(a) Except as otherwise authorized under § 285.909, within 2 years following termination of a lease or grant, or earlier if BSEE determines a facility is no longer useful for operations, you must:

(1) Remove or decommission all facilities, projects, cables, pipelines, and obstructions;

(2) Clear the seafloor of all obstructions created by activities on your lease, including your project easement, or grant.

(b) Before decommissioning the facilities under your SAP, COP, or GAP, you must submit a decommissioning application to, and receive approval from, BSEE.

(c) The approval of the decommissioning concept in the SAP, COP, or GAP is not an approval of a decommissioning application. However, you may submit your complete decommissioning application to BSEE simultaneously with the SAP, COP, or GAP, so that it may undergo appropriate technical and regulatory reviews at that time.

(d) Following approval of your decommissioning application, you must submit a decommissioning notice under § 285.908 to BSEE at least 60 days before commencing decommissioning activities.

(e) If you, your subcontractors, or any agent acting on your behalf discovers any archaeological resource while conducting decommissioning activities, you must immediately halt bottom-disturbing activities within 1,000 feet of the discovery and report the discovery to us within 72 hours. BOEM will inform you how to conduct investigations to determine if the resource is significant and how to protect it in accordance with 30 CFR 585.702. You, your subcontractors, or any agent acting on your behalf must keep the location of the discovery confidential and must not take any action that may adversely affect the archaeological resource until we have made an evaluation and told you how to proceed.

(f) Provide BOEM with documentation of any coordination efforts you have made with the affected States, local, and Tribal governments.

[88 FR 6413, Jan. 31, 2023, as amended at 89 FR 42721, May 15, 2024]