1995 population of both Washington County, Rhode Island and Hampton Roads, Conclusion: A negligible impact on the population at the regional level is expected. Impacts on population levels are expected to be minor in both potential gas facility counties and support base counties. Cumulative Impacts Population increases would be approximately 50 percent greater if cumulative impacts associated with OCS activity are assumed. This cumulative increase is still negligible at the regional level, representing an increase of less than 0.1 percent of the current population. The effects of oil and gas exploration and production from previously leased lands would have no impacts on the populations of those counties assumed to be locations for gas facilities because no new employment would be created (see Impacts on Employment--Cumulative Impacts). The effects of supporting exploration and production from previously leased lands would most likely impact only the population of Washington County, Rhode Island. This is due to the location of previously leased tracts. The actual amount of population generated will depend on the actual amount of employment generated (see Impacts on Employment--Cumulative Impacts). Population in the two most affected areas (Hampton Roads, Virginia and the Washington County, Rhode Island area) are projected to increase by approximately 30 percent and 25 percent, respectively, over the next 35 years. Similar increases in population are anticipated at the localities in which a gas processing and treatment plant may be located (Wilmington, Delaware and Monmouth County, New Jersey). Population at the regional level is anticipated to increase at a somewhat slower rate. Conclusion: Cumulative population impacts are expected to be major on both a regional and local level. IV.E.12. Impacts on Community Infrastructure Increases in local and regional population will cause corresponding increases in demand for public and private community services and facilities such as housing, education, and police and fire protection. These increased demands have the potential either to stimulate a community into full utilization of infrastructure, or to stress a community's fully-utilized services and facilities. Both the total growth in population and the period over which the growth is expected to occur (rate of growth) help to determine potential impacts on an area's or a community's well-being. Analysis of the estimated total new resident population figures, and their average annual rate of growth relative to existing population levels, indicates that it would be highly unlikely that the study area as a whole would be subject to an amount or rate of population growth that would strain its ability to provide adequate community services and facilities. Any significant population increases resulting from activities associated with the proposed sale would be limited to Hampton Roads, Virginia and Washington County, Rhode Island, the two support base localities; therefore, potential for stress on infrastructure is most likely to be limited to these localities as well. Conclusion: It is unlikely that the study area as a whole would be subject minor. Cumulative Impacts Increases in local and regional population, resulting from cumulative activity, will cause corresponding increases in the demand on the community infrastructure. Analysis of the estimated total new resident population figures, and their average rate of growth relative to existing population levels, indicates that is is highly unlikely that the study area as a whole would be subject to an amount or rate of population growth that would strain its ability to adequately provide services and facilities. On a local basis cumulative activity would be more significant. Local impacts are expected to be negligible in those counties assumed as locations for the gas facility and minor in those localities serving as support base locations. Conclusion: Cumulative infrastructure stress is expected to be negligible on a regional basis. On a local basis, minor impacts may be experienced in those localities which serve as operations support base locations. The proposed action will create a conflict between oil and gas activities and NASA activities associated with the Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia. The Wallops Island NASA Warning Area, shown on Visual No. 5, delineates the minimum area that NASA feels must be kept free of all surface structures. The portion of the warning area that is included in the proposed action (65 blocks) represents less than 2 percent of the sale area. Based on the resource estimates and the production schedule for the proposed action it is estimated that only one exploratory rig or production platform would be in the surface-free zone at any time. Any vessel or structure within this area would be subject to the remote possibility of being damaged by falling debris resulting from both successful and unsuccessful rocket and missile launches. If a rig or platform were damaged by debris from a rocket or missile, accidental release of hydrocarbons could occur if wells and other equipment were not shut in. The shuting in of wells and other equipment during each launch would appear to be impractical due to the frequency of launches (approximately 20 per month). The proposed action will also create conflicts between offshore oil and gas activities and DOD activities in the mid-Atlantic area. These conflicts include such matters as offshore operators emmissions of electromagnetic signals affecting missile firing events; ship and aircraft traffic interfering with both naval and air training exercises; and the possibility of collision between both submarines and missiles with offshore oil and gas surface structures. Conclusion: Minor level of conflict is anticipated between OCS oil and gas activity and NASA/DOD activities. Cumulative Impacts There are no current leases in the Wallops Island Warning Area, thus no cumulative effects from OCS activities are anticipated. While there are several blocks in DOD warning areas currently under lease, the resource estimate for these areas, that when added to the proposed sale, indicate that the level of activity and the density of development will not be so great as to seriously interfere with DOD activities. Conclusion: A minor level of conflict is anticipated between OCS oil and gas activities and NASA/DOD activities. Ocean dumping activities in the mid-Atlantic OCS area are described in Section III.D.2 (Ocean Dumping) and dumpsite locations are shown in Visual No. 1. All the dumpsites within the proposed sale area are