Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) released the finalized safety regulations for Arctic offshore drilling for both the Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement:

“This President continually gives Putin the upper hand. While other nations develop their offshore Arctic resources, this Administration is holding our nation back. This was never about responsible development, it was about keeping the Arctic frozen from development. The rule is based on the fallacy that it is technologically unsafe and economically unviable to develop the Arctic. The Obama Administration has used every tool at its disposal to deny Native Alaskans economic growth opportunities, undermine America’s energy strength and risk national security.”

On June 16, 2015, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing that discussed a National Petroleum Council study on Arctic energy development. The study, which included a consortium of experts, academia and environmental groups, found that most Arctic offshore resources can be safely developed using existing, field-proven technology.