The Bureau of Land Management plans to lease offshore acreage in 

 Kotzebue Sound in December of 1979, making the Chukchi Sea the fifth 

 frontier area leased off Alaska. 



Environmental and Soci oeconomic Impacts 



Waldrop's 1975 study of OCS impacts in the Chukchi Sea is the only 

 information currently available." His findings are: 



1. There will be 2.1 to 5.4 billion barrels of oil recovered from 

 the Chukchi Sea. 



2. Seven to ten exploratory rigs may be expected with direct 

 employment totalling 1,050 to 1,500. 



3. Requirements for onshore facilities will be about one-third 

 less than for the northern Gulf of Alaska leasing area. 



4. Two hundred miles of pipeline will be constructed. 



5. Nome and Kotzebue will be the major transportation centers. 



6. Direct employment will peak during the development phase at 

 2,400 workers. This will drop to 1,440 workers during the 

 production phase. 



7. A new trans-Alaska pipeline may have to be built to transport 

 the oil to market. 



8. Total oil spills will range from 141,000 to 16,200,000 barrels 

 over the life of the field. 



9. Noise, physical disturbance, and other activities associated 

 with OCS development may have negative impacts on traditional 

 native subsistence culture in the area. 



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