on the slope and rise and include six former explosives dumpsites, three former radioactive materials dumpsites, a proposed incineration site, and two newly-designated sites (one for municipal sludge and one for industrial waste) located within the recently-discontinued 106-Mile Ocean Waste Dump Site. There is a potential interaction of oil and gas activities with ocean dumping in that oil and gas exploration/production operations may: 1) present a use conflict in the designated dumpsite areas; 2) disturb the dumpsite bottom (seafloor) resulting in water quality contamination or contact with hazardous materials (e.g. undetonated explosives, chemical munitions, radioactive materials); or 3) cause water quality degradation as a result of synergistic interaction of operational discharges with ocean-dumped waste. However, as regards the proposed Sale No. 111 area, these potential interactions are expected to result in resolvable conflicts in usage of the area, minor impacts to water quality, and highly improbable contact with hazardous materials. Potential use conflict of gas and oil operations with ocean dumping within the Sale No. 111 area involves the newly-designated Deepwater Municipal Sludge Site and the Deepwater Industrial Waste Site and the proposed North Atlantic Incineration Site, all located in the northeast part of the proposed lease area (see Visual No. 1). These potential use conflicts would be resolved by coordination between the Environmental Protection Agency, the regulatory agency responsible for these dumpsites, and the lessees. This mitigation of conflicts through coordination procedure is presented in Section II.B.1.e (Information to Bidders and Lessees), including a listing of the blocks so affected. The mitigating procedure, if needed, may involve adjustment of schedule and/or relocation of ocean dumping activities in synchrony with oil and gas operations (Federal Register, Vol. 49, No. 88; Anderson, P., EPA Region II - Philadelphia, personal communication, 1984). On the slope and rise, the areas where ocean dumping occurs within the sale area, the disturbance of the bottom by oil and gas activities would be minor-limited to such activities as the actual drilling of the seafloor and possible placement of subsea complexes and gas pipelines. These activities result in some bottom disturbance which, in turn, may cause minor, local degradation of water quality by resuspension of potentially contaminated (from ocean dumping) sediment. MMS has authority under OCS Operating Order No. 2 to require a lessee to perform pre-drilling hazards surveys. This would include surveys to detect explosives and radioactive materials where such surveys may be warranted. Such precautions would minimize the probability that undetonated explosives or radioactive materials, especially those concentrated within the former dumpsites, would endanger drilling activities, or that radioactive materials would be released in the marine environment. Additionally, per Stipulation No. 8 and the judgement of the Regional Supervisor, Field Operations (RS/FO), additional surveys may be required of the lessee to further address the potential hazard of undetonated explosives and radioactive materials. Also, by the Information (to Lessees and Bidders) on Undetonated Explosives and Radioactive Materials Hazard (Section II.B.1.c), information is presented in regard to noting locations of hazardous materials and procedures to be employed in the event these materials are encountered. Some level of synergistic interaction, resulting in potentially additional water quality impact, may be possible if the dumping of ocean wastes and drilling discharges were to occur simultaneouly and in close proximity. It is possible that if this were to occur the materials could form other compounds, the nature of which would depend on the waste components. For example, clays present in the drilling muds could provide sites for the attachment of substances present in the dumped wastes, such as heavy metals, and carry them to the bottom as they settle out (US EPA, 1980a). Mitigation of synergistic impacts, as with potential use conflicts, would be implemented through EPA coordination of ocean dumping activities with the release of the lessee's drilling discharges. Thus, minimization of potential synergistic impact would be accomplished through the separation by space and/or time of the ocean-dumped wastes (from the municipal sludge, the industrial waste and the proposed incineration sites within the sale area) from the drilling discharges. This type of coordination, to mitigate potential synergistic impacts, may also be exercised in the event of oil from a large, accidental oil spill occurring in or entering into an ocean dumping area (per Table 12, Appendix C, there is a 5 percent probability that a spill of over 1,000 barrels would occur and contact the 106-Mile Ocean Waste Dump Site area). Conclusion: Impacts on ocean dumping from oil and gas operations would be minor. IV.F. Alternative 2: Delay the Sale Impacts on water quality, plankton, benthos, fisheries, seabirds, endangered species, sensitive coastal areas, recreation and tourism, and cultural resources are expected to be delayed but to remain unchanged from those analyzed in the proposed action (see IV.E). Delaying the sale for 1 year would allow any additional data obtained from ongoing studies to be reviewed, analyzed, and incorporated into the EIS. Table IV.F.1 lists the ongoing studies funded by MMS, and the expected dates the information will become available for the impact analysis. As the table shows, one report will be available by January 1985, two additional studies will be completed by October 1985, and the final report will be finished by November 1986. Table IV.F.1-1. Timetable of MMS-Funded Studies Pertinent to the Mid-Atlantic The table does not include any studies that may be initiated during the delay period which would provide information in interim, draft, or final reports. Further information could become available from independent research sources during the delay period. In addition, research data derived from exploration plans and the required surveys for existing leases which are performed during the delay period could be incorporated into the impact analysis. Delaying the sale would not decrease the probability of an oil spill occurring during a 30-year development period unless additional information becomes available which decreases the resource potential. During the delay period the risk of an oil spill from the transporting of imported and domestic petroleum and petroleum products through the |