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Final Rules

Final Rules

Final Rules are regulatory documents having legal effect. Most of these are keyed to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations. Please select a year to jump to below.

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2012


Summary

This document corrects an amendment contained in a final rule published in the Federal Register on March 29, 2012, and involves only that portion of the rule relating to the authority citation.

Regulatory Identifier Number: 1014-AA01
Federal Register Cite: Vol. 77, No. 104/FR 31724
Date: This correction is effective on May 30, 2012.

Summary

BSEE is establishing a final rule to incorporate by reference 12 additional production measurement industry standards into the regulations governing oil, gas, and sulphur operations in the Outer Continental Shelf.  Incorporation of these production measurement standards provides industry with up-to-date standards for measuring oil and gas production volumes.  This rule will result in more accurate and efficient measurement of oil and gas production.

Regulatory Identifier Number: 1014-AA01
Federal Register Cite: Vol. 77, No. 61/FR18916
Date: 29 March 2012

2011


2011 Advance Notice of Proposed Rules —

(None)

2011 Notice of Proposed Rules —

Summary

This rulemaking proposes to amend BOEMRE regulations to require operators to develop and implement additional provisions in their Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) programs for oil, gas, and sulphur operations in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). These revisions pertain to developing and implementing stop work authority and ultimate work authority, requiring employee participation in the development and implementation of SEMS programs, and establishing requirements for reporting unsafe working conditions. In addition, this proposed rule requires independent third parties to conduct audits of operators' SEMS programs and establishes further requirements relating to conducting job safety analysis (JSA) for activities identified in an operator's SEMS program. We believe that these new requirements will further reduce the likelihood of accidents, injuries, and spills in connection with OCS activities that are regulated under BOEMRE jurisdiction, by requiring OCS operators to specifically address issues associated with human behavior as it applies to their SEMS program.

Regulatory Identifier Number: 1010-AD73
Federal Register Cite: Vol. 76, No. 178, FR 56683 (09/14/2011)
Date: Submit comments on the proposed rule by November 14, 2011.
Regulatory Impact Analysis (188.77 KB PDF)
Public Comments

2011 Notices —

Summary

BSEE is announcing the Effects of Water Depth Workshop. This workshop with industry will offer a blend of technical presentations and interactive peer review discussions expected to help identify Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) challenges and technologies associated with oil and gas exploration and production at various water depths. This workshop will also identify approaches to address the water depth issue through regulations, standards, and practices designed to safeguard personnel, operations, and the environment.

Federal Register Cite: Vol. 76, No. 206, FR 66078
Date: The workshop will be held on November 2 and 3, 2011, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Early sign-in begins November 1, 2011, at 5:30 p.m.

Summary

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement is announcing a workshop to discuss the new regulatory requirements for operators to develop and implement Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) for oil and gas and sulphur operations in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This workshop is designed to provide an overview and background of the final rule, review and summarize responses to frequently asked questions, receive and respond to new questions pertaining to implementation, and describe BOEMRE audit methodologies for compliance reviews.

Federal Register Cite: Vol. 76, No. 40, FR 11079 (03/01/2011)
Date: The workshop will be held on March 15, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

2011 Final Rules —

Summary

This rule contains regulations that will be under the authority of two newly formed Bureaus, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), both within the Department of the Interior. On May 19, 2010, the Secretary of the Interior announced the separation of the responsibilities performed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) (formerly the Minerals Management Service) into three new separate organizations: Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Those regulations that will apply to the authority of BSEE organization will remain in 30 CFR chapter II, but be retitled 'Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.' This rule removes from chapter II those regulations that will apply to the authority of BOEM and recodifies them into a new 30 CFR chapter V entitled 'Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.'

Regulatory Identifier Number: 1010-AD79
Federal Register Cite: Vol. 76, No. 201, FR 64432
Effective Date: This final rule is effective on October 1, 2011.

Summary

The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) requires the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) to review the maximum daily civil penalty assessment for violations of regulations implementing the OCSLA at least once every 3 years (43 U.S.C. 1350). Similarly, a review and adjustment process is required at least once every 4 years for the maximum daily civil penalty assessment allowable under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990 for violations of regulations governing financial responsibility (28 U.S.C. 2461). These reviews ensure that the maximum penalty assessments reflect any increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, and therefore keep up with inflation. BOEMRE conducted these reviews in October 2010 for the OCSLA regulations and in January 2011 for the OPA regulations. BOEMRE determined that the maximum daily civil penalty assessment for violations of its OCSLA regulations should be increased to $40,000, and the maximum daily civil penalty assessment for violations of its financial responsibility regulations should be increased to $30,000.

Regulatory Identifier Number: 1010-AD74
Federal Register Cite: Vol. 76, No.126, FR 38294 (06/30/2011)
Effective Date: This final rule is effective August 1, 2011.

2010


2010 Advance Notice of Proposed Rules —

(None)

2010 Notice of Proposed Rules —

(None)

2010 Notices —

Summary

The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act requires the Minerals Management Service (MMS) to review the maximum daily civil penalty assessment for violations of regulations governing oil and gas operations in the Outer Continental Shelf at least once every 3 years. This review ensures that the maximum penalty assessment reflects any increases in the Consumer Price Index as prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. After conducting the required review in August 2009, the MMS determined that no adjustment is necessary at this time.

Regulatory Identifier Number: Vol. 75, No. 5, FR 1076 (01/08/2010)
Federal Register Cite: Vol. 75, No. 15, FR 3922 (01/26/2010)

2010 Final Rules —

Summary

This final rule establishes a new subpart under the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) regulations to require operators to develop and implement Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) for oil and gas and sulphur operations in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This rulemaking will incorporate in its entirety and make mandatory the American Petroleum Institute’s Recommended Practice 75, Development of a Safety and Environmental Management Program for Offshore Operations and Facilities, with respect to operations and activities under the jurisdiction of BOEMRE. This final rule will apply to all OCS oil and gas and sulphur operations and the facilities under BOEMRE jurisdiction including drilling, production, construction, well workover, well completion, well servicing, and DOI pipeline activities. The importance of this final rule is highlighted by the Deepwater Horizon event on April 20, 2010. Although the cause of the event is presently under investigation, it further illustrates the importance of ensuring safe operations on the OCS. BOEMRE believes that requiring operators to implement SEMS will reduce the risk and number of accidents, injuries, and spills during OCS activities.

Regulatory Identifier Number: 1010-AD15
Federal Register Cite: Vol. 75, No. 199, FR 63610 (10/15/2010)
Effective Date: November 15, 2010