With the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster still erupting, the Interior Department has announced plans to restructure the Minerals Management Service in order to establish a separate and independent safety and environmental enforcement agency, reportedly to have at least 300 employees.
The move will untangle MMS’s inspection, investigation, and enforcement operations from its leasing, revenue collection, and permitting functions, the department said.
“The job of ensuring energy companies are following the law and protecting the safety of their workers and the environment is a big one, and should be independent from other missions of the agency,” said Interior secretary Ken Salazar.
Legislation the White House is developing in response to the oil spill would extend the 30-day window that Congress gave to Interior to act on exploration plans that oil and gas companies submit, changing it to 90-days.
The Project on Government Oversight praised the plan, but called on Salazar to go further by separating royalty collection oversight from the leasing function.
