The violations were issued as Incidents of Non-Compliance
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement issued the initial group of violations resulting from the findings of the Joint Investigation on the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill. The violations were issued as Incidents of Non-Compliance (INC); a total of 15 INCs were issued by faxed letters to BP, Transocean and Halliburton.
“The issuance of INCs to BP, Transocean and Haliburton is an important step in addressing the regulatory violations found during the joint investigation. To ensure the safe and environmentally responsible conduct of offshore operations, companies that violate federal regulations must be held accountable,” said BSEE Director Michael R. Bromwich. “The joint investigation clearly revealed the violation of numerous federal regulations designed to protect the integrity of offshore operations; these INCs are the next step in vindicating the regulatory program designed to protect the interests of the public.”
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE)/U.S. Coast Guard Joint Investigation Team released its final investigative report on the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon explosion, loss of life, and resulting oil spill on September 14, 2011. Volume II, covering the areas of the investigation under BOEMRE jurisdiction, includes findings on the direct and contributing causes of the Macondo blowout and the resulting explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon. In Volume II, the JIT summarized the evidence developed during the investigation and concluded that BP, Transocean and Halliburton’s conduct in connection with the operations at the Macondo well violated a number of federal offshore safety regulations under BOEMRE’s jurisdiction. The report is available here.
This is the first time the Department of the Interior has issued INCs directly to a contractor that was not the well’s operator. The decision reflects the severity of the incident, the findings of the joint investigation, as well as Secretary Ken Salazar and Director Bromwich’s commitment to holding all parties accountable.
The INCs issued today address violations of specific federal regulations. BSEE’s Enforcement Program allows for a 60-day appeal period. The INCs will be reviewed for possible imposition of civil penalties once the appeal period has ended.
Click here to view the listing of the federal regulations and the specific INCs issued to BP, Transocean and Halliburton.
Source: BSEE
