Oil and gas development and production

After September 18, 1978, no oil and gas lease may be issued pursuant to this subchapter in any region of the outer Continental Shelf, other than the Gulf of Mexico, unless such lease requires that development and production activities be carried out in accordance with a plan which complies with the requirements of this section. A plan may apply to more than one oil and gas lease, and shall set forth, in the degree of detail established by regulations issued by the Secretary— The Secretary shall not grant any license or permit for any activity described in detail in a plan and affecting any land use or water use in the coastal zone of a State with a coastal zone management program approved pursuant to section 306 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1455), unless the State concurs or is conclusively presumed to concur with the consistency certification accompanying such plan pursuant to section 307(c)(3)(B)(i) or (ii) of such Act [16 U.S.C. 1456(c)(3)(B)(i) or (ii)], or the Secretary of Commerce makes the finding authorized by section 307(c)(3)(B)(iii) of such Act [16 U.S.C. 1456(c)(3)(B)(iii)]. If approval of a development and production plan is found to be a major Federal action, the Secretary shall transmit the draft environmental impact statement to the Governor of any affected State, and upon request, to the executive of any local government, and shall make such draft available to any appropriate interstate regional entity and the public. If approval of a development and production plan is not found to be a major Federal action, the Governor of any affected State and the executive of any affected local government shall have sixty days from the date of receipt of the plan from the Secretary to submit comments and recommendations. Prior to submitting recommendations to the Secretary, the executive of any affected local government must forward his recommendations to the Governor of his State. Such comments and recommendations shall be made available to the public upon request. In addition, any interested person may submit comments and recommendations. After reviewing the record of any public hearing held with respect to the approval of a plan pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.] or the comments and recommendations submitted under subsection (g) of this section, the Secretary shall, within sixty days after the release of the final environmental impact statement prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 in accordance with subsection (e) of this section, or sixty days after the period provided for comment under subsection (g) of this section, approve, disapprove, or require modifications of the plan. The Secretary shall require modification of a plan if he determines that the lessee has failed to make adequate provision in such plan for safe operations on the lease area or for protection of the human, marine, or coastal environment, including compliance with the regulations prescribed by the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (8) of section 1334(a) of this title. Any modification required by the Secretary which involves activities for which a Federal license or permit is required and which affects any land use or water use in the coastal zone of a State with a coastal zone management program approved pursuant to section 306 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1455) must receive concurrence by such State with respect to the consistency certification accompanying such plan pursuant to section 307(c)(3)(B)(i) or (ii) of such Act [16 U.S.C. 1456(c)(3)(B)(i) or (ii)] unless the Secretary of Commerce makes the finding authorized by section 307(c)(3)(B)(iii) of such Act [16 U.S.C. 1456(c)(3)(B)(iii)]. The Secretary shall disapprove a plan— If a plan is disapproved— If a plan is disapproved— The Secretary may approve any revision of an approved plan proposed by the lessee if he determines that such revision will lead to greater recovery of oil and natural gas, improve the efficiency, safety, and environmental protection of the recovery operation, is the only means available to avoid substantial economic hardship to the lessee, or is otherwise not inconsistent with the provisions of this subchapter, to the extent such revision is consistent with protection of the human, marine, and coastal environments. Any revision of an approved plan which the Secretary determines is significant shall be reviewed in accordance with subsections (d) through (f) of this section. Whenever the owner of any lease fails to submit a plan in accordance with regulations issued under this section, or fails to comply with an approved plan, the lease may be canceled in accordance with section 1334(c) and (d) of this title. Termination of a lease because of failure to comply with an approved plan, including required modifications or revisions, shall not entitle a lessee to any compensation. If any development and production plan submitted to the Secretary pursuant to this section provides for the production and transportation of natural gas, the lessee shall contemporaneously submit to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that portion of such plan which relates to production of natural gas and the facilities for transportation of natural gas. The Secretary and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall agree as to which of them shall prepare an environmental impact statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.] applicable to such portion of such plan, or conduct studies as to the effect on the environment of implementing it. Thereafter, the findings and recommendations by the agency preparing such environmental impact statement or conducting such studies pursuant to such agreement shall be adopted by the other agency, and such other agency shall not independently prepare another environmental impact statement or duplicate such studies with respect to such portion of such plan, but the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in connection with its review of an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity applicable to such transportation facilities pursuant to section 717f of title 15, may prepare such environmental studies or statement relevant to certification of such transportation facilities as have not been covered by an environmental impact statement or studies prepared by the Secretary. The Secretary, in consultation with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, shall promulgate rules to implement this subsection, but the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall retain sole authority with respect to rules and procedures applicable to the filing of any application with the Commission and to all aspects of the Commission’s review of, and action on, any such application. The Secretary may require the provisions of this section to apply to an oil and gas lease issued or maintained under this subchapter, which is located in that area of the Gulf of Mexico which is adjacent to the State of Florida, as determined pursuant to section 1333(a)(2) of this title.