Offshore Energy and Minerals Management (OEMM): Environmental Stewardship ~ What is Environmental Compliance?
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What is Environmental Compliance?

"Environmental Compliance" means conforming to environmental laws, regulations, standards and other requirements. BOEMRE and those conducting activities on the OCS have environmental compliance responsibilities. The Bureau assures environmental compliance by providing compliance assistance to industry, conducting compliance monitoring and assessment, providing for compliance incentives, and implementing appropriate compliance enforcement. Industry must comply with established environmental legal mandates, regulations, lease stipulations, mitigation measures, approved plans and permits, and conditions of approval for activities conducted on the OCS.

Compliance Monitoring involves BOEMRE evaluating the degree to which lessees and operators conduct their activities in the manner prescribed in their leases, approved plans, and permits.

Compliance Assessment involves BOEMRE conducting systematic evaluations of compliance monitoring results taking into account uncertainties and contextual information.

Environmental Compliance Unit Functions

Serve as a focal point for matters associated with environmental compliance by providing policy guidance, direction, and program oversight for BOEMRE with respect to:

bullet ensuring activities on OCS, under the jurisdiction of the BOEMRE, conform to:
bullet environmental legal mandates, regulations, lease stipulations, and conditions of approval;
bullet achieving and maintaining appropriate and consistent application of environmental compliance at the National and Regional Levels;
bullet reviewing, assessing, and documenting the performance of industry and BOEMRE with respect to environmental compliance.

References
bullet OCS Lands Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1348 (b)(2)) mandates holders of leases and permits to: “maintain all operations...in compliance with regulations intended to protect...the environment on the Outer Continental Shelf.”
 
bullet CEQ regulations (40 CFR 1505.2) require monitoring and enforcement of mitigation measures identified in NEPA documents.
 
bullet BOEMRE regulations (30 CFR 250) require operations to be conducted in a manner that prevents damage to or waste of natural resources or the environment.