Investigations Unit Created for Renamed MMS
Michael R. Bromwich announced the new unit June 23 for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, which he leads. It has replaced the Minerals Management Service in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The new director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, Michael R. Bromwich, announced he is establishing an investigations and review unit. The bureau has replaced the Minerals Management Service within the Interior Department in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
"The new unit will provide us the capacity to investigate allegations of misconduct, to provide unified and coordinated monitoring of compliance with laws and regulations, and to respond swiftly to emerging and urgent issues on a Bureau-wide level and in the industry," Bromwich said. He was testifying June 23 along with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar before the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee about the MMS reforms. "In light of the response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the impending reorganization of Interior's offshore oil and gas management and enforcement missions, and the new bureau's mandate to implement broad reforms, it is critical that we have an internal compliance and investigations team that can act quickly and report directly to me," Bromwich said.
The unit will investigate allegations of misconduct. It also will be responsible for quick response and assessment of significant incidents, including spills and accidents. And it will implement the reorganization.