WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is enhancing response planning through development of guidance for responders to offshore incidents. This effort further advances President Trump’s Executive Order Implementing an America-First Offshore Energy Strategy, which ensures safe and environmentally sustainable energy exploration and production on the Outer Continental Shelf.
BSEE funded a $1.9 million contract with RPS Group, Inc. over the next five years to improve the comprehensiveness of Area Contingency Plans required under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. RPS will work with subject matter experts from BSEE and other federal, state, and local agencies to gather data for analysis and inclusion in the Plans.
“Preparedness is a fundamental component of BSEE’s environmental stewardship,” said BSEE Director Scott Angelle. “Through this effort, BSEE continues to advance its ‘We Can Do It All’ approach by promoting safe, environmentally sustainable and robust offshore energy production.”
This interagency effort will help federal, state and local governments to better prepare for a large-scale response operation that would be necessary in a response to an oil spill incident in the offshore environment.
The Plans, which are local in nature, are published and updated every 3 to 5 years by their respective Area Committee, under the oversight of the USCG. BSEE’s efforts focus on developing offshore-related information in six critical areas: Oil and Gas Infrastructure, Worst Case Discharge Scenarios, Coordination Structures, Response Resources, Ecological Resources, and Spill Response Strategies.
The data sets gathered with the help of RPS will assist Area Committees in understanding the risks associated with offshore incident responses and improve their response planning.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is the lead federal agency charged with improving safety and ensuring environmental protection related to the offshore energy industry, primarily oil and natural gas, on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Under President Trump, BSEE is conducting more inspections, increasing the number of safety initiatives and ensuring more offshore oil and gas workers receive critical safety information.
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