What is Environmental Compliance?
Environmental Compliance means conforming to environmental laws,
regulations, standards and other requirements. MMS and those conducting
activities on the OCS have environmental compliance responsibilities. MMS
assures environmental compliance by providing compliance assistance to
industry, conducting compliance monitoring and assessment, providing for
compliance incentives, and implementing appropriate compliance enforcement.
Industry must comply with established environmental legal mandates,
regulations, lease stipulations, mitigation measures, approved plans and
permits, and conditions of approval for activities conducted on the OCS.
Compliance Monitoring involves MMS evaluating the degree to which lessees
and operators conduct their activities in the manner prescribed in their
leases, approved plans, and permits.
Compliance Assessment involves MMS conducting systematic evaluations of
compliance monitoring results taking into account uncertainties and
contextual information.
Environmental Compliance Unit Functions
Serve as a focal point for matters associated with environmental
compliance by providing policy guidance, direction, and program oversight
for MMS with respect to:
·
ensuring activities on OCS, under the jurisdiction of the MMS,
conform to:
·
environmental legal mandates, regulations, lease stipulations,
and conditions of approval;
·
achieving and maintaining appropriate and consistent
application of environmental compliance at the National and Regional Levels;
·
reviewing, assessing, and documenting the performance of
industry and MMS with respect to environmental compliance.
References:
·
OCS Lands Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1348 (b)(2)) mandates
holders of leases and permits to: “maintain all operations...in compliance
with regulations intended to protect...the environment on the Outer
Continental Shelf.”
·
CEQ regulations (40 CFR
1505.2) require monitoring and
enforcement of mitigation measures identified in NEPA documents.
·
MMS regulations (30 CFR
250) require
operations to be conducted in a manner that prevents damage to or waste of
natural resources or the environment.
