Public comment deadline looms for OCS program
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOE; formerly Minerals Management Service) is accepting comments through Wednesday, June 30 on the scope of the environmental impact statement (EIS) it is planning for the proposed 2012-2017 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) 5-year leasing program.
Events in the Gulf of Mexico since the unveiling of the proposed program on March 31 and the federal response have disrupted OCS exploration and production activities.
The current 6 month moratorium in place for deepwater wells, the reorganization of the MMS, and the environmental and economic damage sustained along the Gulf coast are a source of considerable uncertainty in the region, and across the country.
It remains to …