "Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf and the Future of our Oceans"
- March 17, 2009 - Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Oversight Hearing on "Leasing and Development of Oil and Gas Resources on the Outer Continental Shelf"
- March 5, 2009 - Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Oversight Hearing on "Energy Outlooks, and the Role of Federal Onshore and Offshore Resources in Meeting Future Energy Demand"
- March 3, 2009 - Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Oversight Hearing on "Managing Ocean and Wildlife Resources in a Dynamic Environment: Priorities for the New Administration and the 111th Congress"
- February 25, 2009 - Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "Offshore Drilling: Industrial Perspectives"
- February 24, 2009 - Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "Offshore Drilling: State Perspectives"
- February 11, 2009 - Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "Offshore Drilling: Environmental and Commercial Perspectives"
- September 18, 2008 - Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "Recent Interior Department Inspector General Investigations on Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Collections"
- March 11, 2008 - Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Oversight Hearing on "Getting Royalties Right: Recent Recommendations for Improving the Federal Oil & Gas Royalty System"
- February 28, 2008 - Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Legislative Hearing on the "Coastal Zone Reauthorization Act of 2008" (H.R. 5451) and the "Coastal State Renewable Energy Promotion Act of 2008" (H.R. 5452)
- June 28, 2007 - Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Oversight Hearing on "The Minerals Management Service's Proposed 2007-2012 Program for Oil and Gas Leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf"
- June 5, 2007 - Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Legislative Hearing on the "National Ocean Exploration Program Act and National Undersea Research Program Act of 2007" (H.R. 1834) and the "Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act" (H.R. 2400) and other bills.
- May 23, 2007 - Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act of 2007"
- April 24, 2007 - Joint Subcommittee Oversight Hearing on "Renewable Energy Opportunities and Issues on the Outer Continental Shelf"
- April 17, 2007 - Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Oversight Hearing on "Implementation of Title III, the Oil and Gas Provisions, of the Energy Policy Act of 2005"
- March 29, 2007 - Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Oversight Hearing on "The Recommendations of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative"
- March 28, 2007 - Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "Royalties at Risk"
- March 20, 2007 - Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Oversight Hearing on "Toward a Clean Energy Future: Energy Policy and Climate Change on Public Lands"
- February 16, 2007 - Full Committee Oversight Hearing on "Reports, Audits and Investigations By the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Office of Inspector General Regarding the Department of the Interior"
Letters Sent by Chairman Rahall:
- June 11, 2010 - Rahall calls on Admiral Allen to secure the chain of custody of the blowout preventer from the moment it is lifted from the well until it reaches port and can be turned over to Federal investigators to undergo comprehensive forensic analysis.
- June 10, 2010- Rahall urges Mitsui Oil Exploration Company to donate its share of net revenues from the sale of recovered oil to help mitigate the ongoing human suffering and environmental damage in the Gulf.
- June 10, 2010 - Rahall urges Andarko Petroleum Corporation to donate its share of net revenues from the sale of recovered oil to help mitigate the ongoing human suffering and environmental damage in the Gulf.
June 8, 2010 - Rahall requests documents on oil rig safety inspectors
- June 7, 2010 - Rahall requests detailed explanation from Transocean of potentially troubling staffing practices
- June 4, 2010 - Rahall urges Interior Secretary Salazar to ensure that BP is held accountable to the American taxpayer for the royalty payments owed from revenues generated in the sale of recovered oil in the Gulf
- June 2, 2010 - Rahall calls on Attorney General Eric Holder to take legal action to recover damages owed to the United States for lost royalties as a result of the oil spill
- May 19, 2010 - Rahall requests unredacted copies of documents from NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco on all consultations and comments under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act related to energy development in the Gulf of Mexico
- May 14, 2010 - Rahall requests unredacted copies of documents on environmental waivers from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar
- May 14, 2010 - Rahall requests unredacted copies of documents on environmental waivers from White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley
- May 13, 2010 - Rahall requests unredacted copies of all proposed safety regulations since 2000 that were never finalized
- May 11, 2010 - Rahall requests documents from BP
- May 11, 2010 - Rahall requests documents from Cameron
- May 11, 2010 - Rahall requests documents from Halliburton
- May 11, 2010 - Rahall requests documents from TransOcean
- May 6, 2010 - Rahall requests unredacted copies of documents submitted by BP on the Deepwater Horizon
- May 4, 2010 - Rahall requests documents on blowout preventers (BOPs)
- April 29, 2010 - Rahall and Hastings dispatch Committee staff to the Gulf of Mexico
Chairman Rahall Legislation on Offshore Drilling:
- H.AMDT.106 to H.R. 2217: (Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002) Offered June 21, 2001. Amendment prohibits new energy leasing or related activities within boundaries of designated onshore or offshore National Monuments. Agreed to by recorded vote 242 – 173 June 21, 2001.
- H.R. 6 – “CLEAN Energy Act of 2007” Introduced January 12, 2007. Would have imposed a Conservation of Resources fee on leases in the Gulf of Mexico that were either non-producing or not currently paying royalties due to missing lease price thresholds, and would have ended royalty relief for several categories of offshore leases and imposed thresholds on deepwater leases issued from 1995-2000. Passed the House 264 – 163 on January 18, 2007. December 19, 2007; none of these provisions were adopted in the omnibus energy legislation enacted into Public Law No: 110-140, “Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.”
