"Watchdog Hits Offshore Drilling Regulator on Permit Oversight"

"The federal agency tasked with regulating the safety of offshore oil-and-gas drilling does not consistently enforce rules for permit review on its regional offices, according to the Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG).

OIG auditors found that the headquarters of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) largely allows its three regional offices for the Gulf Coast, California and Alaska to review and grant permits on their own terms.

'BSEE conducts drilling permit review and approval activities without necessary oversight and clear direction from its headquarters office, which leaves the regional and district offices to review and approve permits without consistent guidance,' the OIG wrote in a Wednesday report."

Timothy Cama reports for The Hill October 2, 2014.