Transcript Regional Response Team III Meeting Offshore Energy

Regional Response Team III Meeting
Offshore Energy Overview
and Oil Spill Response
Jully McQuilliams
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,
Regulation, and Enforcement
(BOEMRE)
January 26, 2011
Outline
• BOEMRE overview and process
• BOEMRE role during response
• Current and future oil and gas activities along the midAtlantic
• Current and future renewable energy activities along the
mid-Atlantic
• Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning
BOEMRE Background
• Responsible for 1.7 billion OCS acres
– Lease issuance to decommission
• Day-to-Day
– ~8,000 leases
– ~43 million acres leased
– ~27% of oil;~15% natural gas
– ~4,000 production platforms
– ~33,000 miles of pipeline
– ~42,000 OCS personnel
– ~125 operating companies
From Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act,
as Amended
• "It is hereby declared to be the policy of the United
States that . . . the Outer Continental Shelf is a vital
national resource held by the Federal Government for
the public, which should be made available for
expeditious and orderly development, subject to
environmental safeguards, in a manner which is
consistent with the maintenance of competition and
other national needs . . . . "
OCS Leasing, Exploration and Development
Develop 5-Year Program
Pre-lease
Solict
Comments
45-day
comment
period
60-day
comment
period
Draft
Proposed
Program
Proposed
Program
90-day
comment period
Proposed Final
Program
Draft EIS
45-day EIS
comment period
Final EIS
60-day period with
Congress
30-day period
5-Year
Program
Announced
Planning for Specific Sale
Call for
Information
Notice of
Intent to
Prepare an
EIS*
30-day
comment
period
30-day
comment
period
Define
Sale Area
Draft EIS
45-day EIS
comment
period
Proposed Notice
of Sale
60-day
comment
period
Consistency
Determination(s)
90-day period
Final EIS
30-day period
30-day
period
Sale
Leases
Issued
Exploration Phase
Post Lease
Regulatory Review
Exploration Plan
Submitted
Final
Notice of
Sale
Exploration Plan
Approved
Environmental
Assessment*
Permits Approved
Exploration Drilling
Delineation Drilling
Coastal Zone Management Review
Development Phase
Regulatory Review
Development
Plan
Submitted
Notice of Intent to
30-day
Prepare an EIS comment period
Draft EIS*
45-day EIS
Final EIS
comment period
30-day
period
Development
Plan
Approved
Coastal Zone Management Review
* Level of appropriate National Environmental Policy Act documentation to be determined based on the actual project proposed
Abbreviation: EIS – Environmental Impact Statement
The durations of comment periods are the minimum time frames required.
Permits
Approved
First Oil/Gas
Production
BOEMRE Funded Research
$800 million in environmental studies
$100 million on technical research
Environmental
Studies
Technology Assessment
& Research
Pollutant Transport (air
& water)
Leasing
Biological Resource
Characterization
(habitat & behavior)
Exploration
Marine Environmental
Monitoring
Fates and Effects
Socioeconomic Effects
Biotechnology
Invasive Species
Production
Decommissioning
Reduce Emissions
Blowout Prevention
Structural Removal
Corrosion Prevention
Oil Spill Response
Leak Detection
Marine Risers
Composite Materials
Multiple Agencies Involved
• U.S. Coast Guard
– Oil-spill response, port and vessel security and inspections (MOA)
• Environmental Protection Agency
– Air and water quality (MOU)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
– Coastal programs
– Marine mammals/endangered species
• Fish and Wildlife Service
– Marine mammals/endangered species
State and Local Involvement
• Coastal Commissions
• Departments of Fish & Wildlife
• Air Resource Boards
• Departments of Water Resources
• Departments of Conservation & Natural
Resources
• Departments of Environmental Regulations
• Departments of Culture, Recreation, & Tourism
BOEMRE and USCG Roles
During Oil Spill Response
• Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between USCG and BOEMRE
(then MMS) defining roles – September 30, 2004
• BOEMRE responsible for offshore oil & gas facilities and MODUs
operating on the OCS regarding industrial “drilling and production”
activities and equipment, (i.e. deepwater operating plan, risers,
moorings, drilling, completion, workovers, etc).
• USCG responsible for “workplace safety & health” as well as
“marine systems” (i.e. lifesaving, firefighting, marine crew
requirements, crew accommodations, etc.;) and for floating facilities
USCG are also responsible for the hull structure, stability and the
ballast system.
• Joint investigation for DWH in progress.
