David-Vitter_12162010_002.txt

In Case You Missed It: Vitter slams Interior Department for sending staff to Papua New Guinea


Note: “I find it outrageous that the same Interior Department that can’t get a single exploration plan or deepwater drilling permit out the door apparently has the resources to send staff to a three-day workshop halfway around the world in Papua New Guinea to discuss offshore permitting,” he said. “After months of foot-dragging and repeated claims that it needs more money to hire more staff to dedicate to offshore permitting, Interior’s choice to allocate funds to the government of Papua New Guinea is a disgrace to the people of the Gulf Coast.” 



The Hill 
Vitter slams Interior Department for sending staff to Papua New Guinea 
By Andrew Restuccia - 12/15/10 05:41 PM ET 

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) slammed the Interior Department’s offshore drilling agency on Wednesday for sending staff to Papua New Guinea to advise officials there on the best way to develop the country’s offshore drilling infrastructure. 

In a floor speech Wednesday, Vitter said the department should not be using its resources to send staff to Papua New Guinea when it has been struggling to approve offshore drilling permits in the United States. 

“I find it outrageous that the same Interior Department that can’t get a single exploration plan or deepwater drilling permit out the door apparently has the resources to send staff to a three-day workshop halfway around the world in Papua New Guinea to discuss offshore permitting,” he said. “After months of foot-dragging and repeated claims that it needs more money to hire more staff to dedicate to offshore permitting, Interior’s choice to allocate funds to the government of Papua New Guinea is a disgrace to the people of the Gulf Coast.” 

Staffers from the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) attended the technical assistance workshop, which was organized by the State Department. 

“BOEMRE welcomes this opportunity to share our knowledge and experience with the government of Papua New Guinea,” BOEMRE Director Michael Bromwich said in a statement about the trip. 

BOEMRE spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said Wednesday the staffers sent to Papua New Guinea were not involved in approving offshore drilling permits. "No BOEMRE appropriated funds were utilized for this travel for the four staff members who participated (none of which directly approve permits). Funds came from the Department of State via the U.S. Agency for International Development," she said in an e-mail to The Hill. 

The story was updated at 6:17 p.m. 

Source: 
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/133913-vitter-slams-interior-department-for-sending-staff-to-papua-new-guinea 

 

Vitter to BOEMRE: End World Travel; Expedite Permits 

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter today made the following comments on the U.S. Senate floor following reports that the Interior Department, despite its claims of being understaffed and underfunded, completed a technical assistance workshop on offshore oil and gas regulatory programs for the government of Papua New Guinea this week.


“I find it outrageous that the same Interior Department that can’t get a single exploration plan or deepwater drilling permit out the door apparently has the resources to send staff to a three-day workshop halfway around the world in Papua New Guinea to discuss offshore permitting. After months of foot-dragging and repeated claims that it needs more money to hire more staff to dedicate to offshore permitting, Interior’s choice to allocate funds to the government of Papua New Guinea is a disgrace to the people of the Gulf Coast. Those folks continue to suffer through the ongoing de facto moratorium on Gulf drilling while this administration only responds with decisions that crush domestic energy production and destroy good-paying jobs,” said Vitter. 
Vitter has been a vocal critic of the administration’s slow rolling of new offshore permits in the Gulf of Mexico. He’s also placed a hold on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist, Dr. Scott Doney, until he gets a hearing in the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee with Obama Environmental Czar Carol Browner and Steve Black to explain why they put politics ahead of science when deciding to enact a job-crushing moratorium on offshore energy exploration in the Western Gulf of Mexico. 
-30-



Original BOEMRE release: 

THE BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, 
REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT 

For Immediate Release 
Date: December 14, 2010 
Original BOEMRE release: THE BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT For Immediate Release Date: December 14, 2010

BOEMRE Team Returns from Papua New Guinea Visit After Sharing Technical Expertise with Officials 

PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Experts from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) recently completed a technical assistance workshop on offshore oil and gas regulatory programs for the Government of Papua New Guinea. The workshop was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Energy Governance and Capacity Initiative. 

BOEMRE’s International Activities Program identifies initiatives to promote better integration of safety and environmental management into the decision-making process regarding offshore energy development. These initiatives focus on monitoring oil and natural gas development and developing and refining safety and environmental standards through technical exchanges with international regulatory counterparts and by providing expert advice to the State Department. 

“BOEMRE welcomes this opportunity to share our knowledge and experience with the government of Papua New Guinea. Our continued partnership with the State Department, which allows us to assist countries as they develop their energy sectors, is an opportunity for us to share lessons learned and best practices to ensure the safe and environmentally responsible development of oil and natural gas resources off their coast.” said BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich. 

Approximately 70 representatives from Papua New Guinea’s various government ministries and the private sector attended the three-day workshop. Training topics included geologic and economic modeling, reviewing, authorizing and inspecting exploration and production infrastructure, environmental review and compliance, and revenue collection, management and oversight. 

Kepsey Puiya, a representative from Papua New Guinea’s Department of Petroleum and Energy, said, “I see there’s a need for all Papua New Guinea government agencies to work together, and this training workshop will pave the way forward.” 

“This workshop will strengthen your ability to manage project development, put you on equal footing with your colleagues in the private sector, and is the beginning for you to exchange information and build the network among yourselves including your U.S. colleagues,” said U.S. Ambassador Teddy B. Taylor. 

The workshop was part of the U.S. Government’s ongoing engagement with the Government of Papua New Guinea to help enhance their institutional capacities to strengthen energy sector governance and ensure sound revenue management.