This section defines the terms and conditions under which BOEM will terminate the period of liability of a bond or cancel a bond. Terminating the period of liability of a bond ends the period during which obligations continue to accrue, but does not relieve the surety of the responsibility for obligations that accrued during the period of liability. Canceling a bond relieves the surety of all liability. The liabilities that accrue during a period of liability include obligations that started to accrue prior to the beginning of the period of liability and had not been met, and obligations that begin accruing during the period of liability.
(a) When you or the surety under your bond requests termination:
(1) The Regional Director will terminate the period of liability under your bond within 90 days after BOEM receives the request; and
(2) If you intend to continue operations, or have not met all decommissioning obligations, you must provide a replacement bond of an equivalent amount.
(b) If you provide a replacement bond, the Regional Director will cancel your previous bond and the surety that provided your previous bond will not retain any liability, provided that:
(1) The new bond is equal to or greater than the bond that was terminated, or you provide an alternative form of security, and the Regional Director determines that the alternative form of security provides a level of security equal to or greater than that provided for by the bond that was terminated;
(2) For a base bond submitted under § 556.900(a) or under § 556.901(a) or (b), the surety issuing the new bond agrees to assume all outstanding liabilities that accrued during the period of liability that was terminated; and
(3) For additional bonds submitted under § 556.901(d), the surety issuing the new additional bond agrees to assume that portion of the outstanding liabilities that accrued during the period of liability that was terminated and that the Regional Director determines may exceed the coverage of the base bond, and of which the Regional Director notifies the provider of the bond.
(c) This paragraph applies if the period of liability is terminated for a bond, but the bond is not replaced by a bond of an equivalent amount. The surety that provided your terminated bond will continue to be responsible for accrued obligations:
(1) Until the obligations are satisfied; and
(2) For additional periods of time in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section.
(d) When your lease expires or is terminated, the surety that issued a bond will continue to be responsible, and the Regional Director will retain other forms of security as shown in the following table:
| For the following type of bond | The period of liability will end | Your bond will be cancelled |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Base bonds submitted under § 556.900(a), § 556.901(a), or (b) | When the Regional Director determines that you have met all of your obligations under the lease, | Seven years after the termination of the lease, 6 years after completion of all bonded obligations, or at the conclusion of any appeals or litigation related to your bonded obligation, whichever is the latest. The Regional Director will reduce the amount of your bond or return a portion of your security if the Regional Director determines that you need less than the full amount of the base bond to meet any possible future problems. |
| (2) Additional bonds submitted under § 556.901(d) | When the Regional Director determines that you have met all your obligations covered by the additional bond, | When you meet your bonded obligations, unless the Regional Director: (i) Determines that the future potential liability resulting from any undetected problem is greater than the amount of the base bond; and (ii) Notifies the provider of the bond that the Regional Director will wait 7 years before cancelling all or a part of the bond (or longer period as necessary to complete any appeals or judicial litigation related to your bonding obligation). |
(e) For all bonds, the Regional Director may reinstate your bond as if no cancellation or release had occurred if:
(1) A person makes a payment under the lease and the payment is rescinded or must be repaid by the recipient because the person making the payment is insolvent, bankrupt, subject to reorganization, or placed in receivership; or
(2) The responsible party represents to BOEM that it has discharged its obligations under the lease, and the representation was materially false when the bond was canceled or released.