Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The CVA program remains essentially the same as when it was con-
ceived and implemented in the late 1970s. BOEMRE no longer maintains
a preapproved list of CVA organizations, and an owner nominates CVAs
for each project. Through 2009, 103 fixed platforms and 41 floating facil-
ities have come under the CVA program.
1
Details of the CVA program, including general requirements for plat-
forms and details of the Platform Approval Program and the Platform Ver-
ification Program, can be found in Sections 250.900 through 250.918 of
30 CFR 250 Subpart I.
2
CURRENT BOEMRE REGULATORY PROPOSALS FOR
OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES AND USE OF CVAs
The regulations codified at 30 CFR 285, current as of September 30, 2010,
contain requirements for CVA responsibility and scope parallel to those
for the offshore oil and gas industry, which have been in effect for 30 years
and are described in 30 CFR 250 Subpart I. All the attention for CVA activ-
ity is focused on the structural and foundation aspects of the facilities. The
key difference is the option that the offshore wind facilities have to waive
the CVA elements via petition under specific circumstances. The role of
the CVA as described in 30 CFR 285 is parallel to the role of the CVA for
oil and gas facilities described in 30 CFR 250—to review, assess, and com-
ment to BOEMRE.
3
Maintaining this advisory role is a critical element of
any third-party review process.
SCOPE OF REVIEWS
While the current oversight model for offshore wind energy facilities is
based on the offshore oil and gas program, the scope of the latter may be
considered too narrow. The offshore oil and gas industry can be parti-
tioned easily into structural, process, and drilling segments. In view of
BOEMRE's expertise and its programs for drilling and process systems,
there is a logic to limiting the CVA scope to the structural segment in
meeting BOEMRE objectives for offshore oil and gas governance.
1
Presentation by Thomas Laurendine to the committee, 2010.
2
Appendix B of this report contains the text of 30 CFR 250, Sections 916-918.
3
Appendix B of this report contains the text of 30 CFR 285, Sections 705-713.
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