r:• DRAFT D-fr;l{ i • OIL AND GAS MANAGEMENT PLAN· • ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT • Febrl)ory 1999 - • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • LPADRE ISLAND • NATIONAL SEASHORE • TEXAS • PI.EflSE RETURN 10: • ~~------------------------------------------------------------------------- .' • In 1916, Congress created the NATIONAL PARK SERVICE in the Department of the • Interior to • ... promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national • parks, monuments, and reservations ... by such means and measure as • conform to the fundamental purpose of said parks, monuments, and reservations, which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and • historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of • the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. (NPS Organic Act, 16 USC 1) • • • • • • •., • • • • • • • • Printed on Recycled Paper • • • • Draft • OIL AND GAS MANAGEMENT PLAN • ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT • February 1999 • • • • • • • PADRE ISLAND • National Seashore • Kleberg, Kenedy, and Willacy Counties • Texas • • • • • . Prepared by • United States Department ofthe Interior • National Park Service • • • • • Dear Reader: • Enclosed for your review and comment is the Draft Oil and Gas Management Plan/Environmental • Impact Statement for Padre Island National Seashore. This document describes and analyzes three altematives for managing access and surface uses associated with the exploration, • development, and transportation of nonfederal oil and gas underlying Padre Island National • Seashore, Texas. The purpose of this review is to improve the impact analysis and the decision­ • making process. We welcome your comments. • The public review and comment period for this draft document will be a minimum of 60 days. The • availability of this draft document has been advertised in the Federal Register. Comments on this • document should be addressed to: • Superintendent • Padre Island National Seashore Attention: Linda Dansby, EIS Team Leader • Intermountain Support Office - Santa Fe • P. O. Box 728 • Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-0728 • Written comments must be received no later than May 12, 1999, in order to be considered in the • Oil and Gas Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement. In submitting written • comments, please cite page number, page number, paragraph number, and line number. Written comments will be fully considered and evaluated in preparing the Oil and Gas Management • Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement. • If changes to this draft document in response to comments are minor, the final document will include only those changes and will not be a reprint. Reviewers are urged to retain this copy of the • Draft Oil and Gas Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement to be used with the final • document. • Sincerely, • • ~l(~~di1L- • (p:Q{uperintendent, • ~adre Island National Seashore • • • • • • • • Department of the Interior National Park Service • Draft • Oil and Gas Management Plan! • Environmental Impact Statement • for • Padre Island National Seashore • Kleberg, Kenedy, and Willacy Counties, Texas • Abstract: This Draft Oil and Gas Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) describes and analyzes three alternatives for managing access and surface uses associated with • the exploration, development, and transportation of nonfederal oil and gas underlying Padre Island • National Seashore: Proposed Action (Preferred Alternative) • No-Action Alternative/Current Management • Maximum Resource Protection Alternative Managed Access Provisions consisting of the NPS's Nonfederal Oil and Gas Rights Regulations • and a variety of natural, cultural, and recreational use protection measures based primarily on laws, • regulations, pOlicies, and existing land use plans would apply to any selected alternative. "Managed • Access Provisions" are described in Chapter 2. • Lead Agency: National Park Service • Type of Action: (X) Administrative () Legislative • For further information contact: Superintendent, Padre Island National Seashore • Attention: Linda Dansby, EIS Team Leader • Intermountain Support Office - Santa Fe P. O. Box 728 • Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-0728 • EIS Team Leader Telephone: (505) 988-6095 • Comments have been requested from individuals, groups, and agencies shown on the partial • distribution list in Chapter 5. We welcome comments from others. • Comments on the Draft must be received no later than: May 12, 1999. • Recommended: Approved: • • • JoCF.Whitwort.