Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative hearing on a bill to codify the existing Rigs to Reef initiative, which allows oil and gas operators to decommission offshore energy infrastructure and convert it to artificial reefs. This helps to create critical fish habitat and supports marine ecosystems. Subcommittee Chairman Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) issued the following statement in response:

“The Rigs to Reefs program has been a great success story, thanks in no small part to partnerships between domestic energy producers and federal and state regulators and conservation agencies. I commend Representative Ezell for his leadership on the Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection Act, which will strengthen this program, benefiting marine habitat and coastal communities for years to come. I look forward to working with Representative Ezell to advance this important legislation through the Natural Resources Committee.”

Background

H.R. 5745, the Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell, (R-Miss.), formalizes and builds upon the Rigs to Reef initiative, which allows energy producers to convert inactive offshore energy infrastructure into artificial reefs. It establishes clear procedures and timelines to ensure a reliable permitting process and authorizes the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), in coordination with relevant state agencies, to designate Reef Planning Areas. Finally, the bill directs BSEE to provide a map of each idle structure that supports an established reef ecosystem and an annual report detailing reefing applications and outcomes to Congress, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Administrator of NOAA.

For more information on the hearing, click here.