Office of Mineral Resources

GOVERNOR FOSTER CALLS FOR REASSESSMENT OF OFFSHORE IMPACT STUDY

In a recent letter to Mineral Management Service's (MMS) regional director, Governor M. J. "Mike" Foster, Jr. has asked the federal government to reevaluate the impact of the proposed sale of offshore leases (169, 172, 175, 178, 182) and its significance to the Louisiana Gulf Coast region. The U.S. Department of Interior's MMS manages the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the OCS, and collects, accounts for, and disburses revenues from federal offshore leases.

Governor Foster's concerns stem from MMS's prepared draft EIS (environmental impact study) released in late May that concludes there would be little to no environmental and socioeconomic impacts on Louisiana as a result of the OCS (outer continental shelf) lease sale. He specifically cites an overburdened infrastructure and major effects on local governments and private businesses based on activity generated from the pending multisale of leases in the Central Gulf of Mexico.

Governor Foster maintains that while the United States will benefit from the sale and from the resulting oil and gas production, Louisiana will benefit only if the needed infrastructure is there to accommodate the expected activity.

The Governor based his concerns on information provided by state Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Administrator Terry Howey in a detailed review of MMS's impact study. In the July 1997 review, Howey asked MMS to place greater weight on the consideration of environmental damage and adverse impacts to the state's coastal zone. He said that the entire southern boundary of Louisiana is exposed to the adverse impacts of OCS exploration and development activities to a larger extend than any other state.

Governor Foster agrees with and supports the views of DNR officials and many local government officials who have already responded at public hearings to the issues associated with the upcoming offshore oil and natural gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico. Noted concerns of local officials and citizens include 18-wheeler traffic on highways, the activities at ports, shortage of water, as well as the lack of housing, local workers, and adequate roads and waste storage facilities.

The Central Gulf of Mexico has unleased acreage in the area offshore Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.

For additional information, contact Marsanne Golsby, Casey Kimberlin, or Trey Williams at (504)342-9037. You can also visit the Governor's website at www.state.la.us/gov/gov.htm.