Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout86-24 - OCS Leasing Program for 1987-91RESOLUTION NO. 86 -24 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH OPPOSING THE ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED 5 -YEAR OCS LEASING PROGRAM FOR 1987- 1991 • WHEREAS, the Department of Interior on February 6, 1986 issued a "Proposed Five -Year Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Program for 1987 through 1991" which outlines plans for offshore drilling lease sales during this period; and WHEREAS, the Department of Interior has solicited formal comments on the Draft OCS Program from affected states, local agencies and interest groups; and WHEREAS, the California Secretary of Environmental Affairs has requested similar formal comments from local agencies and interested parties to assist the Governor in preparing a formal response to the Five -Year OCS Program to be submitted to the Department of Interior on behalf of the State of California; and WHEREAS, the proposed OCS Program proposes to reconfigure California offshore waters into three "OCS Planning Areas" known as Southern California (Mexican border to San Luis Obispo /Monterey County line), Central California (San Luis Obispo /Monterey County line to Sonoma /Mendocino County line), and Northern California (Sonoma /Mendocino County line to the Oregon border); and WHEREAS, the proposed OCS Program contains a total of five leasing actions offshore California, including two lease sales for the Southern California OCS Planning Area to be held in May of 1988 and December of 1991, one lease sale for Central California to be held in May of 1989, and two lease sales for Northern California to be held in April of 1988 and February of 1991; and WHEREAS, the proposed OCS Program solicits proposals for deletion of additional federal waters offshore California from the Program; and WHEREAS, the proposed OCS Program would grant broad discretionary authority to the Secretary of Interior to accelerate any of the five proposed lease sales offshore California and conduct them at an earlier date; and WHEREAS, the proposed OCS Program remains committed to a streamlined pre -lease planning process which would not permit adequate consideration of local land -use priorities, commercial fishing conflicts, other anticipated uses of the OCS, or local agency input to leasing decisions, and would not assure compliance with the California Coastal Zone Management Plan; and WHEREAS, the proposed OCS Program fails to adequately consider the existing or anticipated uses of the sea and seabed, including fisheries, navigation, existing or proposed sealanes, • or military use areas; and WHEREAS, the proposed OCS Program does not contain provisions for considering adverse regional economic impacts of -1- OCS leasing actions on the existing economic base of each community and also fails to weigh these local impacts against the declining economic value of potential petroleum reserves in a manner which represents an objective cost - benefit analysis; and WHEREAS, the proposed OCS Program fails to consider the relative marine productivity and environmental sensitivity of various OCS Planning Areas as required by the OCS Lands Act, nor does the proposed Program consider the equitable sharing of developmental benefits and environmental risks among the various regions of the United States; and WHEREAS, the proposed OCS Program fails to consider the laws, goals, and policies of the State of California as required by the OCS Lands Act; and WHEREAS, the proposed OCS Program does not conduct the required "critical balancing" required by the OCS Lands Act, and fails to select the timing and location of leasing so as to obtain a proper balance between the potential for environmental damage, the potential for discovery of oil and gas, and the potential for adverse impact on the coastal zone; and WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach has reviewed the proposed OCS Leasing Program and found that it does not address local agency concerns nor regional economic implications, nor any of the factors indicated above. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the City of Newport Beach hereby adopts this resolution opposing adoption of the proposed OCS Leasing Program by the Department of the Interior; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution should be forwarded to the State and Congressional officials involved in the decision - making process on this issue for appropriate action. ADOPTED this 14th • -2-