A House panel on Tuesday will wade into a bill that would spur the use of decommissioned offshore oil and gas platforms and pipelines as artificial reefs.
Dubbed the “Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection Act,” the bill authored by Rep. Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) would attempt to accelerate existing programs that allow oil and gas operators to leave some unused structures in place as permanent artificial reefs.
“Instead of tearing down structures that have become vibrant marine ecosystems, we can repurpose them to benefit the environment, fishermen, and taxpayers alike,” Ezell said when he introduced the bill in October, adding that “as someone who has fished in the Gulf my entire life, I can tell you that the best fishing is always near these rigs.”
Ezell’s press release said the legislation, H.R. 5745, would offer oil and gas companies a “cost-effective and environmentally sound alternative to full platform removal,” while also enhancing biodiversity and preserving “key fishing areas relied on by commercial and recreational fishermen.” The legislation currently has five co-sponsors, four of whom are Democrats.
