§1468 Regulations

Summary

The Administrator must, within 270 days after June 28, 1980, ask the agency leaders named in section 1419(b) and other interested people for their views and publish proposed rules under the rulemaking steps in section 553 of title 5. The Administrator must hold at least one public hearing on those proposed rules. Within 180 days after the proposed rules are published, the Administrator must again seek views, consider the hearing and written comments, and publish final rules under section 553 of title 5. The Administrator may later change rules at any time to protect natural resources (as defined in section 1420), the environment, and safety at sea. Changes apply to all exploration or commercial recovery activities under any license or permit. But changes that conserve resources will affect an existing license or permit during its current term only if the Administrator finds they will not impose serious or irreparable economic hardship on the licensee or permittee. Any change must be made on the record after a chance for an agency hearing. These rules do not override other federal laws, treaties, or their rules.