During site selection, great flexibility exists in locating 

 facilities to mitigate environmental impacts especially in remote areas 

 such as Alaska. For instance, if commercial quantities of oil were 

 found in Lower Cook Inlet, a pipeline could be built to onshore 

 facilities on either side of the inlet. The western shore of Cook Inlet 

 is a wilderness area where environmental impact would be highest; whereas, 

 the lightly populated eastern shore which has roads and some community 

 infrastructure would be less environmentally harmed. 



Onshore development in a wilderness would probably cause far more 

 significant impacts over the long term than would development in an 

 urban area or even a rural area. 



105 



