23-05-2025
Interior will oversee oil decommissioning in marine sanctuary
The Trump administration is giving an offshore regulatory agency new authority over decommissioning oil and gas sites in a recently created marine sanctuary off California's central coast.
The Interior Department said Thursday that its Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement is now the lead federal agency to oversee retiring oil and gas platforms in the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. The 4,543-square-mile swath of the Pacific Ocean became protected near the end of the Biden administration. Oil and gas decommissioning oversight for the area had been under the Department of Commerce.
'This is a strong example of interagency collaboration to streamline permitting and promote responsible energy development while honoring our commitment to environmental protection,' said Interior's acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Adam Suess, in a statement. 'By leveraging BSEE's regulatory expertise, we can ensure that offshore decommissioning activities within the sanctuary are conducted safely and efficiently.'
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BSEE is charged with leading safety and environmental protection related to offshore energy activities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which is also part of Interior, manages the development of resources in that offshore region.
