Data / Federal rules / 2024-19188
Protection of Marine Archaeological Resources
The Ocean Energy Management Bureau published this final rule in the Federal Register on September 3, 2024. It took effect on October 3, 2024. Comments closed on October 3, 2024.
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What the agency says
The Department of the Interior (the Department or DOI), acting through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), is finalizing regulatory amendments to require lessees and operators to submit an archaeological report with any oil and gas exploration or development plan they submit to BOEM for approval of proposed activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The previous regulations required an archaeological report only if the plan covered an area that a BOEM Regional Director had "reason to believe" may have contained an archaeological resource. This final rule will increase the protection of archaeological resources in compliance with section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) by acknowledging that there is a greater likelihood that such resources exist, thereby increasing the likelihood that these resources will be located and identified before they can be inadvertently damaged by an OCS operator. This rule defines the minimum level of survey information necessary to support the conclusions in the archaeological report, the procedures for reporting possible archaeological resources and continuing operations when a possible resource is present, and what to do if an unanticipated archaeological resource is discovered during operations.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2024-19188
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Final rule
- Agency
- Interior Department; Ocean Energy Management Bureau
- Published
- September 3, 2024
- Takes effect
- October 3, 2024
- Comments due
- October 3, 2024
- Dates
- This final rule is effective October 3, 2024. You may make comments on the information collection (IC) burden in this rulemaking and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and BOEM must receive such comments on or before October 3, 2024. The IC burden comment opportunity does not affect the final rule effective date.
- Docket
- Docket No. BOEM-2023-0012
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 1010-AE11
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 30 CFR 550
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Air pollution control; Continental shelf; Environmental impact statements; Environmental protection; Government contracts; Investigations; Mineral resources; Oil and gas exploration; Oil pollution; Penalties; Pipelines; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Rights-of-way; Sulfur
- Pages
- 25
Other documents from the Ocean Energy Management Bureau
| Document | Type | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing; Corrections 2026-21346 | Final rule | Oct 19 |
| Oil and Gas and Sulfur Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf-Revisions to the Requirements for Exploratory Drilling on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf 2026-15953 | Proposed rule | Aug 6 |
| Risk Management and Financial Assurance for OCS Lease and Grant Obligations; Extension of Public Comment Period 2026-09208 · significant | Proposed rule | May 8 |
| Risk Management and Financial Assurance for OCS Lease and Grant Obligations 2026-04517 · significant | Proposed rule | Mar 9 |
| Administrative Revisions to Regulations Related to Outer Continental Shelf Minerals Other Than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur 2026-03690 | Proposed rule | Feb 24 |
| Oil and Gas and Sulfur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf 2025-22767 | Final rule | Dec 15, 2025 |
| Rescission of Expired 1-Year Grace Period for Data Extensions; Corrections 2025-18561 | Final rule | Sep 25, 2025 |
| Rescission of Expired 1-Year Grace Period for Data Extensions 2025-15325 | Final rule | Aug 12, 2025 |
Everything from the Ocean Energy Management Bureau · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on air pollution control · Rules on continental shelf · Published in September 2024
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.