National Academies Committee on Environmental Science and Assessment for Ocean Energy Management

National Academies Committee on Environmental Science and Assessment for Ocean Energy Management

BOEM entered into a contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in 2015 to establish a committee on environmental science and assessment for offshore energy resources. The committee provides independent, scientifically credible and objective information on issues relevant to BOEM’s environmental studies and assessment activities and to support discussions on relevant issues.

Services are provided under a three-year contract between BOEM and the Academies. Following a successful first year and the conclusion of initial one-year terms, the National Academies issued a Call for Nominations on November 14, 2016, to fill three to five seats for one year beginning January 2, 2017.

Committee members provide their expertise and advice without compensation and are not required to be members of the Academies. The committee meets several times a year, and may conduct workshops, studies or peer review documents relevant to BOEM’s environmental programs. The work is purely advisory in nature, and will be limited to relevant independent and objective advice. It will not include recommendations on what policy or management decisions should be made. Review of the Environmental Studies Program is a role previously performed for BOEM under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

• Current Committee Roster and Bios
• Committee Meetings:
  • December 8, 2015 - Committee Members 2015-2016
  • April 14-15, 2016
  • July 11-12, 2016
  • November 28-29, 2016

BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program, which was authorized by the OCS Land Act as amended (Section 20), develops, funds, and manages rigorous scientific research to inform policy decisions regarding the development of energy and mineral resources on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The science contributes to the development of environmental reviews and development of measures to protect sensitive resources from the potential impacts of ocean energy or non-energy mineral development. Read more about BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program and Environmental Assessment activities.

For more information, visit the Academies’ Division on Earth and Life Studies, Ocean Studies Board.