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Chevron reaches agreement with California Commission on OCS activities
Marine Pollution Bulletin
which help to stabilize the sediment. It is difficult to predict the consequences of the creeks and bays losing their roles as nursery habitats for juvenile animals. The nearby rocky bottoms, and the communities which live on them will also be affected by the greater movements of terrigenous material. Increased turbidity will decrease the intensity of available light and there will be a greater sedimentation and abrasive effect, all of which will modify to some extent the rocky bottom plant and animal communities. JUAN CARLOS CALVIN CALVO
North American News Chevron Reaches Agreement with California Commission on OCS Activities Chevron USA has reached an agreement with the Minerals Management Service (MMS-Department of Interior) and the California Coastal Commission regarding siting of an oil rig off the California coast. Chevron had proposed placement of the rig at a depth of 700 feet 15 miles from the coastline and six miles from Anacapa Island, which is part of the Channel Islands National Park. Despite a finding of 'No Significant Impacts" in an Environmental Assessment prepared by MMS and despite the Commission's staff recommendation for approval of the rig siting, the Commissioners denied the petition based on concern that the rig would impact fishing, interfere with navigation, and negatively impact visual aesthetics. In response to these concerns, Chevron filed a modified development plan which included a fund to mitigate any negative impacts caused by the rig operations on commercial fishermen and a radar system to assist navigation in the area. Chevron also proposed to buy air pollution offsets that would have been the largest offsets ever proposed for an offshore operation. The California Coastal Commission denied the rig petition with the proposed mitigatory actions by an 8 to 4 vote. Ironically, the eight negative votes were split, with 4 Commissioners believing any impacts could not be fully mitigated and with 4 Commissioners feeling that the proposed mitigatory actions set unreasonable precedents and were over-mitigating the proposed operations. In response to the Commission's denial, Chevron appealed to the Secretary of Commerce, who has implementation responsibility for the Coastal Zone Management Act, and filed suit against the Commission. This litigation encouraged the interested parties to enter negotiations that culminated in an agreement. That agreement calls for approval of Chevron's Development Plan by MMS and does not allow the Commission to interfere with further action on the proposed plan. The agreement will end the problems that Chevron has had storing the rig platform, which was towed in circles in the ocean for more than two weeks and which was then stored in Los Angeles harbour at costs nearing $200 000 a day. 62
EIS Must Evaluate Risks Before Nuclear Wastes Shipped A US District Court ruled in favour of a Puget Sound coalition that petitioned the court to impose an injunction on the Department of Energy's (DOE) plans to ship radioactive wastes through several West Coast ports. DOE had planned to ship over 25 000 kg of radioactive material in the form of spent fuel rods from Taiwan research reactors. The fuel rods would have come into ports in Puget Sound, Washington, and San Francisco Bay and Long Beach, California, and would have then been transported to South Carolina. Although DOE used an EIS done by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the 1970s that evaluated transportation risks imposed by general nuclear waste activities, the court ruled that the Department would have to prepare an EIS specifically keyed to the risks imposed by the proposed project.
EPA Forced to Suspend Drilling Mud Test to Preserve Mysid Supply The EPA announced in September that offshore oil operators would be allowed to dispose of drilling muds in the Gulf of Mexico for the rest of 1986 without performing the standard bioassay toxicity tests. These tests are required under a general permit issued under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which limits toxicity of discharged muds to an LDs0 of 30 000 ppm (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 17,440441). The required bioassays were suspended because of the shortage of mysid shrimp used in the tests. The shortages have resulted in greatly increased testing times and threatened to further deplete mysid stocks. EPA refused to order use of another species, which would have depleted stocks of that species while diverting resources needed to increase mysid stocks. EPA determined less frquent tests would result in a spotty demand on the already stressed mysid market. The Natural Resources Defence Council had requested EPA to require a preliminary toxicity test that only used one-third to one-sixth of the number of mysids required for the usual bioassay tests. EPA also rejected this alternative since the preliminary tests could not give reliable test results. EPA intends its action to ensure long-term supply of the test organism, while not significantly impacting Gulf waters. Diesel fuels will still not be allowed to be discharged and no waste materials can be discharged near biologically sensitive areas, such as reefs.
