Plug Offshore Wells Act
- Sponsor
- Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3]
- Committees
- Natural Resources Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Mar 26, 2026
Bottom line
The Plug Offshore Wells Act aims to increase transparency and accountability regarding the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas infrastructure by requiring annual public reporting from the Department of the Interior.
What it actually does
This bill mandates the Secretary of the Interior to annually submit a report to Congress and make it publicly available online. The report will detail the status of offshore oil and gas well, platform, and pipeline decommissioning, including the number of applications, instances of non-compliance, approvals for decommissioning in place, lengths of pipelines decommissioned, and enforcement actions taken by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).
Proponents argue
Supporters argue that this bill will enhance public and congressional oversight of offshore oil and gas decommissioning, ensuring greater accountability for operators and regulators. They contend that increased transparency will help identify areas of non-compliance, highlight environmental risks from aging infrastructure, and ultimately lead to more timely and complete decommissioning efforts, protecting marine environments and coastal communities.
Opponents contend
Critics might argue that while transparency is generally positive, this bill primarily adds an administrative burden on the Department of the Interior without directly addressing the underlying challenges or accelerating the pace of decommissioning. They may suggest that the required data is already largely collected internally and that formalizing an annual report might divert resources from more direct regulatory or enforcement activities.
The bill is very short and clear, making it highly accessible for any reader to understand its provisions and implications quickly.
Section 2(b)
Annual Report on Decommissioning Status
This provision requires the Secretary of the Interior to produce an annual report, starting two years after the bill's enactment. This report must be submitted to Congress and published on the Department of the Interior's website. It will provide detailed statistics for the preceding calendar year on various aspects of offshore oil and gas decommissioning, including application numbers, instances of non-compliance, methods of decommissioning (in place vs. removed), and enforcement actions by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that this annual report is crucial for transparency, allowing Congress and the public to monitor the progress and challenges of offshore decommissioning. It provides essential data to assess whether operators are meeting their obligations and if regulatory enforcement is effective, thereby safeguarding marine environments.
Critics contend
Some may argue that while the intent is good, the report itself does not directly solve the problem of decommissioning backlogs or non-compliance. They might suggest that the resources spent on compiling and publishing this report could be better utilized for direct enforcement or for developing new decommissioning technologies.
Tradeoffs
The provision balances the public's right to know and the need for governmental oversight against the administrative burden placed on federal agencies. It aims to leverage transparency as a tool for accountability without directly altering existing decommissioning regulations or enforcement powers.
The bill defines 'decommissioning' by referencing 'section 250.1700 of title 30, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation)' and specifies various reporting requirements by referencing other sections of title 30, Code of Federal Regulations (e.g., 250.1750, 250.1752, 250.1754).
Section 2(a)(1) and Section 2(b) generally
Why it matters:This is standard legislative practice to avoid reprinting lengthy regulatory text and to ensure consistency with existing administrative law. It allows the bill to leverage established definitions and procedures without creating new ones.
Case for: Referencing existing regulations streamlines the legislative process, ensures legal consistency, and avoids potential conflicts with established administrative rules. It assumes that the referenced regulations are appropriate and well-understood.
Case against: A casual reader without access to the Code of Federal Regulations might not fully grasp the precise scope and implications of 'decommissioning' or the specific conditions under which wells, platforms, or pipelines are approved for decommissioning in place versus removal. This requires external research to fully understand the bill's context.
Estimated impact: The impact is that the scope and detail of the annual report are entirely dependent on the definitions and requirements set forth in the referenced CFR sections. Any changes to those regulations would directly alter what is reported under this Act.