The US Department of Interior launched a new policy according to which it will act as the primary authority on workplace safety for renewable energy projects on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
The new policy highlights the importance of advancing the renewable energy program on the Outer Continental Shelf and highlights the Department’s commitment on setting high standards for a safe environment for renewable energy workers offshore, as stated by Scott Angelle, Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
Moreover, the Department will continue its partnership with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Coast Guard to provide specific safety and training information, in its effort on promoting safety on the OCS.
As Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Acting Director Walter Cruickshank commented
Ensuring the development of U.S. renewable energy resources helps solidify the Nation’s energy independence. This vision can only be realized if safety and health requirements are priorities for future offshore wind development projects.
In summer, a coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit regarding the US Interior Department’s decision to ease safety rules put in place by the Obama administration in the aftermath of the fatal 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
