Feds shake up offshore energy inspections; will send teams of inspectors instead of single auditors
Ocean agency’s hiring enables it to alter offshore evaluation process
By JENNIFER A. DLOUHY
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
June 13, 2011, 10:37PM
WASHINGTON Government inspections of thousands of offshore oil and gas facilities now will involve teams of federal workers rather than just a single auditor under a plan announced Monday.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement said the move was made possible by the agency’s recent hires of new inspectors and the promise of more to come.
“As more inspectors are hired, we will be deploying multidisciplinary inspection teams instead of individual inspectors,” bureau director Michael Bromwich said in a statement. He added that the team-based review would provide “broader oversight to ensure that offshore operators are complying with federal regulations and conducting their operations in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.”