Interior plans ‘major’ new offshore-drilling safety rules

Bromwich’s agency has already issued beefed-up drilling standards around well design, certification of blowout preventers, spill response capability and other areas, as well as new workplace safety rules.

Bromwich said Tuesday that in addition to the upcoming rulemaking on drilling safety, there will be modifications to the workplace safety regulations — including requiring third-party audits of companies’ so-called Safety and Environmental Management Systems

He said he was hopeful various industry safety initiatives undertaken in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster would help inform the new drilling regulations.

Bromwich also said regulatory changes will not come at the rapid-fire pace seen in the aftermath of the spill, which laid bare major safety concerns.

“The changes that we have put in place will endure because they were urgent, necessary and appropriate. And more change will surely come, although not at the frantic pace of the past year,” Bromwich said.