The US Congress passed the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act ( OCSLA ) in 1953 , to control leasing of exploration rights in the Outer Continental Shelf ( OCS ) . The OCSLA did not contain any real environmental provisions associated with drilling and the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill triggered the National Environmental Policy Act ( NEPA ) , which required that every major federal action ( i.e. : oil exploration on the OCS ) required an Environmental Impact Statement ( EIS ) . In 1982 , The U.S. Department of the Interior created the Minerals Management Service ( MMS ) to monitor development on the Outer Continental Shelf . The MMS leases submerged federal lands and assesses the environmental effects of exploration and drilling ( by issuing an EIS ) . In 1984 Congress passed the National Fishing Enhancement Act ( NFEA ) which provided the basis for artificial reef programs . The NFEA spawned the National Artificial Reef Plan of 1985 . This plan cleared the way for government-endorsed artificial reef projects and subsequently the Minerals Management Services ' Rigs-to-Reef program
1969 Santa Barbara oil spill
1969 Santa Barbara oil spill
Rigs-to-Reefs