NOIA President Randall Luthi Comments on Pending Departure of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
National Ocean Industries Association President Randall Luthi today issued the following statement on the upcoming departure of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar:
“On behalf of the National Ocean Industries Association, I thank Secretary Salazar for his service and wish him the best on his return to Colorado. Owning a ranch in Wyoming myself, I can certainly understand the strong desire to leave Washington and return to running cows and calves instead of political gauntlets. The Secretary leaves a legacy that reflects strong leadership in the promotion of offshore wind resources and bolstering of certain safety protocols, but a missed opportunity to promote access in new offshore areas. He had a difficult role during the Macondo well incident as he balanced being a tough regulator with the need to let the industry stop the flow of oil in the Gulf of Mexico and establish safeguards to avoid a similar accident in the future. His actions helped spur the establishment of the Center for Offshore Safety, which is an industry-led organization dedicated to ensuring safe oil and natural gas operations in the deep water. NOIA and its members stand ready to assist the President’s next nominee for this vital Federal Department in understanding the importance of the safe development of offshore oil and natural gas and non-traditional energy sources such as wind, wave and current technology to our nation and economy.”
ABOUT NOIA
NOIA is the only national trade association representing all segments of the offshore industry with an interest in the exploration and production of both traditional and renewable energy resources on the nation’s outer continental shelf. NOIA’s mission is to secure reliable access and a fair regulatory and economic environment for the companies that develop the nation’s valuable offshore energy resources in an environmentally responsible manner. The NOIA membership comprises more than 275 companies engaged in business activities ranging from producing to drilling, engineering to marine and air transport, offshore construction to equipment manufacture and supply, telecommunications to finance and insurance, and renewable energy.