NOAA, BSEE sign interagency agreement to advance offshore safety and environmental stewardship

As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to furthering improvements in the safety and environmental sustainability of offshore energy development, NOAA and the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreeing to collaborate on areas of mutual interest with respect to Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) energy activities and environmental stewardship.

NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad, Ph.D., and BSEE Director Kevin Sligh signed the MOU today during a ceremony at the Interior Department headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“This collaboration allows the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to leverage their expertise and resources to increase each agency’s effectiveness and help protect human health and the environment while meeting the nation’s energy, economic, and information needs,” said BSEE's Sligh.

“I’m excited to join Director Sligh in signing an MOU that acknowledges the individual strengths of our respective agencies, while also recognizing the additional benefits that partnership through shared goals and mutual challenges can achieve,” said Spinrad.      

The MOU sets forth the general terms and conditions to support the interagency partnership on federal actions and initiatives. Specifically, the agreement calls for NOAA and BSEE to share data, support interagency training and develop additional agreements that outline cooperation on individual programs, projects or activities.

Areas of mutual interest and possible collaboration include, but are not limited to:

• Environmental planning, preparedness, forecasting, monitoring and response;
• Maritime policy coordination (e.g., safe marine transportation);
• Ocean data and observations;
• Climate adaptation and mitigation;
• Science and research;
• Rulemaking;
• Environmental justice;
• Sustainability;
• Compliance and enforcement (e.g., regarding offshore wind energy activities on the OCS); and
• Outreach and engagement.

The mission of BSEE is to promote safety, protect the environment, and conserve resources offshore through vigorous regulatory oversight and enforcement of ocean energy, marine mineral and carbon sequestration activities on the OCS.