U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany and 10 other congressmen penned a letter seeking to delay the implementation of the federal government’s new well-control rule, The Advertiser reports.
The letter was written to the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement last Friday. In it, the congressmen call the well-control rule vague and say it will leave the oil and gas industry “stumbling in the dark” for compliance.
Boustany released the letter Monday. The rule will go into effect on July 28.
The well-control rule, which has been in development for six years, was the federal government’s response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven men died and more than 60 were injured as a result of the explosion on the rig.
In the letter, the congressmen say oil and gas companies recognize the severity of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy and want to improve safety measures. But lawmakers say the industry has not been “provided the necessary guidance in order to realistically do so,” the paper reports.
“We are concerned that the confusion surrounding industry compliance with the final rule could increase risk, stifle innovation and delay implementation of new technologies which would improve safety and operations industry-wide,” the letter says.
