WASHINGTON — The United States and Mexico reached agreement on Monday on regulating oil and gas development along their maritime border in the Gulf of Mexico, ending years of negotiations and potentially opening more than a million acres to deepwater drilling.
The agreement, if ratified by Mexican and American lawmakers, would for the first time provide for joint inspection of the two countries’ rigs in the gulf. Until now, neither was authorized to oversee the environmental and safety practices of the other, even though oil spills do not respect international borders.
“As the Mexicans move into deepwater development,” Mr. Salazar said, “we want to make sure it’s done in a way that protects the environment and is as safe as possible.”
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