SW Arkansas Times

House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman testified before the House Committee on Rules to support S.J. Res. 11, a resolution aimed at nullifying a rule by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). This rule concerns the "Protection of Marine Archaeological Resources" and mandates extensive archaeological reports for oil and gas exploration or development plans.

In his testimony, Westerman expressed gratitude towards Senator Kennedy and Representative Ezell for their collaboration in advancing this bipartisan resolution. He criticized the BOEM rule for imposing unnecessary regulatory burdens, stating that it replaced a more flexible approach with an across-the-board requirement for energy producers to develop detailed reports for all offshore activities.

Westerman argued that existing frameworks like Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act already ensure thorough reviews involving stakeholders and public input. He noted that the new rule would lead to increased compliance costs, driving up energy prices amid ongoing economic challenges.

The BOEM's analysis indicates an additional 500 annual burden hours due to this regulation, along with equipment and contractor expenses. Westerman emphasized that while the rule is framed as protecting marine heritage, it ultimately hampers domestic energy production by increasing costs and regulatory hurdles.

He advocated for passing S.J. Res. 11 to bolster American energy security without compromising historic site protection, urging the committee to advance the resolution for consideration in the House.

S.J. Res. 11 was introduced by U.S. Senator John Kennedy and seeks to overturn what is seen as a duplicative burden on energy producers due to BOEM's regulations.