What is a Request for Information (RFI) and What is it Not?

Under federal regulations, any individual, organization, or company may request that marine minerals on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) be considered for leasing.  BOEM may also independently identify areas of interest and seek input from interested stakeholders. BOEM may then evaluate a request, and then seek additional information and public input, which is where the RFI comes in.

Before any lease is granted for offshore development, the agency first wants to know: Who has an interest in the proposed activity? What are the potential concerns, conflicts, or benefits?

An RFI stands for Request for Information, and it is as exactly what it sounds like—a formal request for additional input and commentary on the potential leasing area(s), resource type(s), and considerations that provide information to inform future planning. The agency takes these comments into consideration as BOEM wants to hear from interested parties such as local communities, territories, sea users, the public, industry representatives, and state and local government. Another goal is to test the “waters” to see who else may want to lease in the outlined area.

Before the agency moves forward, they want to ensure they have all the information necessary to make an informed decision on the next steps.

The RFI allows BOEM to understand how people anticipate being affected, as well as identify implications or information that may not yet be known. Comments often address mineral resources, environmental factors, and potential interactions with other ocean uses such as fishing, shipping, and energy development.

It is important to note that an RFI is a request to gather all the information necessary to move forward in the review process. It is not a decision to allow, or not allow companies to definitely move forward, it is not a lease, not a contract, and not mining approval. It is the first of many steps in the BOEM review process to ensure the agency is well informed.

Public input is highly valuable. BOEM pays attention to the substantive comments and uses them to identify any conflicts within the area being considered for leasing. While the comments are not a vote, they do carry influence.

To submit a comment on the RFI for commercial leasing for OCS minerals offshore the Commonwealth of Virginia go to the Federal Registrar’s website.