The Regulation of Seismic Exploration in the United States

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has extended the public comment period for commenting on proposed policies and procedures for administration of the National Inventory of Marine Mammals. Comments must now be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on or before July 31, 2019.

On February 15, 2019, NMFS published notice (84 FR 4443) requesting public comment on proposed policies and procedures for the administration and maintenance of the online inventory database, NIMM, including maintenance of historical information, reporting births and stillbirths, reporting cause of death, and other marine mammal information.

Click here for more information and relevant links.

The International Association of Geophysical contractors posted the above-titled article, which reads as follows: “A call for documents to be released related to the plan for seismic testing off the coast of Newcastle has been rejected in the Senate. The Greens made the move in Canberra on budget day, raising a motion in the upper house to have all correspondence, advice and briefing notes to and from the resources minister, environment minister and National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority regarding Petroleum Exploration Permit 11 tabled by April 15. Read more- https://www.theherald.com.au/story/5994484/greens-bid-for-seismic-documents-rejected-in-the-senate/”

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has extended the public comment period for commenting on proposed policies and procedures for administration of the National Inventory of Marine Mammals. Comments must now be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on or before July 31, 2019.

On February 15, 2019, NMFS published notice (84 FR 4443) requesting public comment on proposed policies and procedures for the administration and maintenance of the online inventory database, NIMM, including maintenance of historical information, reporting births and stillbirths, reporting cause of death, and other marine mammal information.

Click here for more information and relevant links.

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has issued a final rule listing the Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. NMFS’ notice of this listing states that it has

The above-titled article was written by J. Winston Porter and posted on Energy.  It reads as follows:

“There is no credible way to address offshore drilling in the Atlantic without conducting seismic tests to see how much oil and natural gas lie beneath the Outer Continental Shelf. That is why the National Marine Fisheries Service has approved a plan to map the ocean floor off the coast, from Delaware to Florida.

ABC News Australia posted the above-titled article, which reads in part as follows article:

“Oil and gas testing is set to take place in the Great Australian Bight this year, after the national petroleum regulator granted permission to exploration company PGS.

Environmental groups have slammed the decision to allow seismic testing near Kangaroo Island and Port Lincoln, while the tuna industry has questioned whether it is even likely to go ahead.

Seismic testing involves firing soundwaves into the ocean floor to detect the presence of oil or gas reserves.

NMFS has received a request from Hilcorp Alaska LLC for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to oil and gas activities in Cook Inlet, Alaska, over the course of five years (2019–2024). As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, NMFS is proposing regulations to govern that take, and requests comments on the proposed regulations.  Comments and information must be received no later than May 1, 2019. NMFS’ Federal register notice of this action does not discuss an Alaskan court’s recent decision against Arctic offshore oil and gas.

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The United States District Court for the District of Alaska ruled that President Trump has no authority to issue an Executive Order revoking former President Obama’s withdrawal of certain offshore areas from oil and gas leasing under OCSLA.  The withdrawn areas include areas offshore Alaska and in the Atlantic Ocean.

Click here to read the court’s opinion.