No new facilities will need to be constructed but a sizable
expansion in communities' services (number of employees) will be
necessary to accommodate the added population associated with
OCS development.

Existing community facilities and services will undergo some
stress because of the added population associated with OCS
development.

Negligible Existing community facilities and services should be able to accommodate the added population associated with OCS develop

ment.

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Cultural resources are expected to be present and disturbed.

Moderate

Cultural resources may be present and disturbed.

Presence of cultural resource is possible but disturbance of
cultural resources unlikely.

Negligible Presence and disturbance of cultural resources is unlikely.

NASA AND DOD ACTIVITIES

Level of offshore oil and gas activity will be so high as to inter-
fere greatly with the continuation of NASA and DOD activities in
a safe manner.

Level of offshore oil and gas activity will be high enough to interfere to some extent with the continuation of NASA and DOD activities in a safe manner.

Level of offshore oil and gas activity may interfere to a minimal
degree with the continuation of NASA and DOD activities in a
safe manner.

Negligible Level of offshore oil and gas activity will be low enough so the NASA and DOD activities can be continued in a safe manner.

OCEAN DUMPING

Major

Prohibit use of area as ocean dumpsite; disturb dumpsite bottom
(seafloor) resulting in severe water quality contamination over
an extensive area or likely contact with hazardous (e.g. undeto-
nated explosives, chemical munitions, radioactive materials;
cause severe degradation of water quality within extensive area
as a result of synergistic interaction of operational discharges
with ocean-dumped waste.

Considerably constrain use of area as ocean dumpsite; disturb dumpsite bottom possibly resulting in temporary water quality contamination over an extensive area or possibly contact with hazardous materials; possibly cause temporary degradation of water quality within extensive area as a result of synergistic interaction of operational discharges with ocean-dumped waste.

Result in limited conflict with use of area as ocean dumpsite resolvable through coordination and planning; disturb dumpsite bottom resulting in temporary degradation of water quality locally or possibly (but unlikely) contact with hazardous materials; cause temporary degradation of water quality locally as a result of synergistic interaction of operational discharges with ocean-dumped waste.

Negligible Cause very little (easily resolvable) conflict with use of area as ocean dumpsite; disturb dumpsite bottom possibly resulting in temporary degradation of water quality locally or possibly (but very unlikely) contact with hazardous materials; possibly cause temporary degradation of water quality locally as a result of synergistic interaction of operational discharges with oceandumped waste.

Table II.B.6-1. Comparison of Estimated Impact Levels for Each Alternative

Levels of Impact: 0 = None; 1 = negligible; 2 = minor; 3 = moderate; 4 = major.

*Less than impacts for the proposed action.

CHAPTER III

DESCRIPTION
OF THE

AFFECTED

ENVIRONMENT