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same information and a means to the Marine Mammal Protection Act
participate in the commenting process. (MMPA) of the 1970s and urged
Citizens can provide comments passage of the SECURE American
by visiting www.regulations. Energy Act as a smart partial fix.
gov or www.boem.gov/comment.
Speaking of the significant need for
The entire list of public meetings modernizing the MMPA because of
are available at boem.gov/ the many problems in its application,
National-Program-Participate, and Ryan Steen of Stoel Rives, testifying
the virtual meeting room is on behalf of the IAGC, said, “In the
available at boem.gov/virtual. past decade, these problems have
manifested in the form of routinely
After considering information delayed permitting processes,
provided by the public, BOEM will inconsistent and misguided analyses
prepare a Proposed Program, which of potential impacts, and opportunistic
will be published for a 90-day public advocacy litigation intended to block
comment period, to be followed by or impede offshore development.”
a Proposed Final Program (PFP).
Citing the findings of a recent
BOEM will publish a draft PEIS for Government Accountability Office
public comment concurrently with report detailing how America’s
the Proposed Program and a final offshore energy potential has
PEIS concurrently with the PFP.
been undermined by “bureaucratic
The draft PEIS and the final PEIS will dysfunction,” specifically investigating
examine the potential environmental the processes and time frames for
impacts of the program options and reviewing and approving seismic
alternatives, and will be available survey applications, Steen also said
to the Secretary of the Interior the manner in which key federal
prior to him making decisions agencies have carried out their
on the Proposed Program and federal mandates are not in line
the Proposed Final Program. with the intent of Congress when it
directed the “expeditious and orderly
development” of the nation’s Outer
IAGC Offers Remedies Continental Shelf under the Outer
for MMPA Problems in Continental Shelf Lands Act (OSCLA).
“Deficiencies in the Permitting
Process for Offshore Seismic Video from the hearing
Research” House Natural Full news release
Resources Committee Hearing
On 19 January 2018, IAGC
participated in a House Committee
on Natural Resources, Subcommittee
on Energy and Mineral Resources
Oversight Hearing, “Deficiencies in
the Permitting Process for Offshore
Seismic Research,” offering remedies
for flaws and the misapplication of
IACG Newsletter | InDepth 9 January | 2018
