Deepwater Horizon Joint Investigation Team, Federal On Scene Coordinators Release Final Reports
WASHINGTON — The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE)/U.S. Coast Guard Joint Investigation Team released Wednesday its final investigative report on the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon explosion, loss of life, and resulting oil spill.
The report is comprised of Volume I, covering the areas of investigationunder the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard; Volume II, covering the areas of the investigation under BOEMRE jurisdiction; and a supplement to Volume I – the Final Action Memo from Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp.
The JIT was formed on April 27, 2010, by a convening order of the Departments of the Interior and Homeland Security to investigate the causes of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, loss of life, and resulting oil spill, and to make recommendations for safe operations of future oil and gas activities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The JIT held seven sessions of public hearings, received testimony from more than 80 witnesses and experts, and reviewed a large number of documents and exhibits pertaining to all aspects of the investigation.
Volume I, released April 22, 2011, includes findings on five aspects of the disaster – including the explosions on the Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Deepwater Horizon; the resulting fire; evacuations; the flooding and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon; and the safety systems of the MODU and its owner, Transocean. The Coast Guard's Final Action Memo details actions directed by Adm. Papp, as a result of the JIT's work, reflecting the Coast Guard's commitment to all of those affected by this tragic yet historic event and underscoring its commitment to the stewardship of our maritime environment.
Volume II includes findings on the causes, both direct and contributing, of the Macondo blowout and the resulting explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon. In Volume II, the Joint Investigation details evidence developed during the investigation and concludes that BP, Transocean and Halliburton's conduct in connection with the Deepwater Horizon disaster violated a number of federal offshore safety regulations. Volume II also includes recommendations for the continued improvement of the safety of offshore operations. In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, BOEMRE launched the most aggressive and comprehensive reforms to offshore oil and gas regulation and oversight in U.S. history. The reforms strengthen requirements for everything from well design and workplace safety to corporate accountability. An additional rule, which will be made available for public comment in the coming weeks, will incorporate additional safety requirements that are related to the findings of the investigation.
For more information on BOEMRE's new heightened safety standards, go to: http://www.boemre.gov/Reforms.htm.
The final JIT Investigative Report can be found at: http://www.deepwaterinvestigation.com. This website will be archived on Sept. 30. Additional copies of the JIT Investigative report can also be found on homeport.uscg.mil and http://www.boemre.gov/.
The Coast Guard also announced Wednesday the release of the Federal On Scene Coordinator's report to the National Response Team. That report, available online at homeport.uscg.mil, provides a narrative of the response from the four Coast Guard admirals who served as Federal On Scene Coordinators during the BP oil spill. The federal on-scene coordinator report outlines the actions taken, resources committed, and challenges encountered during the response to the largest oil spill in U.S. history. It does not address the causes of the accident, focus on individual actions or prescribe lessons learned.