Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) issued the following statement on proposed regulations for exploration and drilling activities on the U.S. Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) announced earlier today by the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). 

“There’s a reason America has leapfrogged Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s top oil producer. Policies like this are not to thank. Responsible energy development on state and private lands is driving the U.S. economy, bringing manufacturing back to our shores, keeping energy prices low, and freeing us from the influence of OPEC. If we are to become independent of foreign oil, we must actively promote responsible development of federal assets that are energy-rich and abundant in supply.  Provisions in this rule cloud rather than clarify this prospect. I look forward to reviewing the intricacies of this rule and its impacts on limiting development.”