The Trump administration announced plans Monday to roll back an Obama-era rule on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Ocean — part of its efforts to tap into Alaska’s energy resources.
The proposed rule from the Marine Minerals Administration would make “targeted revisions” to the 2016 rule, including updating requirements for real-time monitoring of blowout preventers and reviews of oil spill response plans that were set in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
It also would streamline regulations by removing a planning requirement that covers the phases of an exploration program. Interior said revisions would keep ”the highest commitment to safe operations.”
“These targeted updates would provide clear, practical compliance options for Arctic Outer Continental Shelf exploration while preserving safeguards to protect workers, the environment and Alaska’s precious natural resources,” said Matt Giacona, the acting director of the Marine Minerals Administration, in a news release. The agency was established officially last month by joining two Interior Department agencies into one.
