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Opinion

ThoughtStream

Brian Salerno, BSEE

Keeping up with the industry he pace of innovation in the off- we intend to maintain our hybrid While all of the approaches

T shore industry is truly awe-inspir- approach to regulations, risk tools will described above will help us move ing. It’s amazing to look at today’s complement established standards in closer to our goal of no serious inci- capabilities and think about how they our evaluation of new and emerging dents on the US outer continental weren’t even possible a few years ago. technology. shelf (OCS), our sense in BSEE is that

Of course, from the perspective of We have also established the Ocean we still need to do more, to work the regulator, it is also a little daunt- Energy Safety Institute to serve as a more closely with original equipment ing. Our challenge at the Bureau of forum where industry, government, manufacturers, participate more fully

Safety and Environmental Enforcement and academia can come together and with standards-setting bodies, and (BSEE) is to keep current with the strengthen our ability to assess novel aggressive pace the industry is setting, and emerging technologies. That is so that we can understand the safety why we are working to establish a tech-

Our challenge at and environmental implications of the nology center within BSEE. The center

BSEE is to keep technology being used. will not replace the regulatory pro-

Our goal is to ensure that our cesses already in place at the regional current with the nation’s offshore resources are devel- level. Permit reviews and deepwater oped without incident, and I believe operations plans will remain a function aggressive pace the that it also a goal of industry. Offshore of our region and district of? ces. But safety, protection of the environment, the center will add depth and capac- industry is setting, developing offshore resources, all of ity to the bureau, so that as industry so that we can these not only re? ect public needs and continues to innovate and develop expectations, but they also represent new capabilities, we will keep pace. It understand the safety good business practices. We have all will support all of our regional of? ces seen how catastrophic events can and will work closely with the Ocean and environmental adversely impact the environment, Energy Safety Institute.

causing the public to lose con? dence This is an exciting time to be work- implications of the not only in the industry’s commitment ing on the OCS, with an unprecedented technology being to safety, but also in the regulator’s level of technological innovation. As ability to oversee responsible offshore we continue to move forward, we must used.

operations. How then do we collec- all keep in mind what is at stake and tively and appropriately approach the remain committed to safe and respon- ongoing imperative of integrating new sible operations.

Brian Salerno, director of technology into an already complex the Bureau of Safety and operating and regulatory environment? Brian Salerno is the director of BSEE.

Environmental Enforcement

There are several approaches we Prior to joining the agency, Salerno (BSEE) are undertaking that we believe will served as the US Coast Guard’s Deputy allow all of us to meet our mutual goal Commandant for Operations. Over his of safe operations. One change that explore the implications of emerging 36-year active duty career, Salerno has already started is the placement of technology. The institute will hold attained the rank of Vice Admiral, more performance-based language into forums on topics such as how to best serving predominately within the US our new regulations, which will make assess and make a determination of Coast Guard’s marine safety program. it easier to establish equivalency to the best available and safest technology Salerno is a 2000 graduate of the US standard of safety we all envision. and system reliability. However, the Army War College, with an MA in

We are pursuing more sophisticated Institute will only be successful with Strategic Studies. He is also a gradu- risk-assessment tools to accommodate industry participation. It will be open, ate of the Naval War College non- technological approaches not speci? - transparent, and collaborative, but the resident program, and holds an MS in cally envisioned in the regulations as industry’s participation is needed to Management from The Johns Hopkins they are written today. Although make that happen. University.

June 2014 | OE oedigital.com 14 000_OE0614_Thoughtstream.indd 14 5/22/14 9:09 PM