Interior, Coast Guard forge agreement on oil spill planning and response

“This agreement with the Coast Guard allows us to continue this
close working relationship, strengthening our coordinated efforts to
protect the environment and workers offshore each and every day,” said
BSEE Deputy Director Margaret N. Schneider in a statement.

The agreement arrives almost two years after the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon disaster that killed 11 workers and dumped several million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

The accident prompted a major overhaul of Interior’s long-troubled offshore drilling regulation and led to tougher rules around safety, spill response and other matters.

The Coast Guard has also bolstered its inspection efforts.

The new memorandum is available here.