CRE on Harmonization of Seismic Regulation: US– A Report to CRE Brazil on the State of Seismic Regulation in the United States (Gulf of Mexico)

This material is being provided to CRE Brazil for its use in the harmonization of marine sound activities in a number of international proceedings.

The United  States  Government has regulated oil and gas seismic in the Gulf of Mexico (“GOM”) for many years, first through the Minerals Management Service (“MMS”) and now through MMS’ successors the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (“BSEE”). This Government regulation has occurred primarily under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (“OCSLA”) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (“MMPA”}.

It should be noted that the US Government has repeatedly, consistently, and correctly stated that decades of GOM seismic, conducted under long-standing regulation, have not harmed any marine mammal population. There is no record supporting  more stringent regulation beyond the extensive regulatory regime currently in existence since  there is no discernible benefits from more stringent rules

CRE has created a Marine Science Library ; this is a “living” library and we encourage our readers to add to the library by posting additional studies, along with a statement describing their relevance, on this website by using the “Post” capability provided to the right of this article.

Read the complete report Macro Marine 24_Jan_13Sound.