The US Interior Department on Apr. 3 said it would merge the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) into a single entity, the Marine Minerals Administration, to streamline offshore oil and natural gas leasing, permitting, inspections and oversight.
The agencies were separated after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill exposed oversight failures and spurred structural reforms.
Currently, BOEM oversees leasing and development of oil and gas, as well as renewable energy and mining, on the US Outer Continental Shelf, while BSEE enforces safety and environmental regulations.
"By aligning planning, leasing and oversight functions, the Department is positioning the agency to better meet current and future energy demands," Interior said in a press release.
The “streamlined approach” will maintain existing regulatory protections and safety standards, while allowing the agency to “deliver clearer coordination, better service to the public and stronger, more integrated oversight of offshore energy development,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated.
