Very Urgent, Comments On Offshore Drilling Proposal .

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VERY URGENT, DEADLINE FEB. 1, 2001 COMMENTS ON OFFSHORE DRILLING PROPOSAL BIG OIL IS MAKING A BIG PUSH TO BRINGNEW OFFSHORE DRILLING TO AMERICA'S MOSTTREASURED COASTLINE.GALE NORTON, NEW U.S. DEPT. OF INTERIOR WANTSTO OPEN AS MANY AS FIVE NEW OIL DRILLINGPLATFORMS ON THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST.ONE SPILL NEAR BIG SUR COULD WIPE OUT THEENTIRE CALIFORNIA SEA OTTER POPULATION ! The Sample letter is enclosed below :

 

Please send your comments to the following two sites:

1: MMS5-year.document (@mms.gov)

 

2: MMS5-year.eis (@mms.gov )

 

 

Or mail to address :

(need to include your name and home address)

 

5-Year Program Manager,

Minerals Management Service (MS-4400)

Room 2324,

381 Elden Street,

Herndon, Virginia 20170

 

 

For further information on the issue , please contact :

Ralph Ainger, 5-year Program Manager, at

tel: 703-787-1215

 

 

For more info, you may click the following :

 

http://www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2000/press1212.htm or

http://www.mms.gov/federalregister/PDFs/FedReg-5-year.pdf

 

SAMPLE LETTER : (copied from Environmental Defense fund below).

 

 

RE: COMMENTS ON PREPARATION OF THE 5-YEAR

PROGRAM FOR 2002--2007.

 

Dear 5-Year Program Manager, ,

 

I am writing to comment on your agency's preparationof the nationwide Five-Year Offshore Oil and Gas LeasingProgram, and also on the planned Environmental ImpactStatement and "Scoping" process for new drilling offshoreCentral California.The Department of Interior must reconsider these dangerousproposals in light of the important contributions toour local economies made by coastal-dependent tourism,commercial fishing, and shoreline recreation.

I therefore encourage the Interior Department to fullyrespect the bipartisan congressional offshore drillingmoratorium, and to abide by the presidential drillingdeferrals previously issued by Presidents George Bush,Sr. and Bill Clinton, both of whom concluded thatavailable scientific data does not support a decisionto allow new drilling in the moratorium areas.I also ask that you consider that additional offshoredrilling in sensitive Alaskan waters will result inunwarranted environmental risks, due to recent documentedfailures of oil spill cleanup equipment where sea iceis present. Offshore drilling in Alaska threatensimportant fisheries and can also be expected to increaseoil spills in many coastal areas in the Lower-48 statesas we experience additional "Exxon-Valdez" types oftanker accidents.Offshore drilling brings with it toxic air and waterpollution, undesirable industrialization of sensitiveshoreline habitats, and public safety and wildlifedamage risks. Until there is an adequate oil spillcleanup and containment technology which can effectivelyrespond to accidents, sensitive coastal waters shouldnot be opened to new drilling in your proposed LeasingProgram.

 

Your Department's plans for new drilling in already-leasedareas along the Central California coastline are nowsubject to legal challenge by the State of Californiaand the conservation community. Any new drilling activitiesin this region would pose an unacceptable oil spillthreat to the survival of the California Sea Otter.

In addition, the Florida Panhandle and North Carolina'sOuter Banks should not be subject to drilling activitieson previous leases or subjected to future offshorelease sales. Risky proposals for massive new floatingoil storage vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, which wouldincrease spill risks there, should be scrapped.

 

Thank you for your attention to these concerns, andplease enter this letter into the legal record forcomments called for in Federal Register Notices 00-31629and 00-29921, as formal comments on the Five-Year LeasingProgram, and on Scoping and Preparation of an EnvironmentalImpact Statement for new drilling offshore CentralCalifornia.

 

I look forward to your agency's comprehensivewritten response to each of the issues I have raised,as required by law.

 

Thanks very much.

 

Sincerely Yours,

(your name

address).

