West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2013
Key claim: This Senate bill would bar the Interior Department from issuing any oil or natural gas leases on the outer Continental Shelf off California, Oregon, or Washington.
Abstract
(S45 · 113th Congress) West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in any area of the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, or Washington. Latest action (2013-01-22): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Why this matters
Offshore leasing decisions determine whether new oil and gas production can occur off U.S. coasts, with implications for coastal economies, spill risk, and long-run emissions. A statutory West Coast ban would remove executive-branch discretion to open CA/OR/WA waters in future five-year OCS plans; because the bill stalled in committee, the current status quo continues to rely on administrative moratoria and presidential withdrawals, which can be reversed by later administrations.