In this episode of Energy Impacts, David Blackmon talks with Dustin Van Liew, Senior VP of Global Policy at Energeo Alliance, about how geoscience supports offshore energy projects and the policy hurdles that come with it. Van Liew explains the importance of seismic surveys for oil, gas, and offshore wind, addresses common misconceptions about their impact on marine life, and shares his thoughts on Representative Nick Begich’s effort to modernize the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The discussion centers on making the permitting process more efficient, cutting through overlapping regulations, and ensuring environmental safeguards are upheld while allowing responsible energy development to move forward.
2021 – Geoscience industry identifies mathematical errors in current ITR permitting process, NMFS begins process to reevaluate and correct errors
2024 – NMFS amends the ITR, ultimately making few changes in what was one of many delays that contributed to the steady decline of geoscience surveys in the GOA since 2014
2024 – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service publishes a rule to revise ITR of polar bears and Pacific walruses on and around the North Slope of Alaska
2024 – At least one petition for MMPA authorization has stalled for more than two years, preventing updated insight into the resource potential on Alaska’s North Slope
