The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) recently undertook a joint Programmatic Environmental Assessment (EA) on well-stimulation treatments on 23 gas and oil platforms operating on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore California and issued a "Finding of No Significant Impact."
“Drawing on the best available science, the EA provides information and analysis on the use of well-stimulation treatments in federal waters offshore California,” BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper said. “The comprehensive analysis shows that these practices, conducted according to permit requirements, have minimal impact. As always, coordination with other key agencies, and input from the public and non-governmental organizations, were vitally important as we developed this assessment.”
The EA was conducted in response to several lawsuits that questioned the bureaus’ compliance with several federal regulations, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act.
“BSEE is fully committed to safeguarding the environment,” BSEE Director Brian Salerno said. “Anyone familiar with our regulations understands that they not only address worker and operational safety, but also require the industry to function as environmental stewards. We consider vigorous environmental enforcement central to the bureau’s mission.”
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