[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5936 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5936
To require a new supplemental environmental impact statement for oil
and gas development in the Bakersfield Field Office planning area, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 21, 2020
Mr. Carbajal (for himself and Ms. Brownley of California) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural
Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require a new supplemental environmental impact statement for oil
and gas development in the Bakersfield Field Office planning area, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``California's Land Preservation and
Protection Act''.
SEC. 2. DELAY OF OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT IN THE BAKERSFIELD FIELD
OFFICE PLANNING AREA.
(a) New Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Required.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Record of Decision for
the Bakersfield Field Office Hydraulic Fracturing published on December
12, 2019, shall have no force or effect until the Director of the
Bureau of Land Management completes and circulates for public comment a
new supplemental environmental impact statement under section 102 of
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332) that
considers the environmental effects of all oil and gas development in
the Bakersfield Field Office planning area, as such area is described
by the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, including considering
the effects on--
(1) air quality;
(2) greenhouse gas emissions and the climate;
(3) groundwater quality and availability;
(4) surface water quality and availability;
(5) seismicity;
(6) wildlife and plant species, including threatened
species and endangered species; and
(7) low-income communities, communities of color, and
indigenous communities, including federally- and State-
recognized Indian Tribes.
(b) Environmental Protection Agency Review.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date on
which the supplemental environmental impact statement required
by subsection (a) is published, the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency shall review and publish
comments regarding such statement, including by--
(A) identifying whether there would be any
significant environmental impacts of oil and gas
leasing in the Bakersfield Field Office planning area
that should be avoided to adequately protect the
natural resources of such area; or
(B) making a determination whether the new
supplemental environmental impact statement required by
subsection (a) contains sufficient information to
assess the environmental impacts of all oil and gas
development in the Bakersfield Field Office planning
area.
(2) Effect of determination of insufficient information.--
If the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
identifies a significant impact under paragraph (1)(A) or
determines there is insufficient information under paragraph
(1)(B), the Director of the Bureau of Land Management shall
consult with the Administrator before taking any action to
proceed with Federal oil and gas leasing in the Bakersfield
Field Office planning area.
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