FINAL PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT INTEGRATED OCEAN DRILLING PROGRAM – U.S. IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION (IODP-USIO) Prepared By: Metcalf & Eddy, an AECOM Company, on Behalf of Consortium for Ocean Leadership, Inc. in Collaboration with Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, and Texas A&M University/Texas A&M University Research Foundation June 2008 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... ES-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 United States Participation in the Development of Scientific Ocean Drilling.............1-1 1.1.1 Project Mohole .........................................................................................................1-1 1.1.2 DSDP........................................................................................................................1-3 1.1.3 ODP..........................................................................................................................1-4 1.2 IODP Scientific Goals: The Initial Science Plan.........................................................1-5 1.2.1 Initial Science Plan Themes .....................................................................................1-6 1.2.2 Implementation Strategy ..........................................................................................1-6 1.3 Scope of the Proposed Action......................................................................................1-8 1.4 Purpose of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.................................1-9 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION.......................................................2-1 2.1 Introduction..................................................................................................................2-1 2.2 Vessel Operations and Associated Environmental Outputs.........................................2-1 2.2.1 Overview of Vessel Capabilities and Operations.....................................................2-1 2.2.2 Water Discharges .....................................................................................................2-4 2.2.3 Acoustic Sources......................................................................................................2-6 2.2.4 Physical Disturbances ..............................................................................................2-8 2.2.5 Air Emissions ...........................................................................................................2-9 2.2.6 Hazardous Materials Management.........................................................................2-12 2.2.7 Solid and Hazardous Wastes..................................................................................2-13 2.3 Riserless Drilling Operations and Associated Environmental Outputs .....................2-14 2.3.1 Overview of Riserless Drilling Operations ............................................................2-14 2.3.2 Discharges Associated with Drilling and Coring...................................................2-17 2.3.3 Acoustic Sources....................................................................................................2-22 2.3.4 Physical Disturbances ............................................................................................2-23 2.4 Representative Research Activities and Associated Environmental Outputs............2-25 2.4.1 Overview of Research Procedures .........................................................................2-25 2.4.2 Discharges and Materials Released to the Environment........................................2-28 2.4.3 Acoustic Sources....................................................................................................2-29 2.4.4 Physical Disturbances ............................................................................................2-31 2.4.5 Air Emissions .........................................................................................................2-31 2.5 Environmental Outputs Associated With Borehole Completion and Deployed Equipment ..............................................................................................................2-32 2.5.1 Materials Introduced Into the Borehole .................................................................2-32 2.5.2 Reentry Devices and Observatories .......................................................................2-33 2.6 Environmental Outputs Associated With Accidental Events ....................................2-34 2.6.1 Geologic Sources....................................................................................................2-34 ii 2.6.2 Vessel-related Sources ...........................................................................................2-35 2.7 Current Regulatory Framework Potentially Affecting the Proposed Action.............2-35 2.7.1 Flag State Requirements and International Regulations ........................................2-36 2.7.2 Coastal State or National Legislation and Regulations..........................................2-37 2.7.3 Local Regulations...................................................................................................2-40 3.0 ALTERNATIVES...........................................................................................................3-1 3.1 Introduction..................................................................................................................3-1 3.2 Alternative A – Conduct Riserless Ocean Drilling Based Solely on Scientific Research Needs........................................................................................................................3-2 3.3 Alternative B - Conduct Riserless Ocean Drilling Based on Specific Scientific Research Needs and IODP Support .........................................................................3-4 3.4 Alternative C - Do Not Conduct Ocean Drilling (No Action Alternative)................3-11 3.5 Alternatives Not Considered......................................................................................3-11 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS.................................................................................4-1 4.1 Introduction..................................................................................................................4-1 4.2 Marine Water Quality ..................................................................................................4-1 4.2.1 Environmental Settings ............................................................................................4-1 4.2.2 Regulatory Settings ..................................................................................................4-2 4.2.3 Significance Criteria.................................................................................................4-7 4.2.4 Impact Source Characterization ...............................................................................4-7 4.2.5 Impact Analysis......................................................................................................4-11 4.3 Sea Bottom and Sediment Quality.............................................................................4-14 4.3.1 Environmental Settings ..........................................................................................4-14 4.3.2 Regulatory Settings ................................................................................................4-15 4.3.3 Significance Criteria...............................................................................................4-15 4.3.4 Impact Source Characterization .............................................................................4-16 4.3.5 Impact Analysis......................................................................................................4-19 4.4 Air Quality .................................................................................................................4-21 4.4.1 Environmental Settings ..........................................................................................4-21 4.4.2 Regulatory Settings ................................................................................................4-22 4.4.3 Significance Criteria...............................................................................................4-26 4.4.4 Impact Source Characterization .............................................................................4-26 4.4.5 Impact Analysis......................................................................................................4-29 4.5 Acoustic Environment ...............................................................................................4-30 4.5.1 Environmental Settings ..........................................................................................4-30 4.5.2 Regulatory Settings ................................................................................................4-32 4.5.3 Significance Criteria...............................................................................................4-34 4.5.4 Impact Source Characterization .............................................................................4-34 4.5.5 Impact Analysis......................................................................................................4-39 4.6 Marine Biological Resources