The Trump administration said Friday it is combining two agencies that were separated in the aftermath of the 2010 Gulf oil spill as part of an overhaul to increase efficiency and speed up permitting for offshore oil and gas drilling.
The new Marine Minerals Administration will bring together the functions of the current Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said. Doing so will enable a “streamlined approach” that will maintain existing regulatory protections and rigorous safety standards, he said.
