The Interior Dept. is merging its offshore regulatory offices into the Marine Minerals Administration (MMA). (E&E News)
Sec. Doug Burgum consolidated the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) into a single entity, reuniting leasing and safety oversight functions that were separated after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster to prevent conflicts of interest.
Who does what: The MMA will manage a huge expansion of oil & gas leasing in the Gulf and Alaska, along with the launch of the nation’s first offshore mining industry. Worth noting? Headcount and funding are set for cuts in Interior’s FY27 budget…along with oil spill research and renewable energy activity.