New marine agency set to centralize US ocean resource management

The US Department of the Interior announced the start of a phased plan to establish the Marine Minerals Administration, which will combine functions from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

This structural change is intended to improve coordination and increase efficiencies across offshore leasing, permitting, inspections and environmental oversight.

The department stated that the streamlined approach reflects the evolution of offshore energy development and the requirement for a more integrated method of managing conventional and emerging resources.