[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 22, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70361-70362]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-29921]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on 
Exploratory Drilling Activities in Federal Waters Offshore Santa 
Barbara County, California

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement and announcement of public scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 102(2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Minerals 
Management Service (MMS) is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) to identify and assess potential impacts and mitigation measures 
associated with multiple projects. The projects include the sequential 
drilling of 5-8 delineation wells from a single mobile offshore 
drilling unit on existing leases in Federal Outer Continental Shelf 
(OCS) waters in the Santa Maria Basin and western Santa Barbara 
Channel. Previously, 28 exploration wells have been drilled in the area 
where activities are proposed. The purpose of the proposed drilling is 
to further delineate oil and gas resources on leases or units that have 
previous commercial discoveries of oil and gas. Delineation wells are a 
type of exploration well. Notice is hereby given that the public 
scoping process has been initiated to prepare an EIS that will address 
the impacts of and alternatives to the proposal. The purpose of the 
scoping process is to solicit public comment regarding the full 
spectrum of issues and concerns, including a suitable range of 
alternatives, and the nature and extent of potential environmental 
impacts and appropriate mitigation measures that should be addressed in 
the EIS process. It is anticipated that a draft EIS will be available 
in Summer 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Questions concerning the draft EIS should be 
directed to Mr. Maurice Hill, Office of Environmental Evaluation, 
Pacific OCS Region, Minerals Management Service, 770 Paseo Camarillo, 
Camarillo, California 93010-6064; phone 805.389.7815.

Background

    Pursuant to the OCS Lands Act, as amended, and the implementing 
regulations at 30 Code of Federal Regulations, Sec. 250.203 
(Exploration Plan), the MMS reviews Exploration Plans (EP's) and 
revisions to those EP's to decide whether those plans or revisions 
should be approved; should be modified to be consistent with the 
provisions of the lease, the OCS Lands Act, and the implementing 
regulations; or should be disapproved. To meet the agency's 
responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 
MMS is preparing an EIS that will provide an assessment of the 
environmental effects of drilling 5-8 delineation wells offshore the 
Santa Barbara County coast in Federal waters.

Proposed Action

    In accordance with 30 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 
Sec. 250.110(a)(1) (Suspension of Production or Other Operations), the 
MMS approved the lease operator's requests for suspension of production 
or operations and established milestones for the operators to submit 
revisions to their existing EP's by September 2001. All of the leases 
on which drilling could occur have EP's that have been previously 
approved by the MMS and granted consistency by the California Coastal 
Commission (CCC) according to 15 CFR 930.79. The approved EP's identify 
proposed well locations that have received CCC consistency concurrence 
but, to date, have not been drilled. Because a number of years have 
elapsed since these approvals, the MMS has established milestones for 
the operators of the leases to update their previously approved EP's 
through revisions. The EIS will address all the proposed delineation 
drilling activities on several leases. The multi-project activities 
will be subject to existing laws, regulations, and other requirements. 
The activities include sequential drilling of 5-8 delineation wells by 
a single mobile offshore drilling unit. The operators need the 
information from these wells to identify oil and gas characteristics, 
reservoir characteristics, and reservoir extent in

[[Page 70362]]

order to determine the location, size, and type of facilities that may 
be required to develop the resources and thus could be proposed at a 
future time.
    The delineation drilling would occur on units where there have been 
commercial oil and gas discoveries, and where MMS believes that 
development could occur in the future. Therefore, the EIS will also 
include a discussion of the potential impacts of the buildout of 
production facilities as part of the cumulative analysis. The 
cumulative analysis will also cover other past, present, and reasonably 
foreseeable activities in the area of the proposed exploratory 
drilling. Subsequent to the delineation drilling, detailed Development 
and Production Plans (DPP's) would be prepared by the operators for the 
development of the leases in the future and are expected to be 
submitted to the MMS and subjected to separate NEPA analyses. The DPP's 
would also be submitted to the California Coastal Commission to ensure 
their consistency with the California Coastal Management Plan.

Alternatives

    Alternatives will include (1) the action of drilling 5-8 
delineation wells on undeveloped leases in the Santa Maria Basin and 
western Santa Barbara Channel, and (2) no action. Other possible 
alternatives that may be considered include variations on the proposed 
action and alternatives identified during the scoping process.

Scoping

    Scoping is an open process for determining the scope of the EIS and 
for identifying significant issues related to the proposed action. 
Scoping also provides an opportunity to identify alternatives to the 
proposed action and appropriate mitigation measures. All interested 
persons, organizations and agencies wishing to provide comments, 
suggestions, or relevant information on the activities may do so as 
follows:
    (1) Send input to Minerals Management Service, Attn: Exploratory 
Activities EIS, Office of Environmental Evaluation, 770 Paseo 
Camarillo, Camarillo, CA 93010-6064;
    (2) Attend and provide comment at the public scoping meetings the 
MMS will conduct in Santa Barbara County as follows: (a) December 6, 
2000, 5:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort, 633 East 
Cabrillo Blvd., Sierra Madre Room, Santa Barbara, California; (b) 
January 22, 2001, 5:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at Allan Hancock College, Marian 
Theatre, Bldg. D, 800 S. College Drive, Santa Maria, California. 
Further details of the meetings will be posted on the MMS, Pacific 
Region, homepage at http://www.mms.gov/omm/pacific and will be 
advertised in the local media; and
    (3) Email input to [email protected].
    A Notice of Availability of the draft EIS for public review and 
comment will be announced by the MMS and the Environmental Protection 
Agency in the Federal Register; on the MMS, Pacific Region, homepage; 
and in the local media. We anticipate that a draft EIS will be 
available for review in Summer 2001, and a final EIS will be completed 
in Fall 2001. Public hearings will be held in the local area following 
release of the draft EIS. Dates and locations are to be determined.

    Dated: November 17, 2000.
Carolita U. Kallaur,
Associate Director, Offshore Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 00-29921 Filed 11-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P