Page 23 - The Voice 2017
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The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published it Gulf of
Mexico (GOM) Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS)
on 4 August 2017. The Agency's preferred alternative, Alternative C, ignores
the best available science and disregards fifty years of successful seismic survey
exploration alongside vibrant thriving marine ecosystems in the GOM.
The final PEIS remains overly precautionary, containing seriously flawed
marine mammal effects analysis for seismic activities. However, many of the
Draft PEIS measures and controls which were of concern to our members
were kept out of the preferred alternative, including shutdowns for dolphins,
broader closure areas, buffer zones between concurrent surveys, lowest
BOEM GULF OF MEXICO practicable source standard, limits on "duplicative" surveys, and across-the-
DRAFT AND FINAL PEIS board reductions to activity.
Under Alternative C, G&G activities would continue to be authorized and
would include those mitigation measures, monitoring, reporting, survey
protocols, and guidance that were in place prior to the 2013 Settlement
Agreement. It would also require additional mitigation and temporal measures
for seismic and HRG surveys. The most concerning additional mitigation
measure is coastal closures throughout the Gulf, an issue which the IAGC is
advocating for removal in the Record of Decision.
The Associations' comments stated the industry cannot support mitigation
measures with no basis in fact or science, which are intended to address
presumed adverse effects that will not occur. The comments also clarified the
relevance of the settlement agreement and subsequent stipulations that were
entered into by the parties in NRDC et al. v. Jewell et al., No. 2:10-cv-01882
(E.D. La.) ("NRDC v. Jewell").
The IAGC is working on all fronts to ensure the Record of Decision and
ultimate regulatory framework implemented in the GOM protects our
members' continued freedom to operate.
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