43 U.S.C. § 1346 Environmental Studies

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-34 (published on www.congress.gov on 12/26/2023), except for [P. L. 118-31]
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 43 U.S.C. § 1346

(a) Information for assessment and management of impacts on environment; time for study; impacts on marine biota from pollution or large spills

(1) The Secretary shall conduct a study of any area or region included in any oil and gas lease sale or other lease in order to establish information needed for assessment and management of environmental impacts on the human, marine, and coastal environments of the outer Continental Shelf and the coastal areas which may be affected by oil and gas or other mineral development in such area or region.

(2) Each study required by paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be commenced not later than six months after September 18, 1978, with respect to any area or region where a lease sale has been held or announced by publication of a notice of proposed lease sale before September 18, 1978, and not later than six months prior to the holding of a lease sale with respect to any area or region where no lease sale has been held or scheduled before September 18, 1978. In the case of an agreement under section 1337(k)(2) of this title, each study required by paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be commenced not later than 6 months prior to commencing negotiations for such agreement or the entering into the memorandum of agreement as the case may be. The Secretary may utilize information collected in any study prior to September 18, 1978.

(3) In addition to developing environmental information, any study of an area or region, to the extent practicable, shall be designed to predict impacts on the marine biota which may result from chronic low level pollution or large spills associated with outer Continental Shelf production, from the introduction of drill cuttings and drilling muds in the area, and from the laying of pipe to serve the offshore production area, and the impacts of development offshore on the affected and coastal areas.

(b) Additional studies subsequent to leasing and development of area

Subsequent to the leasing and developing of any area or region, the Secretary shall conduct such additional studies to establish environmental information as he deems necessary and shall monitor the human, marine, and coastal environments of such area or region in a manner designed to provide time-series and data trend information which can be used for comparison with any previously collected data for the purpose of identifying any significant changes in the quality and productivity of such environments, for establishing trends in the areas studied and monitored, and for designing experiments to identify the causes of such changes.