- H.R. 2337 – “Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act of 2007” Introduced May 16, 2007. Contained a large number of provisions to reform the federal oil and gas royalty system, adjust imbalances arising from the Energy Policy Act of 2005, advance carbon sequestration projects, and increase the production of renewable energy on federal lands. Ordered to be reported out of the Natural Resources Committee on June 13, 2007; became Title VII of H.R. 3221, “New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act,” which passed the House 241 – 172 on August 4, 2007. Again, in the final legislation, none of these of the oil and gas leasing reform provisions became part of Public Law No: 110-289, the “Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.”
- H.R. 6251 – “Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act” Introduced June 12, 2008. Included a “Use It or Lose It” provision that would require oil and gas leaseholders to certify that they were diligently developing their leases before being able to obtain any new leases, and also required the establishment of diligent development benchmarks for all new leases. Motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill failed 223 – 195 on June 26, 2008. No further action.
- H.R. 6515 – “Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands (DRILL) Act of 2008” Introduced July 16, 2008. Included “Use It or Lose It” and provisions designed to accelerate oil and gas production in Alaska. Motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill failed 244 – 173 on July 17, 2008. No further action.
- H.R. 6899 – “The Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act” Introduced September 15, 2008. Would have opened up the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to oil and gas leasing further than 100 miles from the coastline, allowed states to permit drilling between 50 and 100 miles, ended the “Royalty-In-Kind” program, and imposed significant royalty reforms. Passed the House 236 – 189 on September 16, 2008. No further action by Senate.
- H.R. 3534 – “Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2009 (CLEAR Act)” Introduced September 8, 2009. The CLEAR Act would require the Department of the Interior to hold its employees to the highest ethical standards, and would create greater efficiencies, transparency, and accountability in the development of federal energy resources through fundamental reform of MMS. Status: Committee Hearings Held September 16 and 17, 2009.
(Fact Sheet) (Section-by-Section Summary)
- H.R. 3534 – “Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act (CLEAR Act)” – Discussion Draft, Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute, dated June 22, 2010, 5:25 p.m.
(Fact Sheet) (Section-by-Section Summary) (Full Text)
- H.R. 3534 – “Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act (CLEAR Act)” – Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute, dated July 12, 2010
(Section-by-Section Summary) (Full Text)
-
H.R. 3534 - “Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act (CLEAR Act)” – Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute, dated July 26, 2010
(Fact Sheet) (Section-by-Section Summary)
Completed Government Accountability Office (GAO) Investigations Requested by Chairman Rahall:
-
Mineral Revenues: A More Systematic Evaluation of the Royalty-in-Kind Pilots Is Needed, GAO-03-296, January 9, 2003
-
Mineral Revenues: Cost and Revenue Information Needed to Compare Different Approaches for Collecting Federal Oil and Gas Royalties, GAO-04-448, April 16, 2004
-
Oil and Gas Royalties: Royalty Relief Will Cost the Government Billions of Dollars but Uncertainty Over Future Energy Prices and Production Levels Make Precise Estimates Impossible at this Time, GAO-07-590R, April 12, 2007
-
Oil and Gas Royalties: A Comparison of the Share of Revenue Received from Oil and Gas Production by the Federal Government and Other Resource Owners, GAO-07-676R, May 1, 2007
-
Oil and Gas Royalties: Litigation over Royalty Relief Could Cost the Federal Government Billions of Dollars, GAO-08-792R, June 5, 2008
-
Oil and Gas Royalties: The Federal System for Collecting Oil and Gas Revenues Needs Comprehensive Reassessment, GAO-08-691, September 3, 2008
-
Mineral Revenues: Data Management Problems and Reliance on Self-Reported Data for Compliance Efforts Put MMS Royalty Collections at Risk, GAO-08-893R, September 12, 2008
-
Oil and Gas Royalties: MMS's Oversight of Its Royalty-in-Kind Program Can Be Improved through Additional Use of Production Verification Data and Enhanced Reporting of Financial Benefits and Costs, GAO-08-942R, September 26, 2008
-
Oil and Gas Leasing: Interior Could Do More to Encourage Diligent Development, GAO-09-74, October 3, 2008
-
Mineral Revenues: MMS Could Do More to Improve the Accuracy of Key Data Used to Collect and Verify Oil and Gas Royalties, GAO-09-549, July 15, 2009
-
Royalty-In-Kind Program: MMS Does Not Provide Reasonable Assurance It Receives Its Share of Gas, Resulting in Millions on Forgone Revenue, GAO-09-744, August 14, 2009
-
Offshore Oil and Gas Development: Additional Guidance Would Help Strengthen the Minerals Management Service's Assessment of Environmental Impacts in the North Aleutian Basin, GAO-10-276, March 8, 2010
-
Oil and Gas Management: Interior’s Oil and gas Production Verification Efforts Do Not Provide Reasonable Assurance of Accurate Measurement of Production Volumes, GAO-10-313, March 15, 2010
|