The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) conducted a review of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) policies, practices, and procedures for the Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) decisions for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas exploration and development.

This review of MMS NEPA policies, practices and procedures was conducted as a result of the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon well and drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The review ascertained how MMS applied NEPA in its management of OCS oil and gas exploration and development and makes recommendations for future Department of the Interior and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (the successor agency to MMS) NEPA for decisions involving OCS oil and gas exploration and development. The scope of the review encompasses NEPA for all decisions from leasing decisions to drilling and production.

The review was issued in a report by the Chair of CEQ on August 16, 2010 and can be viewed here. The CEQ report has been released and is available on-line at http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/current_developments/mmsnepa.html and a copy is attached to this e-mail.

Special thanks to: Horst Greczmiel, Associate Director for NEPA Oversight, Council on Environmental Quality, 202-395-0827, HGreczmiel@ceq.eop.gov