Coast Guard, BSEE sign offshore agreement

The U.S. Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, or BSEE, have signed an agreement to better coordinate their efforts in the oversight of safety and environmental protection on the U.S. outer continental shelf. The two agencies have overlapping responsibilities in that the Coast Guard has an oversight and enforcement role in the maintenance of marine safety while BSEE, an agency within the Department of the Interior, enforces safety and environmental protection requirements for the offshore oil and gas industry.

“Both BSEE and the Coast Guard have specialized expertise in the management of safety and environmental protection programs offshore,” said BSEE Director James Watson in announcing the new agreement. “This agreement with the Coast Guard will bring together resources and expertise from both agencies as we work to ensure both orderly resource development and protection of the human, marine and coastal environments.”

“The Coast Guard and BSEE share the goal of keeping our oceans clean and offshore workers safe,” said U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Joseph Servidio. “This agreement solidifies the commitment of each regulatory agency to work across agency boundaries in order to develop a coordinated regulatory approach that promotes safety through the use of safety management systems.”

The agreement involves each agency appointing an interagency coordinator, with these coordinators meeting regularly to address issues such as any need for joint policies or guidance, and the need for coordination of the Coast Guard and BSEE requirements for company safety and environmental management systems. At a minimum frequency of once per year the coordinators will also facilitate a joint Coast Guard and BSEE inspection and evaluation of offshore facilities. And, under the terms of the new agreement, the two agencies will review and discuss all regulatory projects relating to safety management on the outer continental shelf.

—Alan Bailey