Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Director Brian Salerno and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Abigail Hopper today announced the release of proposed regulations to help ensure that future exploratory drilling activities on the U.S. Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) are done safely and responsibly, guided by the highest operational standards. The proposed Arctic regulations released today focuses on the OCS within the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea Planning Areas. Using a combination of performance-based and prescriptive standards, the proposed regulations seek to ensure that operators take the necessary steps to plan and safely operate through all phases of offshore exploration in the Arctic environment, including mobilization, drilling, and emergency response.
The Press Release is available HERE
The Proposed Rule is available HERE
The Environmental Assessment is available HERE