THE BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY 

MANAGEMENT, 

REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT

 

 

For Immediate Release 

 Date: October 7, 2010 

Contact: Leann Bullin, (703) 787-1755 

BOEM Begins Review, Invites Public Comment on 

Categorical Exclusions 

WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and 

Enforcement (BOEM) today announced that it is initiating the public comment stage of 

its review of its use of categorical exclusions (CEs) for decisions regarding energy 

development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). 

Consistent with recommendations provided by the Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ), BOEM announced on August 16, 2010, that it would undertake a review of its 

use of categorical exclusions to ensure that its policies are in full compliance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). During the period in which BOEM is 

conducting its review, Director Michael R. Bromwich has directed the agency to restrict 

its use of categorical exclusions for offshore oil and gas development to activities 

involving limited environmental risk. More information can be found at: 

http://www.doi.gov/news/doinews/Categorical-Exclusions-for-Gulf-Offshore-Activity-tobe-Limited-While-Interior-Reviews-NEPA-Process-and-Develops-Revised-Policy.cfm. 

“BOEM is committed to strengthening our oversight responsibilities and making 

decisions that fully consider the potential environmental impacts,” Director Bromwich 

said. “We will ensure compliance with NEPA as we re-examine the types of 

environmental reviews required for offshore operations.” 

CEQ regulations (40 C.F.R. § 1508.4) define “categorical exclusion” as a category of 

actions that do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human 

environment; which have been found to have no such effect in procedures adopted by a 

federal agency in implementation of these regulations; and for which neither an 

environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required. 
BOEM is inviting the public as well as federal, state and local government agencies, and 

other interested parties to comment on the appropriate use of and suggest revisions to 

existing BOEM CEs, and to highlight issues that BOEM should address during the 

review. The notice is available in the Federal Register’s “Reading Room” at: 

http://www.ofr.gov/inspection.aspx. It will be published on the Federal Register

tomorrow. 

The public is invited to submit comments no later than November 8, 2010, (30 days after 

publication) in one of the following ways: 

1. For written comments, please label your submission “Comments on the Review of 

Categorical Exclusions for Outer Continental Shelf Decisions” and mail (or hand 

carry) to James F. Bennett, Chief, Environmental Assessment Branch, Environmental 

Division (MS 4042), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and 

Enforcement, Headquarters, 381 Elden Street, Herndon, VA 20170. 

2. To submit electronic comments, go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the entry titled 

“Enter Keyword or ID,” enter docket ID BOEM-2010-0036, then click search. 

Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view supporting and related 

materials available for this collection. 

The full CEQ review of BOEM (then-MMS) NEPA procedures can be found at: 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/nepa/mms-review. 

—BOEM—