U.S. President Donald Trump proposed a $204.9 million fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)—a $600,000 increase from the FY 2017 level, the agency said in a May 23 release.

The FY 2018 budget supports oil spill research and Trump's 'America First Energy' and includes $112 million in current appropriations and $92.9 million in revenue from rental receipts, cost recoveries and inspection fees.

The budget ensures continued support of the offshore energy industry’s safe and responsible operations providing for secure and reliable energy production for America’s future, according to the release. BSEE fosters safe and environmentally responsible energy production on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf through regulatory oversight of oil and gas operations.

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“President Trump promised the American people he would cut wasteful spending and make the government work for the taxpayer again and that's exactly what this budget does,” U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said in a statement. “Working carefully with the president, we identified areas where we could reduce spending and also areas for investment, such as addressing the maintenance backlog in our national parks and increasing domestic energy production on federal lands. The budget also allows the department to return to the traditional principles of multiple-use management to include both responsible natural resource development and conservation of special places. Being from the West, I've seen how years of bloated bureaucracy and D.C.-centric policies hurt our rural communities. The president's budget saves taxpayers by focusing program spending, shrinking bureaucracy and empowering the front lines."

“The president’s proposed FY 2018 budget fully reflects the administration’s emphasis on ensuring the safe and responsible development and production of the nation’s offshore energy resources,” Acting Director Margaret N. Schneider said in a statement. “The president’s request supports BSEE’s efforts to permit offshore energy operations efficiently and ensure safety of advanced technology required to explore, develop and produce in deeper waters and challenging environments.”

“The bureau uses a comprehensive program of appropriate regulations, compliance monitoring and enforcement, inspections, technical assessments and incident investigations to mitigate risk and ensure safe and responsible operations,” Schneider added.

The FY 2018 budget supports the:

  • 'America First Energy' priority to advance domestic energy production while ensuring that development of the Nation’s vast offshore energy resources is conducted in a safe and environmentally-responsible manner, the 2018 budget provides for the continued training and retention of expert engineers, scientists, inspectors and oil spill planning, prevention, and response specialists and other disciplines. Consistent with Secretary Zinke’s support of focusing resources on the front lines and reviewing the work processes of the bureau, BSEE’s budget request includes a $1.2 million increase for training. This increase will expand staff development efforts for BSEE's field inspectors and engineers to ensure staff have the tools needed to streamline permitting and support BSEE's efforts to efficiently provide for secure and reliable energy production.
  • Oil spill research priority to support Zinke’s initiative of increased access to the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf for energy development, the budget request for BSEE includes $12.7 million for oil spill research. This will help protect public lands by addressing key knowledge and technology gaps in oil spill response, focusing on deepwater and arctic environments, the release said.
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