Congress |
To the extent that Congress wants to further encourage Interior to manage risks posed by decommissioning liabilities, it should consider implementing an oversight mechanism—such as requiring annual reporting on the status of decommissioning enforcement efforts and associated liabilities—or providing additional direction to Interior on how to balance the goals outlined by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act as it makes decisions about decommissioning oversight and enforcement priorities. (Matter 1) |
|
Department of the Interior |
The Secretary of the Interior should direct the BSEE Director to strengthen BSEE's approach to proactively overseeing and enforcing decommissioning deadlines, including by (1) assessing the effectiveness of enforcement tools to incentivize compliance and data and practices supporting their timely use, and (2) identifying and implementing regulatory or policy changes as needed in consultation with BOEM, such as by providing clear timelines or other trigger criteria for use of existing enforcement tools and identifying additional enforcement tools. (Recommendation 1) |
|
Department of the Interior |
The Secretary of the Interior should ensure the BSEE Director completes planned actions to identify, propose, finalize, and fully implement changes to decommissioning regulations and guidance, including by (1) clarifying decommissioning criteria and deadlines for idle infrastructure in all regions and for end-of-lease infrastructure in the Pacific Region, and (2) addressing any other identified limitations. (Recommendation 2) |
|
Department of the Interior |
The Secretary of the Interior should ensure the BOEM Director completes planned actions to further develop, finalize, and fully implement changes to financial assurance regulations and procedures that reduce financial risks, including by (1) requiring higher levels of supplemental bonding, and (2) addressing other known weaknesses. (Recommendation 3) |
|
Department of the Interior |
The Secretary of the Interior should ensure the BOEM Director completes planned actions to assess and revise qualification procedures to address decommissioning capacity and compliance history in consultation with BSEE, such as through qualification and disqualification criteria or fitness to operate standards. (Recommendation 4) |
|