For Immediate Release: Friday, July 17, 2015
Contact: Nicolette Nye (202) 465-8463, nnye@nullnoia.org
NOIA Urges Continued Dialogue on Proposed Well Control Rule
Washington, D.C. – – NOIA President Randall Luthi today issued the following statement after joint trade comments were filed on BSSE’s Proposed Blowout Preventer Systems and Well Control Rule:
“The National Ocean Industries Association is committed to the safest possible offshore operations, and it is gratifying to see many industry standards incorporated in this important proposed safety rule. We recognize and thank the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement for the tremendous time and effort that has gone into this proposed rule, however there are areas that still need work and additional dialogue with industry experts. Left as is, the proposed rule will result in unintended negative consequences for current and future industry operations and for our nation’s economy and energy security. Additionally, the proposal will likely increase rather than reduce environmental and safety risk, just the opposite of BSEE’s intent.
“As BSEE reviews the detailed technical and policy comments submitted by the joint trades, NOIA members stand ready to further engage with the agency as needed to provide expertise and information. Our goal is a final rule that is practical and implementable, strikes the right balance between prescriptive and performance-based requirements, and ensures safe offshore operations by reducing risk to the lowest level possible. This is a significant and extremely technically detailed rulemaking and it should not be rushed due to political time-frames.”
About NOIA
NOIA is the only national trade association representing all segments of the offshore industry with an interest in the exploration and production of both traditional and renewable energy resources on the nation’s outer continental shelf. The NOIA membership comprises over 325 companies engaged in business activities ranging from producing to drilling, engineering to marine and air transport, offshore construction to equipment manufacture and supply, telecommunications to finance and insurance, and renewable energy. Learn more at www.noia.org.