The Trump administration will combine the two agencies that manage offshore oil drilling and deep-sea mining in federal waters, a major shake-up that would unify two bureaus that were siloed following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
The mandate of the two agencies — the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement — includes overseeing offshore energy leasing and regulations of oil and gas, as well as renewable energy and mining on the outer continental shelf.
Interior announced the plans Friday.
“President Trump has been laser focused on making the government work efficiently and effectively for the American people,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in a statement. “The Department is applying what we’ve learned over the past decade to deliver clearer coordination, better service to the public and stronger, more integrated oversight of offshore energy development.”
