be used to arbitrarily exclude facilities which may be allowed by the State. The Land Use Planning Act thus assures that local governments give adequate consideration to needs which extend beyond local concern. The State also provides condemnation powers to gas companies to acquire private property for constructing gas pipeline, if necessary. In view of these factors, the DCMP notes that "neither offshore nor onshore pipelines are likely to confront insurmountable regulatory obstacles." Gas Processing and Treatment Plant: The resource estimates for Sale No. 111 if developed would justify construction of one gas processing and treatment plant. The exact location of this plant would depend upon where in the sale area the gas resources are discovered. Previous mid-Atlantic OCS sale scenarios have analyzed hypothetical locations in Bristol County, Massachusetts; Monmouth County, New Jersey; New Castle County, Delaware; and Norfolk, Virginia. For the purposes of this sale, a gas processing and treatment plant in Wall Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey or New Castle County, Delaware, has been hypothesized, in conjunction with the pipeline routes examined above. A study prepared by the Monmouth County Planning Board (1978) noted that: Inland, the zoning status in Monmouth County affords industrial In analyzing one specific location of more 60 acres in Wall Township, the County concluded that such a hypothetical siting would be in keeping with the siting criteria of "available suitable industrially zoned land" and "low density of development in the area." Several options are available for pipeline routes connecting to the major east coast pipeline systems and these were also examined in the study. Further, the site would be reasonably close to the hypothesized pipeline landfall at Sea Girt, New Jersey. The New Jersey Coastal Management Program, recognizing that such plants do not require locations on the shoreline, states that gas plants ". . shall be prohibited from sites within the Bay and Ocean Shore area and shall be located the maximum distance from the shoreline." The Wall Township location is outside of the Bay and Ocean Shore area (1.e., the coastal zone) and thus there does not appear to be major conflicts with this policy. The NJCMP also states that to promote the most efficient use of land, gas plants could be located close to existing interstate natural gas transmission pipelines. In accordance with this, and as noted above, a Wall Township site would have several options for connecting to existing transmission pipelines and would also be proximate to the hypothesized landfall at Sea Girt. Although the plant itself would be outside of the coastal zone and thus outside the jurisdiction of the Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA), the NJCMP notes that since the plant would be served by a pipeline originating on the OCS, it would be reviewed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Department of Energy (NJDOE). The NJDOE, through the New Jersey Energy Act, possesses explicit authority to participate in energy facility siting decisions (N.J.S.A. 52:27F). The policy of the NJDOE, as expressed in the New Jersey Energy Master Plan (1978) is: Gas processing and other OCS-related treatment and processing facilities will be encouraged to cluster in one or two carefully buffered complexes, and to be located the maximum feasible distance inland from the pipeline landfall. As noted above, the Wall Township 60 acre site--the bulk of which is buffer area--would appear to meet these criteria. New Castle County, Delaware is included in the development scenario for Sale No. 111 as an alternative location for a gas processing and treatment plant, should the need arise. A site anywhere in the County, including the Wilmington area, would be subject to the requirements of the Delaware Coastal Management Program since the entire County (as well as the other two counties in the State) is part of the coastal zone (see Section III.D.4). The program specifically prohibits siting of facilities such as refineries or gas plants in wetlands or in the coastal strip. The DCMP however, recognizes that gas plants "are not absolutely dependent upon a coastal location," and it states that: Inland locations [for gas plants] are acceptable on a case-by-case basis provided all state and local environmental and land use standards are met. On the State level, the site selection process would involve various State agencies coordinated by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control which would also ensure that environmental safeguards are met. The DCMP even recognizes that "many of the environmental problems associated with gas processing plants can be overcome with proper planning, careful waste treatment, and strict operational standards." This, coupled with gas plant exclusion from the coastal strip, should ensure an environmentally acceptable siting decision within New Castle County. Conversations with New Castle County Planning Commission indicate that there are ample industrially zoned lands in the county which could accommodate a 50-75 acre site for a gas processing plant and treatment. Although the Commission does not have specific policies regarding energy facility siting, indications are that this sort of development is encouraged if executed properly. Support Bases: The development scenario for Sale No. 111 calls for two potential support bases for mid-Atlantic exploratory activities--one which currently exists in Davisville, Rhode Island and another to be established, if needed, in the Port of Greater Hampton Roads. The support base in Davisville, Rhode Island has serviced all exploratory activities in the North and Mid-Atlantic Planning areas to date. Since it is an existing facility, no land-use conflicts are anticipated if it remains the support base for this or future OCS activities. In fact, the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council has stated that: OCS support bases could be accommodated at Quonset/Davisville Further, the RICMP document as amended (June 28, 1983) includes Quonset/Davisville in the State's "large inventory of unutilized and underutilized port facilities" available for redevelopment through the Rhode Island Port Authority. A second support base could be developed in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, if warranted by the location and extent of exploratory activities. The Port of Greater Hampton Roads is strategically located in the mid-Atlantic area near the Chesapeake Bay's entrance to the ocean. The Port includes the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Newport News and supports a thriving port industrial complex which has developed over the years. Local officials indicate that industrially-zoned sites are available