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30 C.F.R. § 256.82   Environmental studies.

Title 30 - Mineral Resources

Title 30: Mineral Resources
PART 256—LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF
Subpart M—Studies

§ 256.82   Environmental studies.

(a) The Director shall conduct a study of any area or region included in any lease sale in order to establish information needed for assessment and management of impacts on the human, marine and coastal environments which may be affected by OCS oil and gas activities in such area or region. Any study shall, to the extent practicable, be designed to predict environmental impacts of pollutants introduced into the environments and of the impacts of offshore activities on the seabed and affected coastal areas.

(b) Studies shall be planned and carried out in cooperation with the affected States and interested parties and, to the extent possible, shall not duplicate studies done under other laws. Where appropriate, the Director shall, to the maximum extent practicable, enter into agreements with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in executing the environmental studies responsibilities. By agreement, the Director may also utilize services, personnel or facilities of any Federal, State or local government agency in the conduct of such study.

(c) Any study of an area or region required by paragraph (a) of this section for a lease sale shall be commenced not later than six months prior to holding a lease sale for that area. The Director may utilize information collected in any prior study. The Director may initiate studies for areas or regions not identified in the leasing program.

(d) After the leasing and developing of any area or region, the Director shall conduct such studies as are deemed necessary to establish additional information and shall monitor the human, marine and coastal environments of such area or region in a manner designed to provide information which can be compared with the results of studies conducted prior to OCS oil and gas development. This shall be done to identify any significant changes in the quality and productivity of such environments, to establish trends in the areas studies, and to design experiments identifying the causes of such changes. Findings from such studies shall be used to recommend modifications in practices which are employed to mitigate the effects of OCS activities and to enhance the data/information base for predicting impacts which might result from a single lease sale or cumulative OCS activities.

(e) Information available or collected by the studies program shall, to the extent practicable, be provided in a form and in a timeframe that can be used in the decision-making process associated with a specific leasing action or with longer term OCS minerals management responsibilities.