Final federal rules for Arctic energy exploration released

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DoI), the Bureau for Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) recently unveiled final regulations for exploratory drilling activities on the U.S. Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

 “With the United States as chair of the Arctic Council, we are committed to demonstrating our leadership in governance and activities in the Arctic Region,” DoI Assistant Secretary Janice Schneider said. “The regulations we are issuing today support the administration’s thoughtful and balanced approach to any oil and gas exploration in the Arctic region.”

 Schneider was joined in the rules announcement by BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper and BSEE Director Brian Salerno. The regulations apply to operations from floating vessels within the U.S. Beaufort and Chukchi Seas and require oil companies to create proper internal-control plans for oil-spill prevention, containment and response. The regulations also require companies to plan all phases of exploration, such as mobilization, maritime transport and emergency response.

 “The unique Arctic environment raises substantial operational challenges,” Ross Hopper said. “These new regulations are carefully tailored to ensure that any future exploration activities will be conducted in a way that respects and protects this incredible ecosystem and the Alaska native subsistence activities that depend on its preservation.”