Congress Should Enhance OPA 90 Responder Provisions
The Benefits to the Scope of Coverage in an Expanded Responder Immunity Regime are many. The response industry has been extremely supportive of a coalition effort to work with Congress to enact enhancements to the current responder immunity provisions enacted by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (“OPA 90”). Unfortunately, however, Congress has not taken immediate action following the Deepwater Horizon incident, which occurred almost 3.5 years ago, like it did following the Exxon Valdez incident in 1989 to enact legislation to remedy deficiencies identified as a result of the incident. Congress acted in approximately 18 months following the Exxon Valdez incident.
BOEMRE New Positions to Further Regulatory Reform
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) formally announced its search for qualified leaders to fill two senior positions to further offshore oil and gas regulatory reform efforts. The first position is the Director of the Offshore Training Center, and the second is the Division Chief for the Oil Spill Response Division. Both positions are being advertised nationally to recruit the most qualified professionals to establish new organizations in the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), one of two new bureaus being created as part of the reorganization of the former Minerals Management Service. BSEE is the new bureau responsible for regulation and enforcement of offshore activities.
Nanaimo Port Authority Appoints Green to Board
Transport Minister David Collenette today announced the appointment of Martyn J. Green of Nanoose Bay, B.C., to the board of directors of the Nanaimo Port Authority. Mr. Green, who attended the London Polytechnic and London University, most recently served as president and general manager of Burrard Clean Operations, an industry oil spill response cooperative. He has conducted many oil spill response training sessions on a variety of subjects in Canada, the United States and in Vietnam. In 1972, he joined the British Columbia Petroleum Association, a petroleum industry trade organization, and created a spill response network. Prior to 1972, Mr. Green served as a senior marketing manager with a major international petroleum corporation.
