1 the last couple of years. I think it's a good model to build on for 



2 some of the other areas where, in fact, some of these problems may crop 



3 up in the future. 



4 DR. BUTMAN: I second that. We were doing some work on the 



5 California Area Monitoring Program, which is sponsored by MMS, and we've 



6 had occasion to use that liaison several times, and he's been very 



7 helpful both between the oil and fish people. 



8 MR. LANE: I have one general question, if there aren't any 



9 others, for both Pat and Bruce. As a way of trying to measure what 



10 progress there's been over the last 10 years, do you think there's been 



11 a change in public or political perception of exploratory drilling 



12 versus development and production drilling, or is that still to fine a 



13 distinction to make for the public? 



14 MR. VILD: Do you want to go first? 



15 MS. HUGHES: I don't know that the general public separates 



16 exploration and development and production. I think that certainly 



17 within the agencies that I work in within my State, Massachusetts, that 



18 there's a better distinction. 



19 However, given the way the leasing program is, one has to assume, 



20 I think, for the purposes of policy development and planning that any 



21 place where an exploratory well would be drilled, could be a development 



22 and production location. 



23 I'll try and infer from your question that if you're looking for 



24 is, do people have a better understanding of what are the environmental 



25 effects from exploratory drilling versus development and production, I 



26 think it's probably fair to say again, within my State and the people 



27 that I work with, that 10 years ago perhaps there was more of a naivete 



28 about what is it all about and what happens. 



29 There's a better understanding of exploration and development and 



30 production and more of a concern regarding the long-term impacts of 



31 development and production versus what the environmental impacts might 



32 be from exploratory drilling discharges. 



33 MR. VILD: I would respond to that it depends on the people. If 



34 you go to the public hearings and you hear Greenpeace, you have to say 



149 



