This landmark 1995 report on synthetic-based drilling muds (SBMs) gave a clear, unbiased view of the environmental value and cost savings that SBMs offered. In this absence of this report, it is unlikely that EPA would have devoted several years of concentrated effort to develop new discharge regulations for SBMs and cuttings. The final regulations, adopted in 2001, have allowed operators to drill in deeper areas of the Gulf of Mexico.
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