GAO and the OCS

GAO, through its investigations, reports, and recommendations to Congress, has frequently raised questions about the Department of the Interior's (DOI) management of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) operations, including its leasing practices. Particular attention has been focused on the lack of adequate data with regard to OCS resources. This has hampered DOI in making sound decisions on where, when, and how much to lease; the receipt of fair market value return to the government; and environmental questions. Although recent legislation has improved the data available to DOI, there is still a need for DOI to provide for the development and implementation of a more systematic plan for appraising OCS oil and gas resources. The effectiveness of the DOI environmental data gathering and monitoring programs could be impaired unless certain points are clarified, including: (1) how monitoring should be accomplished; (2) how monitoring results will be used and by whom; and (3) when parties will have access to monitoring data as a basis for informed decisionmaking.