Navy Needs to Look for Additional Dredge Disposal Site EPA has concluded the Navy's proposed site to dispose dredged material near Seattle, Washington, would present 'unacceptable risk' to various marine species, especially the Dungeness crab. The Navy will be
which help to stabilize the sediment. It is difficult to predict the consequences of the creeks and bays losing their roles as nursery habitats for juvenile animals. The nearby rocky bottoms, and the communities which live on them will also be affected by the greater movements of terrigenous material. Increased turbidity will decrease the intensity of available light and there will be a greater sedimentation and abrasive effect, all of which will modify to some extent the rocky bottom plant and animal communities. JUAN CARLOS CALVIN CALVO
North American News Chevron Reaches Agreement with California Commission on OCS Activities Chevron USA has reached an agreement with the Minerals Management Service (MMS-Department of Interior) and the California Coastal Commission regarding siting of an oil rig off the California coast. Chevron had proposed placement of the rig at a depth of 700 feet 15 miles from the coastline and six miles from Anacapa Island, which is part of the Channel Islands National Park. Despite a finding of 'No Significant Impacts" in an Environmental Assessment prepared by MMS and despite the Commission's staff recommendation for approval of the rig siting, the Commissioners denied the petition based on concern that the rig would impact fishing, interfere with navigation, and negatively impact visual aesthetics. In response to these concerns, Chevron filed a modified development plan which included a fund to mitigate any negative impacts caused by the rig operations on commercial fishermen and a radar system to assist navigation in the area. Chevron also proposed to buy air pollution offsets that would have been the largest offsets ever proposed for an offshore operation. The California Coastal Commission denied the rig petition with the proposed mitigatory actions by an 8 to 4 vote. Ironically, the eight negative votes were split, with 4 Commissioners believing any impacts could not be fully mitigated and with 4 Commissioners feeling that the proposed mitigatory actions set unreasonable precedents and were over-mitigating the proposed operations. In response to the Commission's denial, Chevron appealed to the Secretary of Commerce, who has implementation responsibility for the Coastal Zone Management Act, and filed suit against the Commission. This litigation encouraged the interested parties to enter negotiations that culminated in an agreement. That agreement calls for approval of Chevron's Development Plan by MMS and does not allow the Commission to interfere with further action on the proposed plan. The agreement will end the problems that Chevron has had storing the rig platform, which was towed in circles in the ocean for more than two weeks and which was then stored in Los Angeles harbour at costs nearing $200 000 a day. 62
EIS Must Evaluate Risks Before Nuclear Wastes Shipped A US District Court ruled in favour of a Puget Sound coalition that petitioned the court to impose an injunction on the Department of Energy's (DOE) plans to ship radioactive wastes through several West Coast ports. DOE had planned to ship over 25 000 kg of radioactive material in the form of spent fuel rods from Taiwan research reactors. The fuel rods would have come into ports in Puget Sound, Washington, and San Francisco Bay and Long Beach, California, and would have then been transported to South Carolina. Although DOE used an EIS done by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the 1970s that evaluated transportation risks imposed by general nuclear waste activities, the court ruled that the Department would have to prepare an EIS specifically keyed to the risks imposed by the proposed project.
EPA Forced to Suspend Drilling Mud Test to Preserve Mysid Supply The EPA announced in September that offshore oil operators would be allowed to dispose of drilling muds in the Gulf of Mexico for the rest of 1986 without performing the standard bioassay toxicity tests. These tests are required under a general permit issued under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which limits toxicity of discharged muds to an LDs0 of 30 000 ppm (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 17,440441). The required bioassays were suspended because of the shortage of mysid shrimp used in the tests. The shortages have resulted in greatly increased testing times and threatened to further deplete mysid stocks. EPA refused to order use of another species, which would have depleted stocks of that species while diverting resources needed to increase mysid stocks. EPA determined less frquent tests would result in a spotty demand on the already stressed mysid market. The Natural Resources Defence Council had requested EPA to require a preliminary toxicity test that only used one-third to one-sixth of the number of mysids required for the usual bioassay tests. EPA also rejected this alternative since the preliminary tests could not give reliable test results. EPA intends its action to ensure long-term supply of the test organism, while not significantly impacting Gulf waters. Diesel fuels will still not be allowed to be discharged and no waste materials can be discharged near biologically sensitive areas, such as reefs.
Navy Needs to Look for Additional Dredge Disposal Site EPA has concluded the Navy's proposed site to dispose dredged material near Seattle, Washington, would present 'unacceptable risk' to various marine species, especially the Dungeness crab. The Navy will be