This bill, the Plug Offshore Wells Act, would require the Secretary of the Interior to prepare and publish an annual report about decommissioning offshore oil and gas wells, platforms, and pipelines. The first report must be delivered no later than two years after the law is enacted and then every year after that. Each report must cover the preceding calendar year and be submitted to Congress and posted on the Department of the Interior website.
The report must include: the number of decommissioning applications required under subpart Q of 30 CFR part 250, how many of those applications were received, how many wells/platforms/pipelines were not decommissioned by the required date, the number of wells and platforms approved to be decommissioned in place under 30 CFR 250.1750, the length of pipelines decommissioned in place and the length removed under 30 CFR 250.1752 and 250.1754, and the status of enforcement actions by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), including notices of noncompliance, orders, citations, civil penalties, and disqualifications from future offshore operations. The Act defines "decommissioning" by referring to 30 CFR 250.1700 and defines "Secretary" as the Secretary of the Interior.
No publicly available information on costs, required funding, or appropriations is included in the bill text.
No publicly available information in the bill text describing proponents' arguments or stated benefits.
No publicly available information in the bill text describing opponents' arguments or stated concerns.