DOI Presence on the National Incident
Commander’s (NIC)
Inter-Agency Solutions Group (IASG)
• Role in Deepwater Horizon Response
–
–
–
–
Staff the DOI desks at the NIC’s IASG in Washington DC
Maintain situational awareness within Agency
Liaison to NIC regarding DOI efforts
Provide DOI-specific information management and coordination of taskers with Ops Center
• Respond to dynamic requests from NIC staff, and IASG Agencies within “war room”
• Participate in daily interagency calls and react to RFIs in real time
• Topics include – Engineering (well control, BOP, relief wells); Economic (drilling
moratoria); environmental (weathered oil, turtles impact)
• Impact on Bureaus/Offices from Deepwater Horizon Response
–
–
Staff were deployed from OEPC, USGS, FWS, and BOEMRE from their routine assignments
to work within National Incident Command Structure.
Operations were moved to the Region in Fall of 2010
10
Mid and South Atlantic Oil and Gas
• No current leases in the Atlantic.
• No lease sales will be scheduled in the Atlantic in the
2007-2012 program or in the 2012-2017 program.
– Lease Sale 220, offshore Virginia, was originially scheduled for
2011 but was cancelled on May 27, 2010.
- Revised OCS Leasing Program, announced on December 1,
2010, states the Mid and South Atlantic planning areas are no
longer under consideration for potential development through
2017.
Mid and South Atlantic Oil and Gas
(Continued)
•
BOEMRE Begins Work on First Geological and Geophysical Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Mid and South Atlantic.
•
Programmatic EIS will evaluate potential environmental effects of multiple
G&G activities, such as seismic surveys, that will be conducted to inform
future decisions regarding oil, natural gas and renewable energy
development on the (OCS) in the mid- and south Atlantic planning areas.
•
Programmatic EIS will comply with applicable laws, such as the
Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, National Historic
Preservation Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act.
•
The draft Programmatic EIS will be made available for public comment in
2011.
•
The final Programmatic EIS is expected to be completed in late 2012.
Renewables in the Atlantic
• “Smart from the Start” Program – Nov 2010
– Offshore wind energy initiative for Atlantic OCS.
– Facilitate siting, leasing and construction of new
projects.
– Identify priority Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) for
potential wind development, improve our coordination
with local, state, and federal partners, and accelerate
the leasing process.
– Via regulatory change; Enabling leases to be issued
in 2011 and 2012
• For RRTIII – Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia
are of interest.
Delaware
•
BOEMRE issued one interim policy limited lease to Bluewater Wind
Delaware LLC in November 2009 for the installation of a meteorological
tower.
•
The Delaware Request for Interest (RFI) was published in the Federal
Register on April 26, 2010.
•
The comment period for the Delaware RFI closed on June 25, 2010.
Comments received include the following: U.S. Coast Guard Fifth District,
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, The American Waterways
Operators, Dann Marine Towing, LC, The Nature Conservancy in Delaware,
Habitat Conservation Division.
•
The first Delaware Fed-State Task Force meeting was held on October 29,
2009. The second Delaware task force meeting was held on July 15, 2010.
Attendees included NOAA, USCG, US ACOE and State of DE officials. The
goal of the task force is to facilitate intergovernmental communications
regarding OCS renewable energy activities.
Maryland
• The Maryland RFI was published in the Federal Register on
November 9, 2010.
• The BOEMRE held its first Task Force meeting on April 14, 2010
with the federal, state, local and tribal governments.
• The second Maryland task force meeting was held on July 14, 2010.
• Attendees included USCG, DOD, DOE, NOAA, State of MD officials.
• The goal of the task force is to facilitate intergovernmental
communications regarding OCS renewable energy activities.
Virginia
• BOEMRE has received two unsolicited applications for projects
offshore Virginia.
• First Virginia Task Force meeting was held on December 8, 2009.
Second BOEMRE Virginia State Task Force Meeting was held
in Williamsburg, VA on April 27, 2010.
• Attendees included DOD, USCG, NOAA, USACOE and VA officials.
• The goal of the task force is to facilitate intergovernmental
communications regarding OCS renewable energy activities.
• BOEMRE convened a Virginia Offshore Renewable Energy Task
Force Teleconference on Monday December 6th, 2010.
Coastal and Marine Spatial
Planning (CMSP)
• DOI actively involved in the National
Ocean Policy and CEQ led inter-agency
CMSP efforts.
• DOI Coordinating with NOAA, USCG,
DOD, EPA, DOE, and others for planning
the national workshop.