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Salazar names Watson director of BSEE Coast Guard rear admiral was federal on-scene coordinator for Deepwater Horizon; replaces Bromwich, who led MMS reorganization Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has named Rear Admiral James A. Watson IV as director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, or BSEE, one of the two agencies which succeeded the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement on Oct. 1.
Watson was the federal on-scene coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The Minerals Management Service, badly discredited as a result of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon tragedy, was designated to be split into separate entities in May 2010: the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, responsible for offshore energy leasing and development; BSEE; and the Office of Natural Resources Revenue, responsible for royalty collection.
Revenue was the first to be split off; BOEM and BSEE operated as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement until October.
Watson succeeds Michael R. Bromwich, who was named to reorganize MMS in June 2010.
When directors were named for BSEE and BOEM in late September, Interior said Bromwich would stay on at BSEE until a permanent director was named and Tommy Beaudreau was named BOEM director.
In Alaska, Mark Fesmire is the regional BSEE director and Dr. James Kendall is the regional BOEM director.
Interior said in a Nov. 14 news release that Watson will begin work as BSEE director Dec. 1.
Watson with Coast Guard Watson is currently the U.S. Coast Guard’s director of Prevention Policy for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship in Washington, D.C. He was deputy commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command in April 2010, and on June 1, 2010, was designated the federal on-scent coordinator for the all-of-government response to the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
“Admiral Watson has the experience, leadership, and vision that BSEE needs to be successful in establishing and enforcing safety and environmental protections for offshore oil and gas operations,” Salazar said in a statement. “Admiral Watson will bring to the job a distinguished record, a commitment to tough and fair-minded enforcement, and the determination to advance our reform agenda for the benefit of the American people and industry.”
“The safe and responsible production of oil and gas from our nation’s oceans is vital to our energy security,” Watson said. “I look forward to leading the dedicated BSEE professionals to ensure each and every offshore operation is safe, secure, and environmentally sound.”
Prior to serving at Atlantic Area Command, Rear Admiral Watson was promoted to Rear Admiral in 2007 as the director of Prevention Policy for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship, where he was responsible for Waterways Management, Boating Safety, Commercial Vessel Safety and Security, Ports and Cargo Safety and Security, Maritime Investigations, and Quality Traveling Inspectors.
Bromwich recognized In naming Admiral Watson, Salazar praised outgoing Director Bromwich, who was brought into the department in June 2010 to serve as director of the then-BOEMRE and to oversee the fundamental restructuring of the agency.
Interior said Bromwich “led regulatory and institutional reforms that have significantly strengthened oversight and regulation of offshore oil and gas development.”
Bromwich will stay on through December as a counselor to the Secretary to ensure a smooth transition of leadership. He will leave Interior at the end of December.
“With Director Bromwich’s leadership, commitment to public service, and focus on delivering results, we implemented the most significant reforms to offshore oil and gas safety in U.S. history, while continuing to take steps to safely and responsibly expand domestic energy production,” Salazar said.
BSEE is responsible for enforcing safety and environmental regulations for oil and gas operations on the outer continental shelf. The agency’s functions include: permitting and research, inspections, offshore regulatory programs, oil spill response, and newly formed training and environmental compliance functions.
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