971 



85 



Office of the Secretary of Traxsportation, 



Washington, B.C., June 23, 1976. 

 Hon. Leonor K. Sullivan, 



Chairman^ C (mvtnittee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 

 House of Representatives, 

 Washington, D.C. 



Dear Madam Chairman : This is in response to your request for the 

 views of the Department of Transportation concerning a series of 

 bills related to various aspects of oil and gas development on the Outer 

 Continental Shelf. 



H.R. 1363 would amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 

 by establishing an Advisory Committee on the Marine Environment, 

 an Inter-Agency Committee on Marine Environment, and a require- 

 ment that the Secretary of Interior develop a comprehensive manage- 

 ment plan for the marine environment. 



H.R. 1776 would amend the Coastal Zone Management Act by es- 

 tablishing in the Treasury of the United States the Coastal States 

 Fund, to be administered by the Secretary of Interior in assisting 

 States to ameliorate and control adverse effects of offshore oil and gas 

 development. 



H.R. 1777 would amend the Coastal Zone Management Act by de- 

 ferring offshore leasing until the Secretary of Interior approves coastal 

 zone management programs of adjacent coastal zone States, or until 

 June 20, 1976, whichever date first occurs. 



H.R. 2772 would amend the Coastal Zone Management Act to 

 require that reliable information be obtained on the nature and extent 

 of energy resources in the undeveloped areas of the Outer Continental 

 Shelf and that the Secretary of Interior develop a 10-year leasing plan 

 within the context of a national energy policy. 



The bill would require, with few exceptions, strict liability for oil 

 spills, and would establish an Impacted Coastal State Fund, from 

 which grants to States could "be made. Title III would direct the Secre- 

 taries of Transportation and Interior to report to the Congress on the 

 adequacy of pipeline safety regulations and monitoring on the Outer 

 Continental Shelf. 



H.R. 3637 would amend the Coastal Zone Management Act to au- 

 thorize financial assistance to coastal States to enable them to study, 

 assess, and plan effectively with respect to the impact within their 

 coastal zones of off-shore energy-related facilities and activities. 



H.R. 3981 would amend the Coastal Zone Management Act to au- 

 thorize financial assistance to coastal States for purposes similar to 

 those of H.R. 3637. 



H.R. 3982 would amend the Coastal Zone Management Act to di- 

 rect that specific information be incorporated in environmental im- 

 pact statements related to oil and gas exploration and that the Secre- 

 tary of Interior develop and transmit a development plan to the Gov- 

 ernor and State coastal zone management agencies in adjacent coastal 

 States before invitations to bid on development tracts. The bill would 

 also require a moratorium on leasing and termination of existing 

 leases on tracts in certain locations designated as "Frontier areas." 



The Department of Transportation concurs with the general objec- 

 tives of those measures of the foregoing bills that are designed to mini- 

 mize the risk of damage to the environment and to ensure the safety 



