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
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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
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