Pew Comments on Department of the Interior's Proposed Arctic-Specific Rules for Offshore Drilling

In February 2015, the federal government proposed new rules for offshore oil and gas companies to improve safety and prevent spills in the U.S. Arctic Ocean. Until the regulations are finalized, no Arctic-specific standards exist, even though the region is much more remote and the conditions are significantly more challenging than in the temperate waters where most of our country’s offshore drilling occurs.

On May 27, 2015, Marilyn Heiman, director of Pew's U.S. Arctic project, submitted comments to the Department of Interior on these proposed Arctic-specific regulations for offshore drilling.

Download the Comments (PDF)