Page 16 - IAGC The Voice 2017

IBLA REMANDS

ATLANTIC

SEISMIC PERMIT
APPLICATIONS

AFTER IAGC APPEAL

F ollowing the Implementing an

Energy
Offshore
America-First
Executive
Order
Strategy
and
Secretarial Order on 1 May 2017, the
BOEM rescinded the previous IAGC Testifies Before
Administration's arbitrary decision to
deny G&G permit applications in the U.S.
Atlantic OCS. The memorandum Congress on Regulations
administratively reversed the decision
from 5 January 2017 that denied the six Gone Astray
pending permit applications. The IAGC,
together with its six member-companies,
TGS, PGS, WesternGeco, CGG, Spectrum estifying before Congress in a hearing of the House of
and GXT/ION, appealed the arbitrary Representatives Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee
permit denials to the Interior Board of Ton Oversight and Investigations on "Examining Impacts of
Land Appeals (IBLA) in March. Following Federal Natural Resources Laws Gone Astray, Part II" on 18 July, IAGC
the memorandum, the IBLA remanded President Nikki Martin called for modernizing the antiquated MMPA
the permit applications to BOEM and of the 1970s to meet the needs of the 21st century.
dismissed all pending motions in the
appeals of the Atlantic permit applications, Speaking of the now more than seven-year process of evaluation and
including motions from environmental issuance of permits for oil and gas exploration using seismic surveys
activist organizations attempting to in U.S. Atlantic waters overseen by BOEM and NMFS, Martin said, "I
intervene. have experienced first-hand the detrimental impacts of non-
transparent and delayed decision-making on the geophysical industry
This action was another example of the stemming from an outdated law, the MMPA, currently administered
IAGC's success in increasing the by agencies and exploited by advocacy groups in ways that were never
recognition that G&G data are required to envisioned by Congress." Martin also said seismic surveying, which is
advance exploration and development. critical to identifying the nation's energy supplies, is often hampered
The IAGC and our member companies by extreme environmental advocacy groups that abuse existing
have been working on access to the regulatory and litigation processes.
Atlantic OCS for many years, and these
new actions bring that goal one step closer. In her testimony, Martin also endorsed the Streamlining Environmental
Approvals Act of 2017 (SEA Act) introduced by Congressman Mike
Currently, five MMPA authorizations are Johnson (LA-04). The SEA Act provides a much-needed common-
pending for issuance by NOAA Fisheries, sense approach to ensure that offshore energy exploration and other
a final step in a long road to new U.S. critical activities can move forward. This important bill will provide
Atlantic seismic surveys. certainty in the application process, in line with the original intent of
the MMPA.

16 THE VOICE