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make a determination that drilling would result in no irreparable harm to 

 the environment, it felt that the GBMP would provide the information that 

 would satisfy agency needs. Future NPDES permitting would also be made 

 easier. Thus, the GBMP is facilitating EPA's ability to meet its 

 responsibilities under the Clean Water Act. 



The Department made use of preliminary results of the GBMP in preparing 

 the Environmental Assessment for Lease Sale #52, released in January of 

 this year. The final report for the first year program was used in its 

 draft Environmental Impact Statement for the February, 1984, North 

 Atlantic Lease Offering, which was released just this month. Additional 

 information, as it becomes available, will be used in preparing the final 

 EIS for that lease offering. 



The GBMP experience has shown how a scientific program can become the 

 focal point around which public and private entities can coordinate their 

 needs and objectives, both in designing the program and in using results 

 from the studies. This will prove valuable to the Department if similar 

 requirements should arise in other geographic areas, or in deeper waters 

 in the North Atlantic. 



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