 

 

=========================================

---- Original Message from -----<TakeAction (@environmentaldefense.org )

Monday, January 22, 2001 12:59 PM Urgent Alert from Environmental Defense Big Oil is now making a big push to bring new offshore drilling to some of America's most treasured coastline. The oil industry wants to lift the moratorium on new offshore oil leases, which for almost 20 years has protected the U.S East Coast, the West Coast, parts of Florida, and Alaska's fishery-rich Bristol Bay. Unless renewed by Congress, the coastal drilling moratorium could end on October 1, 2001, opening up the floodgates on offshore oil drilling. Also, the U.S. Department of Interior wants to open as many as five new oil drilling platforms on the Central California coast. A single oil spill in this region could pollute beaches up and down the West Coast. One spill near Big Sur could wipe out the entire California Sea Otter population. The majestic Florida Panhandle is also under assault by plans for new offshore drilling rigs. North Carolina's pristine Outer Banks, where fights over drilling have gone on for decades, is not yet safe from the oil industry. And in the Gulf of Mexico, even more drilling is being proposed, along with a new push to introduce risky floating oil storage vessels. In Alaska's fragile Arctic waters, where its impossible to clean up spilled oil trapped under the sea ice, wildlife-rich coastal habitats are likely to be targeted by most of Interior's new drilling plan. However, this does not just affect people who live in California, North Carolina, Florida or Alaska. America's coastline belongs to all Americans, even if you live in Illinois, Colorado, or Vermont. The Bush Administration's nominee for Secretary of Interior, Gale Norton, was a protege of former Interior Secretary James Watt. Interior is taking public comments on a new Five-Year Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program, which will tell the oil industry where it can prepare for new coastal drilling. Take action and send a personalized email message to the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service (MMS), letting them know what you think of this new oil-drilling scheme. Remind them of the risks drilling rigs pose to life in our oceans and to your favorite beaches. Comments on this offshore drilling proposal are due February 1, 2001. Your email will go to three separate email addresses at MMS. For more information, visithttp://www.mms.gov/ooc/press/2000/press1212.htm

Richard Charter Marine Conservation Advocate---------------SAMPLE LETTER : -------YOU MAY EDIT THE LETTER BELOW--------- I am writing to comment on your agency's preparation of the nationwide Five-Year Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program, and also on the planned Environmental Impact Statement and "Scoping" process for new drilling offshore Central California. The Department of Interior must reconsider these dangerous proposals in light of the important contributions to our local economies made by coastal-dependent tourism, commercial fishing, and shoreline recreation. I therefore encourage the Interior Department to fully respect the bipartisan congressional offshore drilling moratorium, and to abide by the presidential drilling deferrals previously issued by Presidents George Bush, Sr. and Bill Clinton, both of whom concluded that available scientific data does not support a decision to allow new drilling in the moratorium areas. I also ask that you consider that additional offshore drilling in sensitive Alaskan waters will result in unwarranted environmental risks, due to recent documented failures of oil spill cleanup equipment where sea ice is present. Offshore drilling in Alaska threatens important fisheries and can also be expected to increase oil spills in many coastal areas in the Lower-48 states as we experience additional "Exxon-Valdez" types of tanker accidents. Offshore drilling brings with it toxic air and water pollution, undesirable industrialization of sensitive shoreline habitats, and public safety and wildlife damage risks. Until there is an adequate oil spill cleanup and containment technology which can effectively respond to accidents, sensitive coastal waters should not be opened to new drilling in your proposed Leasing Program. Your Department's plans for new drilling in already-leased areas along the Central California coastline are now subject to legal challenge by the State of California and the conservation community. Any new drilling activities in this region would pose an unacceptable oil spill threat to the survival of the California Sea Otter. In addition, the Florida Panhandle and North Carolina's Outer Banks should not be subject to drilling activities on previous leases or subjected to future offshore lease sales. Risky proposals for massive new floating oil storage vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, which would increase spill risks there, should be scrapped. Thank you for your attention to these concerns, and please enter this letter into the legal record for comments called for in Federal Register Notices 00-31629 and 00-29921, as formal comments on the Five-Year Leasing Program, and on Scoping and Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for new drilling offshore Central California. I look forward to your agency's comprehensive written response to each of the issues I have raised, as required by law. -------END OF LETTER------------------------- ***********************************************