A longtime Interior Department official is on leave after he warned that the agency that oversees oil rigs in the waters off Alaska was dangerously understaffed, according to two people familiar with the situation.
Justin Miller, who has headed the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s Alaska office since 2022, went on leave just days after POLITICO reported he had publicly warned agency counterparts that his office lacked the staffing to oversee existing oil operations in Alaska — let alone a massive expansion being pushed by the Trump administration.
It was not clear whether Miller had been placed on leave or had chosen to temporarily step away from his role, according to the two people, one current and one former Interior employee who were granted anonymity to describe internal agency dynamics.
Other Interior officials were informed that Miller would be on an “extended leave” but were given no other details, according to the current employee.
