Press Release

David J. Hayes: Interior’s New Well Control Rule “Disheartening,” Rolls Back Fundamental Safety Reforms

David J. Hayes released the following statement in response to today’s announcement by DOI that the Trump administration has finalized the rollback of key provisions of the Blowout Preventer Systems and Well Control Rule

Washington, D.C. David J. Hayes, Executive Director of the State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at NYU School of Law and former Interior Deputy Secretary in the Obama and Clinton administrations, released the following statement in response to today’s announcement by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement that the Trump administration has finalized the rollback of key provisions of the Blowout Preventer Systems and Well Control Rule:

“As the first Obama administration official in the Gulf of Mexico the morning after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, I find it disheartening that the Trump administration is rolling back important offshore drilling safety requirements for the express purpose of saving some money for the oil and gas industry. The final rule that the Interior Department promulgated in 2016 came after a six year-long process of careful analysis and review, and properly balanced the cost of industry compliance against the imperative of worker safety and environmental protection.”

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About the State Energy & Environmental Impact Center:
The State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan academic center at NYU School of Law. The Center is dedicated to working towards a healthy and safe environment, guided by inclusive and equitable principles. The Center studies and supports the work of state attorneys general (AGs) in defending, enforcing, and promoting strong laws and policies in the areas of climate, environmental justice, environmental protection, and clean energy.