Using Science in Decision-making
in Decision-making
Dr.Science
James Kendall
Regional Director, Alaska OCS Region
U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
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BOEM Alaska OCS Region
BOEM manages the orderly and environmentally responsible
development of outer continental shelf (OCS) resources. The Alaska
OCS Region of BOEM manages the 15 Planning Areas of the Alaska OCS.
Proposed Sales Under
2012-2017 5-Year Oil & Gas
Program:
• Chukchi Sea in 2016
• Cook Inlet in 2016
• Beaufort Sea in 2017
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2011 Assessment of Undiscovered Technically Recoverable
Oil and Gas Resources – Alaska OCS
Resource
Evaluation
http://boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-Energy-Program/Resource-Evaluation/Resource-Assessment/Index.aspx
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Current Alaska OCS Leases
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Using Science in Decision-making
BOEM invites Public Input at several stages of this
process and considers that input whenever it makes
decisions
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Environmental Studies
BOEM’s Environmental
Studies Program (ESP)
develops, conducts and
oversees world-class
scientific research
specifically to inform
policy decisions regarding
development of Outer
Continental Shelf energy
and mineral resources.
BOEM has invested over
$400 million studying the
Alaska OCS environment.
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Traditional Ecological Knowledge
BOEM actively
collects
Traditional
Ecological
Knowledge to
complement its
use of Western
science and
make better
decisions
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Using Science in Decisions
National Environmental Policy Act
Analyses
•Lease Sales, Exploration Plans,
Development and Production Plans,
and Geophysical and Geological
Permits
•Developing Mitigation Measures
•Developing Alternatives
•Developing Deferrals
Statutory Requirements
•Endangered Species Act
•Clean Air Act
•Clean Water Act
•Marine Mammal Protection Act
•Magnuson –Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
•National Historic Preservation Act
•Coast Zone Management Act
•AND …………………………..
Input to BOEM Models
•Oil Spill Risk Analysis
• Economics
Directing Future Research
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Case Study: Subsistence Deferrals
• BOEM has funded and directed numerous
studies of subsistence patterns within and
along the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas
• Data from these studies provided “layers”
considered in the 5-Year Planning process
• As part of its “Targeted Leasing” process,
BOEM deferred subsistence use areas in its
Proposed Final Program
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Targeted Leasing
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Targeted Leasing
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Case Study: Drilling Hiatus
• BOEM restricted Shell from drilling
into hydrocarbon zones just prior to
freeze-up in the Chukchi Sea
• Each year, BOEM estimates freezeup using hindcasting techniques, and
establishes a “trigger date” for the
drilling hiatus
• Consistent with adaptive
management, BOEM may refine the
“trigger date” in light of real time
sea ice forecasting
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Thank you!
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