WASHINGTON — President Obama’s fiscal year (FY) 2017 budget request for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) provides critically needed resources to further strengthen BSEE’s regulatory and oversight capabilities for oil, natural gas and renewable energy development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, promoting a culture of safety and environmental protection by ensuring compliance with Federal regulations.
The FY 2017 budget request is $204.87 million, a $196,000 increase above the FY 2016 enacted level, and includes $96.34 million in current appropriations and $108.53 million in revenue from rental receipts, cost recoveries, and inspection fees.
'The President’s proposed FY 2017 budget fully reflects the Administration’s continued emphasis on ensuring the safe and responsible development of the Nation’s offshore energy resources,' said Director Brian Salerno. 'The President’s request supports BSEE’s efforts to build a robust culture of safety, with a strong focus on risk reduction to protect lives and the environment.'
'The Bureau uses a comprehensive program of regulations, compliance monitoring and enforcement, technical assessments, inspections, and incident investigations to mitigate and reduce risk,' Salerno said.
The FY 2017 budget also supports research and the development of new technologies and scientific investments to best manage the country’s offshore energy resources.
The request includes $190 million for offshore safety and environmental enforcement programs. BSEE is also working collaboratively with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to establish appropriate permitting and oversight processes for offshore renewable energy projects.
The FY 2017 proposal includes $14.9 million for Oil Spill Research, equal to the 2016 request level, to address key knowledge and technology gaps, focusing research on deep-water and Arctic environments. The Oil Spill Research program plays a pivotal role in initiating applied research to support decision making to prevent or mitigate oil spills, which is a critical component of the offshore permitting process. Funds are used to sponsor testing of new equipment or methods and also to support the bureau’s oil spill and renewable energy test facility, Ohmsett.
The President’s FY2017 budget request of $13.4 billion for the Department of the Interior reflects his commitment to responsibly managing energy development on public lands and offshore waters, conserving vital national landscapes across the Nation, meeting Federal trust responsibilities to Native Americans, supporting the next century of our Public Lands. Additional details on the President’s FY 2017 budget request are available online at http://www.doi.gov/budget/index.cfm.
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