30 CFR 250.172: When may the Regional Supervisor grant or direct an SOO or SOP?

The Regional Supervisor may grant or direct an SOO or SOP under any of the following circumstances:

(a) When necessary to comply with judicial decrees prohibiting any activities or the permitting of those activities. The effective date of the suspension will be the effective date required by the action of the court;

(b) When activities pose a threat of serious, irreparable, or immediate harm or damage. This would include a threat to life (including fish and other aquatic life), property, any mineral deposit, or the marine, coastal, or human environment. BSEE may require you to do a site-specific study (see § 250.177(a)).

(c) When necessary for the installation of safety or environmental protection equipment;

(d) When necessary to carry out the requirements of NEPA or to conduct an environmental analysis; or

(e) When necessary to allow for inordinate delays encountered in obtaining required permits or consents, including administrative or judicial challenges or appeals.