Federal agencies, local communities and commercial fishing organizations 

 opposed the leasing of more than half of these offshore lands. 53 In 

 March of 1976 the BLM selected 152 tracts totalling 865,364 acres for 

 oil and gas lease sale in lower Cook Inlet. 51 * A draft EIS was prepared 

 by July of 1976 and the final EIS is due out the end of the year. 



Detailed exploratory data has not yet been collected by industry 

 for lower Cook Inlet. At least two offshore drilling proposals have 

 been made by industry to improve the geological data. Exploration 

 Services proposes to drill a 12,000 ft. COST well in 532 feet of water 

 at 14°s-22°w and ARCCT proposes to drill a COST well southeast of St. 

 Augustine Island. The purpose of the offshore drilling work would be to 

 develop stratigraphic information in previously undrilled territory. 55 



In contrast with the northern Gulf sale, state officials agree with 

 the Interior Department officials on a 1977 lease sale in lower Cook 

 Inlet. Although state officials are concerned about OCS development in 

 the Inlet, they believe that the environmental and socio economic problems 

 of the lower Cook Inlet are less severe than in the Gulf. In addition 

 experience with offshore petroleum in upper Cook Inlet has shown that 

 industry can operate safely in the area. 5 ' Finally, some offshore 

 pipelines, refinery and LNG facilities are already present or proposed 

 onshore . 



Environmental and Socioeconomic Impacts 57 



The only comprehensive impact study done to date for lower Cook 

 Inlet has been BLM's draft environmental impact statement. This EIS is 

 is thorough and presents more useable data than the northern Gulf 

 statements. Alaska officials, in general, found this EIS to be superior 



32 



