"After the 2010 oil spill, the government enacted new safety regulations. President Donald J. Trump weakened them; President Biden has restored them."
"The Department of Interior announced on Tuesday that it had reinstated Obama-era safety rules for offshore drilling that were created in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon catastrophe that killed 11 people and fouled the Gulf of Mexico.
The Trump administration weakened those safety measures, arguing that they were a burden to the oil and gas industry. The new regulation, which was finalized on Tuesday and will take effect in October, revives most of the 2016 requirements for the use and testing of safety equipment on offshore rigs.
Deb Haaland, the Interior secretary, and Kevin Sligh, the director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, or BSEE, said in a joint statement that the new rules were critical for ensuring the safety of offshore operations.
“Finalizing this rule will enable BSEE to continue to put the lives and livelihoods of workers first, as well as the protection of our waters and marine habitats,” Mr. Sligh said."
Lisa Friedman reports for the New York Times August 22, 2023.
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