API Group Director of Upstream and Industry Operations, Erik Milito, has commented that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) proposal to regulate air quality in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) is the latest example of an agency advancing regulation outside of its authority. The agency’s own conclusions contradict the proposal, showing that offshore operations don’t significantly impact onshore air quality.
A statement from Milito read: “BOEM air modeling studies are not expected to be completed until 2017 and were commissioned to inform the rule. The agency should not get ahead of the science and proceed with a rule proposal without the necessary data to justify costly regulatory changes. The agency is mandated to regulate OCS emissions only if the activities have significant effects on onshore air quality. Based on the agency’s own studies, that simply isn’t the case. This is regulation for regulation’s sake. The suggested regulatory changes could significantly affect operations, and a robust cost impact analysis is necessary. This is yet another agency piling on new regulations that could hinder domestic energy production and add untold costs to industry operations.”
In a February 10 letter to Director Hopper, API asked BOEM not to alter the current Air Quality Regulatory Programme. The agency and neighboring states have repeatedly concluded that offshore emission sources do not contribute significantly to onshore air quality.
Edited from press release by Angharad Lock