Safety recommendations adopted by the US Department of the Interior in the wake of the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil leak could be abolished under an executive order by Donald Trump, according to an op-ed in the New York Times. The April offshore energy order begins “the process of opening offshore areas” to exploration. Last week, Trump also opened the public comment period for a 5-year offshore oil and gas leasing programme on the environmentally sensitive outer continental shelf region. “The Obama administration has been too timid about protecting our coasts,” said Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee.
Safety recommendations adopted by the US Department of the Interior in the wake of the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil leak could be abolished under an executive order by Donald Trump, according to an op-ed in the New York Times. The April offshore energy order begins “the process of opening offshore areas” to exploration. Last week, Trump also opened the public comment period for a 5-year offshore oil and gas leasing programme on the environmentally sensitive outer continental shelf region. The moves undermine the “well control rule,” designed to prevent underwater explosions, and threaten workers’ safety and the environment.