Giving Compass' Take:

• Earlier this month, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) announced that it would loosen regulations for offshore oil and gas operations.

• What are the implications for the safety of the workers and marine life after this decision?

• Read about the U.S. legislators fighting back against proposed offshore drilling. 

On May 2nd, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) announced a revised Blowout Preventer Systems and Well Control Rule that loosens requirements for offshore oil and gas operations.  Specifically, the new regulations weaken federal standards on well design, well control, casing, cementing, real-time monitoring and subsea containment – all of which are critical factors in preventing offshore drilling accidents.

In the aftermath of the BP oil spill, President Obama convened the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling to provide recommendations to prevent similar disasters from happening in the future. Their final report pulled no punches, concluding the accident was a result of “systemic failures” in the offshore oil industry and that government reform was urgently needed.

Based on the commission’s recommendations, the “Blowout Preventer Systems and Well Control Rule” was finalized by federal regulators in 2016. However, the oil and gas industry does not appear to be a fan of regulations that it perceives as burdensome and unnecessary. Since the adoption of these safety rules, the industry has pushed hard for their repeal, spending millions of dollars on lobbying, campaign donations, and public relations. And with the Trump administration prioritizing support for expanded oil and gas development, the industry has found itself a natural ally.

While the Surfrider Foundation is certainly no proponent of offshore oil drilling, we strongly believe that existing operations must be carried out with the utmost safety and environmental precautions. This includes protecting both the safety of workers, as well as the marine and coastal environment. The heartbreaking images of oil-soaked birds, fish, dolphins, and turtles from the Gulf oil spill must continue to serve as a reminder for why stringent regulations for offshore drilling are needed.

Read the full article about Trump Administration weakens safety rules for offshore drilling by  Pete Stauffer at Surfrider Foundation.