STATEMENT OF TASK

Committee on Environmental Science and Assessment for Ocean Energy Management
 
The National Research Council’s Ocean Studies Board and Board on Earth Sciences and Resources will establish a committee to provide ongoing assistance to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in its efforts to manage development of the nation's offshore energy resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way. The committee will meet regularly to:

1. convene experts from academia, industry, and other organizations to provide independent, technical input on issues of interest to BOEM's environmental studies and assessment programs, and potentially other programs;
2. facilitate stakeholder discussions of controversial issues;
3. enhance the understanding of developments in related fields of science and technology, and if warranted, to develop NRC studies on specific topics;
4. provide a venue for BOEM staff to meet and exchange information with staff from other federal agencies and help BOEM define its unique role in the interagency process; and
5. facilitate the exchange of information and lessons learned with staff from other world class applied environmental studies and assessment programs with a view to assisting BOEM in being the best in such programs.