The Regulation of Seismic Exploration in the United States

The International Association of Geophysical Contractors posted the following notice on its website:

“The 8th session of the International Workshop on Detection, Classification, Localization, and Density Estimation of marine mammals using passive acoustics (DCLDE Workhsop) will be held from 4 to 8 June 2018, in Paris, FRANCE.

Scientific topics given by oral presentations and posters will be:
– detection of pulsed and harmonic sounds
– classification of diverse sounds including clicks, whisles and vocalizations
– localization of marine mammals
– estimation of population density
– acoustic propagation models
– innovative engineering including new materials and tools
– big data analytics
– study of sound generator of marine mammals
– underwater soundscapes: description of environmental acoustics and sounds from human activities

Joint International Association of Oil & Gas Producers/ International Association of Geophysical Contractors Report 576 focuses on the sound introduced into the marine environment as a result of marine seismic surveys. It examines potential interactions with marine life and how widely-adopted mitigation measures can reduce impact to marine life. This paper is free here.

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee, chaired by the National Science Foundation, is seeking comment from the public on how best to revise and strengthen the Principles for the Conduct of Research in the Arctic. These Principles were adopted in 1990 by the federal agencies that participate in IARPC and published in 1990.

Since 1990, community engagement and Arctic research have advanced both in theory and in practice, necessitating a review and update of the current Principles. The update will focus on communicating clearly the Principles for community engagement by Arctic researchers and including language that describes partnerships and collaborations with Indigenous scholars, enhanced community-based observations, fostering community based participatory research, and the integral contributions of Indigenous knowledge in the co-production and dissemination of knowledge. Input is also sought on enhancing the dissemination and implementation of the Principles.

President Trump’s Executive Order 13783 “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth” requires that

“The heads of agencies shall review all existing regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, and any other similar agency actions (collectively, agency actions) that potentially burden the development or use of domestically produced energy resources, with particular attention to oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy resources.  Such review shall not include agency actions that are mandated by law, necessary for the public interest, and consistent with the policy set forth in section 1 of this order.”

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On November 8, 2017, a U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee passed legislation to increase energy development on public lands and waters by reducing federal regulations, streamlining the permitting process and creating a revenue-sharing partnership with coastal states.

This legislation– the Strengthening the Economy with Critical Untapped Resources to Expand American Energy Act — would provide for Alaska and Atlantic Coast states to take shares of revenue from future offshore oil drilling in those areas; end the president’s authority to withdraw offshore areas for drilling; and require all planned offshore drilling rights sales to occur.

President Trump’s Executive Order 13783 “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth” requires that

“The heads of agencies shall review all existing regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, and any other similar agency actions (collectively, agency actions) that potentially burden the development or use of domestically produced energy resources, with particular attention to oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy resources.  Such review shall not include agency actions that are mandated by law, necessary for the public interest, and consistent with the policy set forth in section 1 of this order.”

Click here to view.

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has received a request from Space Exploration Technology Corporation for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to boost-back and landing of Falcon 9 rockets at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and at contingency landing locations in the Pacific Ocean. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, NMFS requests comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization to SpaceX to incidentally take marine mammals, by Level B harassment only, during the specified activity. Comments and information must be received no later than November 24, 2017. Click here for more details and relevant links.

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has published notice that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to incidentally harass, by Level A and Level B harassment, marine mammals during a low-energy marine geophysical survey in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. This Authorization is valid from September 22, 2017, through September 19, 2018.  Click here for more details and relevant links.