BOEMRE Head Says Retreat On Drilling Safety Not An Option

Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, (BOEMRE), Michael Bromwich, said enhancing the civil penalties for violations regarding safety and environmental drilling issues is a focal point for the newly created agency.

“The current enforcement framework, which permits maximum fines of only $35,000 per day, per incident, is patently inadequate to deter violations,” Bromwich said.

According to Bromwich, the former Minerals Management Service (MMS) could not keep pace with the number of missions that required the organization’s attention; including resource development, enforcing safety regulations and maximizing revenues.

“We are designing and implementing these organizational changes while we fully take into account the crucial need for information-sharing among the functions of the former MMS,” Bromwich said.

Although he did admit their work was far from complete, Bromwich spoke highly of the new reform, stating that he clearly does not anticipate having to make any further emergency rule-makings.

Bromwich became the director of BOEMRE seven months ago after the Deepwater Horizon tragedy revealed a need for change within the interior management of offshore drilling.