Offshore oil and gas development
Subtitle: additional guidance would help strengthen the Minerals Management Service's assessment of environmental impacts in the North Aleutian Basin : report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives
Contributors: Gaffigan, Mark; United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Publisher: U.S. Govt. Accountability Office
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Washington, D.C.]
Language: eng
Format: [electronic resource] :
Number of pages: 35
Subjects: Rules and practice; Evaluation; Offshore oil industry; Offshore gas industry; Environmental impact analysis; United States. Minerals Management Service; United States
Other titles: Additional guidance would help strengthen the Minerals Management Service's assessment of environmental impacts in the North Aleutian Basin; North Aleutian Basin oil and gas
Notes: Title from cover screen (viewed on Apr. 8, 2010).

"March 2010."

"GAO-10-276."

Includes bibliographical references.

System requirements: Adobe Reader.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Interest has re-emerged in developing oil and gas in the nation's offshore areas, such as the North Aleutian Basin. Located on the outer continental shelf (OCS) where the Aleutian Islands meet the Alaskan mainland around Bristol Bay, the basin may contain sizable oil and gas deposits, although the area's environmental and cultural sensitivity has made oil and gas development in the area controversial. The Alaska OCS Region within the Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) oversees oil and gas development in this offshore area. GAO was asked to examine issues related to oil and gas development in the North Aleutian Basin. This report (1) describes the basin's estimated quantities of oil and gas and needed infrastructure; (2) identifies steps MMS is to take to meet federal requirements for oil and gas development; and (3) identifies challenges, if any, MMS faces in meeting these requirements in its Alaska OCS Region. GAO analyzed laws and documents and interviewed representatives from MMS, other federal agencies, state agencies, industry, and other stakeholders. GAO recommends that MMS develop additional, comprehensive guidance for conducting and reviewing environmental analyses and fully implement agency policy on information sharing. Interior generally agreed with our findings and fully concurred with our recommendations.