to meet a variety of requirements (including OCS support base needs). For example, the city of Newport News alone contains several publically or privately owned sites which are available and which may be suitable for an OCS support base. The Virginia Port Authority has also indicated that industrial sites could be found in the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth and/or Chesapeake. Thus, there do not appear to be any physical limitations or local land-use constraints which would preclude siting an OCS support base in the area. Local governments are supportive and cooperative of industrial port developments as indicated by government officials in the area and the Hampton Roads Maritime Association--an association of both private sector firms and governmental agencies. At the State level, although the Commonwealth of Virginia does not yet have an approved coastal zone management program, the Commonwealth's Council on the Environment--the lead agency for developing such a program--has indicated that the siting of a support base in this area is in general compliance with Virginia's policies. Other Facilities: The development scenario for Sale No. 111 assumes that existing facilities serving the Gulf of Mexico will fulfill the pipecoating requirements for the proposed action. Oil produced in the mid-Atlantic will be transported by tanker to existing refineries in the Raritan and Delaware Bays. No oil pipelines are anticipated. Expansion of neither the pipecoating facilities nor the refineries will be required. Helicopter services can be located in any existing commercial airport along the coast and would not require expansion of facilities. Because these requirements can be met by existing facilities without expansion, no conflicts with land-use plans or policies are anticipated. Conclusion: The components of the development scenario for Sale No. 111 are Cumulative Impacts The exploration and development of currently leased blocks in the Mid-Atlantic OCS constitutes a reasonably foreseeable action which could contribute to cumulative impacts on coastal land use in the affected area. The resource estimates for currently leased areas, when combined with the estimates for the proposed action (mean case), produce a slightly altered development scenario. Two, rather than one, gas pipelines and associated facilities are anticipated to be constructed. This would probably entail the development of the hypothetical landfalls at both Sea Girt, New Jersey and Bethany Beach, Delaware with nearby processing and treatment plants. As noted above, these facilities are not anticipated to present major conflicts with the land-use plans or coastal management policies in those areas. With regard to other components of the development scenario, the spectrum of facilities examined above is anticipated to accommodate the resources produced through existing leases as well as the proposed action (see Section II.B.1.a). As a result this would probably not create new land-use demands for additional OCS-related facilities. Also, most individual development projects, whether OCS-related or of some other type, in and of themselves are likely only to produce minor land-use impacts, especially in relation to the region as a whole. However, when combined with other general development pressures, significant negative impacts on land use in the coastal zone may occur. Coastal areas have experienced extremely rapid growth in the past 20 to 30 years, exerting tremendous pressures on the coastal environment. The accommodation of this growth required the development of commercial and industrial centers, transportation terminals, residential complexes, and expanded tourist and recreational facilities. Often, uncontrolled and unplanned development damaged coastal resources. Although overall growth is not expected to continue at the same rate as the past 20 to 30 years, development activities if left unchecked have the potential for damaging coastal resources in the future. State and local land-use plans and Coastal Zone Management Programs, however, are intended to promote balanced development. While some development pressures are expected to remain, these plans and programs should control and guide development in such a way as to avoid widespread negative impacts. Conclusion: Impacts on land use in the coastal zone could be major in the cumulative case. However, adherence to Coastal Zone Management Programs and local land-use plans should reduce these impacts. IV.E.10. Impacts on Employment The search for and discovery of oil and gas in the proposed Middle Atlantic Lease Sale No. 111 area could create many employment opportunities in the mid-Atlantic region. The potential employment impacts are greater than those related to the number of new jobs directly generated by OCS activity. chain of secondary expansions will occur as a function of this initial activity and growth will be experienced in many sectors. This is often referred to as the "multiplier effect." Therefore, the total impact on regional employment will involve two components of change: direct employment, and secondary employment. Direct Employment Direct employment is defined as those jobs generated by establishments engaged in primary activities such as exploration, drilling, oil and gas well operation and maintenance, and the operation of natural gasoline or cycle plants, either directly or on a contract basis (majority SIC Code 13). Direct employment estimates for the mid-Atlantic region (Table IV.E. 10-1) were derived by combining the Minerals Management Service's conditional mean resource production and offshore construction schedule with several widely accepted OCS development studies [NERBC, 1976a, 1976b; Roy F. Weston, Inc. in association with Frederick R. Harris, Inc., 1978; South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC), 1983; Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council (NFRPC), 1983] as well as employment information provided by industry through environmental reports for previous sales and informal consultation. The low estimates for the early years reflect the less intense and more transient nature of the exploratory phase. Direct employment will be concentrated in those cities and counties directly involved in OCS activities. These activities include support bases (Washington County, Rhode Island, and Hampton Roads, Virginia) and a gas processing plant (New Castle County, Delaware or Monmouth County, New Jersey). Table IV.E.10-1. Direct Employment Assumed to Result from the Proposed Sale lExcluding transients (i.e. workers living aboard a rig and commuting home out of the region between shifts); including employment at onshore support bases, gas facilities, and offshore employment. 2See Appendix B for an explanation of the various scenarios. |