On July 10, 2026, the Secretary of the Department of Interior (DOI) released Secretarial Order No. 3451 (Order), which, effective immediately, established the Marine Minerals Administration (MMA), and reunified the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) into this new bureau. DOI’s stated purpose of this Order is to improve regulatory safety, operational efficiency, and coordination by eliminating the duplicative executive leadership, administrative operations, information technology systems, and support functions found throughout both BOEM and BSEE.
Pursuant to the Order, among other things, all functions, personnel, assets, obligations, authorities, and responsibilities of BOEM and BSEE are combined and vested in the MMA, which is now the agency responsible for all aspects of offshore energy and mineral resource management and conservation, safety oversight, environmental enforcement, and related activities on the outer continental shelf. In addition, all existing regulations and standards applicable to BOEM and BSEE will remain in full force and effect under the authority of MMA.
The Order further provides that MMA will become operational in phases to ensure that there will be no negative impacts on safety, permitting, inspection, enforcement, leasing, production, or environmental review operations. During this transition period, BOEM and BSEE will retain their operational authority necessary to accomplish their respective missions.
In accordance with the Order, MMA will be led by a Director under the supervision of the Assistant Secretary – Land and Minerals Management (MMA Director). The Order directs the MMA Director to, within nine months of the Order, finalize the organizational structure, establish internal lines of authority, review the distribution of personnel, and advance all required actions and administrative priorities. In addition, the MMA Director is tasked with taking steps to expand and modernize the offshore safety and inspection program and provide a report of such steps to the secretary of DOI within one year of the Order.
Currently, the acting MMA Director is Matthew Giacona (who is also the acting director of BOEM).
For more information, contact Liskow attorneys Jana Grauberger, Kathleen Doody, and Bradford Laperouse, or visit : https://www.doi.gov/mma-reunification.