PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 5, 2011
Oil Pollution Environmental Review Act or OPERA - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to require the head of any federal agency to treat the issuance of any exploration plans, development production plans, development operation coordination documents, and lease sales required under federal law for offshore drilling activity on the outer Continental Shelf as a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment for the purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and requiring detailed environmental analysis of proposed actions and reasonably foreseeable subsequent actions.
Defines "offshore drilling activity" as drilling for oil or gas under a lease, or conducting a major geophysical seismic survey, under such Act, including for exploration, development, or production of oil or gas.
Repeals a provision requiring the Secretary of the Interior to approve a plan for geological and geophysical exploration in the outer Continental Shelf within 30 days of its submission.
People & committees
Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11] · D–VA
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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