Summary

TD195
P4U541

( ) Draft

(X) Final Environmental Statement

Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Division of
Marine Minerals

vil

DOCUMENTS
DEPT.

1. Proposed Oil and Gas General Lease Sale, Outer Continental Shelf, Gulf of Mexico.

2.

3.

(X)

Administrative

( ) Legislative Action

Two hundred and forty-five tracts (1,355,684.39 acres) of OCS
lands are proposed for leasing action. The tracts are located
offshore Texas; eleven tracts (63,360 acres) are situated in
water depths of 300 meters or beyond. If implemented, this
sale is tentatively scheduled to be held in the late spring,
1974.

All tracts offered pose some degree of pollution risk to the
environment and adjacent shoreline. The risk potential is
related to adverse effects on the environment and other
resource uses which may result principally from accidental
or chronic oil spillage. Each tract offered is subjected to
a matrix analytical technique in order to evaluate signi-
ficant environmental impacts should leasing and subsequent
oil and gas exploration and production ensue.

or sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $4.15 XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Stock Number 2411-00046

5. Comments have been requested from the following:

6.

7.

Environmental Protection Agency*

Department of Commerce*

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Department of Defense

Department of Transportation*

U.S. Coast Guard

Department of Treasury

Atomic Energy Commission*

Federal Power Commission*

State of Texas*

Office of the Governor

Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission

Railroad Commission of Texas

Water Quality Board

Department of the Interior*

Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife

Bureau of Outdoor Recreation

Bureau of Mines

Geological Survey

National Park Service

Office of Oil and Gas

Draft statement made available to the Council on Environmental Quality and the public on December 21, 1973.

Final statement made available to the Council on Environmental
Quality and the public on March 22, 1974.

* Comments received.

B.

Page

1

1

Relationship of This Proposed Action to Existing and

Prospective Offshore Oil and Gas Development in the

Gulf of Mexico

C.

Background of Proposal

7

D.

E. Activity, Environment, and Impact from the Five-Year

Schedule in the Gulf of Mexico.

F.

G.

15

Resource Use and Commercial Activity Related to the

OCS in the Gulf of Mexico

21

3.

4.

5.

Possible Environmental Impacts from OCS Oil and Gas

Development Resulting from Implementation of the

Five-Year Lease Schedule.

Tract Selection

1.

Responsibilities and Procedures

2. Purpose of the Tract Selection Process.

43

47

Prospective Horizons Within the Proposed Sale Area.

Paleontology. .

Flower Garden Banks .

Continental Slope

7. Seismic Hazards

Page

1. Surface Sea Temperatures.

The Climate of Coastal Texas and Louisiana, and

Adjacent Gulf Waters

B.

1.

2.

3.

4.

General Climatology and Seasonal Weather Patterns

Sky Cover and Visibility

5.

6.

C.

-

Trinity River Bay Head Deltaic Marsh and Swamp.

The Galveston-Trinity-Bay-Estuary Lagoon System

Galveston Island A Barrier Island .

-

Coastal Zone Between Galveston and Matagorda Bay

System .

Matagorda Bay System.

Common Coastal and Marine Birds of the Gulf of

Mexico

6.

7.

8.

9.

E.

1.

Endangered and Threatened Fish and Wildlife.

94

94

103

110

114

123

The Biological Environment and Communities of the Gulf

of Mexico. .

2.

3.

4.

The Active Swimmers

5. Unique Environments

Resources of the Eastern Texas Coastal Zone

F.

Recreation Resources.

3.

Ports and Shipping. .

4.

Commercial Fisheries.

5.

6.

Oil and Gas Resources

Significance of the Petroleum Related

Industries in the Texas Coastal Zone.

7. Historical and Projected Economic Growth.