1 went on while they were in operation and what happened when they took 



2 them out. 



3 That does not exist anywhere. 



4 DR. COOPER: My obvious reason in asking is, first of all, a 



5 comment. I look at that narrow shelf environment out in California as 



6 being totally different from our environment here--two very different 



7 worlds in many respects. 



8 It is a production platform--a large production platform with 30 



9 to 50 to 60 pipes going down--if that is ever likely to occur in our 



10 area, at our research center in Connecticut we are definitely going to 



11 do a report during that to study impact. If I ever see a situation that 



12 requires it-- 



13 DR. AURAND: Remember what "after" in this situation is. "After" 



14 is 30 years later, and that is the key to this. We have tried in some 



15 cases to look in the Gulf at areas with and without platforms and that 



16 kind of thing, but we have not even figured out what we are going to do 



17 in California-'if we are going to take it through actual production and 



18 monitor it after they are done drilling all of the wells and then for a 



19 couple of years, probably, when it is in operation. 



20 Whether or not we would be even around to see what happened thirty 



21 years from now-- 



22 DR. COOPER: I should not say "after." However, there is no area 



23 of our shelf that is known as extensively as two or three of these so- 



24 called Georges Bank submarine canyons. They have received a lot of 



25 effort. 



25 With this kind of a database, a benchmark we have over the last 10 



27 or 12 years--8 to 10 years--to me it would be criminal not to have--it 



28 does not even have to be a difficult area and most likely would not 



29 be--but it is obvious to think that we know exactly to go about setting 



30 up such a thing from the years of experience we have had. 



31 I am curious as to what other people's gut feeling is here. I am 



32 not asking for MMS support. I think that this is something that would 



33 be very worthwhile doing. If you agree, regardless of who funds this, I 



34 would suggest that such a needs statement be formulated. 



418 



