National Guidance for Responding to Munitions and Explosives of Concern in Federal Waters

As a result of the increasing number of wind energy leases, the many oil and gas leases, and other marine mineral development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), under the Department of the Interior, have received requests from the offshore energy industry for federal guidance on munitions response and the proper procedures for industry to undertake when they discover Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) in their lease sites. Industry has also requested guidance for associated activities, such as the identification, classification, avoidance, relocation, and disposal of MEC. In response, BSEE approached the U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) to convene federal agencies to develop this guidance. The sections of this document describe the recommended course of action to Lessees upon the discovery of a MEC. This is broken down into two broad phases. Phase I includes initial reporting based on time and point of discovery, making a micro-siting determination, and the creation of a hazard and risk analysis. Phase II includes the receipt and review of a munitions response plan, the call of an interagency-Maritime Operational Threat Response (MOTR), post-action report expectations, and provide government points of contact.

  • Record URL:
  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Appendix includes Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board Technical Paper 18, Revision 1 (June 24 2020), Minimum Qualifications for Personnel Conducting Munitions and Explosives of Concern-Related Activities.
  • Corporate Authors:

    Committee on the Marine Transportation System

    1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
    Washington, DC  United States  20590
  • Publication Date: 2024-7-16

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Appendices; Figures; Glossary; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 81p

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01926992
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT
  • Created Date: Aug 12 2024 3:05PM