Today, DNR Secretary Scott A. Angelle announced that he, along with members of the Back to Work Coalition, will meet with Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) Director Michael Bromwich on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. to continue to work through the permitting and regulatory issues facing the energy exploration industry in the Gulf of Mexico.
"We appreciate BOEMRE's willingness to meet with the state and industry," said Angelle. "We are drilling down to the root of the problems in order to solve current permitting issues. This is the next step in getting the men and women of the Gulf of Mexico's energy industry back to work."
The 18-page guidance document, issued December 13, 2010, aims to address compliance issues relating to: the Drilling Safety Rule (or Interim Final Rule), NTL-06 (including Worst Case Discharge calculations), and NTL-10. Also addressed in the document are BOEMRE's inspections of BOP testing, Oil Spill Response Plans (OSRP), and environmental assessments for deepwater drilling plans.
Following the document's release, Angelle worked with industry representatives to gather feedback on the issues addressed. An assessment document was created based on those guidelines. The group will present the assessment document to Secretary Bromwich and BOEMRE staff at the meeting on Wednesday.
Angelle, directed by Gov. Bobby Jindal to act for the state of Louisiana in working with the industry and federal government to bring a return to responsible exploration and the jobs and economic stability that come with it, has met numerous times with Bromwich and other BOEMRE officials to create a clearer roadmap for resumption of normal Gulf exploration operations.
In that role, Angelle leads the "Back to Work Coalition," comprised of interested stakeholders from oil and gas trade associations and industry representatives in coordination with the Gulf Economic Survival Team (GEST), a nonprofit organization founded for the purpose of restoring the economic vitality of the industries affected by the deepwater drilling moratorium.



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