Plug Offshore Wells Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4239
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Environmental Protection
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-26: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-01T19:22:59Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Plug Offshore Wells Act (S. 4239) aims to increase transparency and oversight of the decommissioning—permanently shutting down and removing or securing—offshore oil and gas wells, platforms, and pipelines by requiring the Secretary of the Interior to produce and share an annual report with Congress and the public.
Key Provisions
- Annual Reporting Requirement: Starting 2 years after enactment and every year thereafter, the Secretary must submit a report to Congress and post it on the Department of the Interior's website.
- Report Contents (covering the prior calendar year):
- Number of required applications for decommissioning under federal regulations (30 CFR Part 250, Subpart Q).
- Number of those applications actually received.
- Number of wells, platforms, and pipelines not decommissioned by the required deadline.
- Number of wells and platforms approved for "decommissioning in place" (leaving structures on the seabed under specific conditions).
- Length of pipelines decommissioned in place versus those fully removed.
- Status of enforcement actions by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), such as noncompliance notices, orders, fines, and bans on future operations.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces a new mandatory annual reporting obligation; no direct changes to decommissioning regulations or enforcement processes, but enhances accountability through public disclosure.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload for the Department of the Interior and BSEE to compile and publish data, potentially improving internal tracking of compliance.
- Citizens and Public: Provides greater access to information on offshore infrastructure cleanup, aiding environmental monitoring and public awareness.
- Offshore Industry: May pressure operators to meet deadlines due to heightened scrutiny, with no direct international relations effects noted.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Department of the Interior and BSEE: Responsible for report preparation and enforcement data.
- Congress: Receives reports for oversight.
- Offshore Oil and Gas Operators: Subject to tracked compliance and enforcement.
- Public and Environmental Groups: Gain transparency on decommissioning progress.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Relies on existing regulations (e.g., 30 CFR §§ 250.1700–1754); adds no new penalties but supports enforcement via data transparency.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's oversight authority over executive agencies; no apparent conflicts.
- Political: Promotes accountability in energy sector cleanup without altering operations, potentially appealing to bipartisan interests in safety and environmental protection.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR], Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR], Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-26: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 2026-03-26: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Plug Offshore Wells Act — issued 2026-03-26 — PDF (4 pages)