The report by department Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall (PDF) comes as the department presses to increase clean energy output from federal lands beyond the 2015 target of 10,000 MWe set in the 2005 energy law passed by Congress.
The department updated its geothermal regulations in 2007, but old operational orders remain on the books, Kendall said. She said the result is a "web of requirements" rather than a clear order, and order language covering induced earthquake hazards that is not reflected in the regulations.
Kendall's report did not report safety problems resulting from the lack of a standard inspection and enforcement system, but said that it has led to inconsistent oversight by BLM field offices and difficulties in information sharing.
Those inconsistencies have led to "different enforcement expectations for industry depending on where their operations are located," Kendall said.
BLM agreed to review and update its orders and inspection criteria. It also agreed to review its inspection staffing levels and draw up new guidance on seismicity hazards.