~i£t£r~Wt'I1 Date Johi1CCookQd4" it1~ Superintendent . (f-RegiOnal Director • Padre Island National Seashore Intermountain Region • • • • • • • TABLE OF CONTENTS • SUMMARY • PURPOSE OF THIS PLAN. S-1 • PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE ENABLING ACT ............. S-1 • NONFEDERAL OIL AND GAS RIGHTS REGULATIONS, 36 CFR 9B. S-2 OIL AND GAS MANAGEMENT PLANNING OBJECTIVES. S-2 • OVERVIEW OF PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE'S NATURAL • AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT. S-2 ISSUES CONSIDERED. S-4 • SENSITIVE RESOURCE AREAS. S-5 • REASONABLY FORESEEABLE DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO. S-5 • MANAGED ACCESS PROVISIONS. S-6 PLAN ALTERNATIVES. S-6 • Alternative A, Proposed Action (Preferred Alternative). S-6 • Alternative B, No Action/Current Management. S-7 • Alternative C, Maximum Resource Protection. .S-7 • SUMMARY OF IMPACTS. S-11 • CHAPTER 1 • INTRODUCTION • PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THIS PLAN. 1-1 • SPECIAL MANDATES AND DIRECTION. 1-1 General Management Plan Direction. 1-1 • Padre Island National Seashore Enabling Legislation . .1-3 • THE PLANNING PROCESS. 1-4 • Establishing a Planning Team. 1-4 Developing Planning Objectives. 1-6 • Identifying Issues and Collecting Data. 1-6 • Scoping with the Public and Governmental Agencies. 1-7 • What We Heard From You. .1-8 Scoping Comments . 1-8 • Generating Alternatives. 1-11 • Alternative A, Proposed Action (Preferred Alternative) . 1-11 • Alternative B, No-Action/Current Management. 1-12 Alternative C, Maximum Resource Protection. 1-12 • Identifying Significant Issues and Evaluating Alternatives. 1-12 • Significant Issues to be Analyzed in Depth. 1-12 Issues or Resources Evaluated and Dropped from Detailed Analysis. 1-13 • Air Quality. 1-14 • Local and Regional Economies. 1-15 • Natural Quiet. 1-15 Night Sky. .1-16 • Park Operations. 1-17 • Threatened and Endangered Species and Their Habitat . 1-17 • Vegetation. 1-21 Visual Quality. 1-22 • Wildlife. .. ............... .1-23 • i • • Floodplains. 1-24 • Possible Conflicts Between the Proposed Action and Land Use Plans, Policies, or Controls. 1-25 • Sustainability and Long-term Management, and Energy Requirements • and Conservation Potential. .. 1-25 • Socially or Economically Disadvantaged Populations. .. 1-25 Prime and Unique Agricultural Lands. 1-25 • • CHAPTER 2 PART I, PLAN ALTERNATIVES • INTRODUCTION. 2-1 • FUTURE MODIFICATIONS TO THE OIL AND GAS MANAGEMENT PLAN. 2-1 APPLICABILITY OF THE PLAN TO NEW LANDS AND WATERS THAT • MAY BE ADDED TO THE PARK IN THE FUTURE, OR IN RESPONSE • TO DYNAMIC CHANGES TO THE ENVIRONMENT. 2-1 EXEMPTIONS FROM THE PLAN. 2-2 • TYPES OF OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS. .2-2 • REASONABLY FORESEEABLE DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO: • EXPLORATORY AND DEVELOPMENT WELLS WITH ASSOCIATED ACCESS, PRODUCTION, AND PIPELINES. 2-2 • MAPPING AND DEFINING SENSITIVE RESOURCE AREAS . 2-9 • PLAN ALTERNATIVES • Alternative A, Proposed Action (Preferred Alternative). 2-10 Alternative B, No-Action/Current Management. 2-11 • Alternative C, Maximum Resource Protection. .. 2-11 • ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT ELMINATEDFROM DETAILED ANALYSIS .... 2-16 • PART II, MANAGED ACCESS PROVISIONS • INTRODUCTION ............................. 2-17 • NON FEDERAL OIL AND GAS RIGHTS REGULATIONS .............. 2-17 • Overview of 36 CFR 9B Process. 2-18 • Persons Who May Conduct Nonfederal Oil and Gas Operations in National Park System Units. 2-21 • Applicability of the 36 CFR 9B Regulations. 2-21 • Exemptions from the 36 CFR 9B Regulations. 2-23 • Exemption for Existing Operations (36 CFR §9.33). 2-23 Access Across Units to Nonfederal Oil and Gas Outside Units (36 CFR §9.32(d)) . 2-24 • Plan of Operations (36 CFR §9.36). 2-24 • Exemption from Plan of Operations Requirement (36 CFR §9.32). 2-26 Temporary Approval of Operations (36 CFR §9.38) without an Approved • Plan of Operations. 2-27 • Operator Compliance (36 CFR §9.36(a)(15)). 2-29 • Plan of Operations Adequacy Determination (36 CFR §9.36(c)). 2-30 NPS Compliance (36 CFR §9.37). 2-31 • Public Involvement (36 CFR §9.52). '. 2-34 • Bond Requirement (36 CFR §9.48). 2-36 • Plan of Operations Approval or Rejection (36 CFR §9.37) 2-38 • ii • • • • Operator's Access Permit Format (36 CFR §9.32(a». 2-42 Operator Use of NPS Roads (36 CFR §9.50). 2-42 • Supplementing or Revising an Approved Plan (36 CFR §9.40) . .2-44 • Transfer of Interest (36 CFR §9.34). '. 2-44 • Penalty Provisions (36 CFR §9.51). .2-45 Operator's Appeal Rights (36 CFR §9.49). .2-47 • Acquisition of Nonfederal Oil and Gas Property Rights. 2-48 • OPERATING STANDARDS, TIME/SEASONAL LIMITATIONS, AND OTHER MITIGATION TECHNIQUES • Operating Standards (36 CFR §9.41). .. ......... 2-48 • Administrative Operating Standards. 2-49 • Third-party Monitoring of 3-D Seismic Exploration. .'. 2-49 Protection of Air Quality. 2-51 • Consistency with Texas Coastal Zone Management Program. 2-51 • Control of Contaminating and Hazardous Substances. 2-52 Protection of Cultural Resources. 2-54 • Fire Management. 2-57 • Protection of Floodplain Values/Hurricane Preparedness. 2-57 • High Pressure Precautions