Monday, May 10, 2010Last Update: 10:17 AM PT

     WASHINGTON (CN) - The Minerals Management Service has established regulations to manage continuous pressure that may build up around oil and gas lines at connection points, and eventually blow, in wells in the Outer Continental Shelf. Existing regulations did not adequately address the requirements for wells that have this "sustained casing pressure," according to the agency.
     The regulations establish criteria for monitoring and testing wells with the pressure, and incorporate the American Petroleum Institute's Recommended Practice for managing it. This rule requires Outer Continental Shelf lessees to follow best industry practices for wells with sustained casing pressure.
     A recommended practice is to filter out non-problematic wells that "present an acceptable level of risk," and focus effort on wells that are problematic. The program will include monitoring, diagnostic testing, determining maximum allowable wellhead operating pressure for each connection, documentation, and risk assessment considerations.
     British Petroleum, the company whose Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico April 20, had weighed in on the importance of this rule and noted how they have been involved with MMS and industry to develop the industry standard, according to the rule.
     The regulations are effective June 3, 2010.
     Click the document icon for this regulation and others.

     WASHINGTON (CN) - There will be commercial salmon fishing off the west coast of the United States, but it will be strictly monitored and limited, according to the National Fisheries Management Service which released its approval of the Pacific Fishery Management Council's 2010 Ocean Salmon Fisheries management plan.
     In 2008 and 2009, the commercial salmon fleet essentially was cut out of the harvest, as the stock of all Pacific Salmon were so low that only limited recreational fishing and fishing protected by treaty with tribal governments was allowed.
     However, California's commercial catch still will be severely constrained compared to fisheries conducted prior to 2006, because the Sacramento River fall Chinook runs are projected to be small.
     Two 4-day openings in July south of Horse Mountain represent the only opportunity for areas south to Point Arena.
     Much of the commercial opportunity in California will occur in the Fort Bragg area with quota fisheries in late July and August. The July and August quota fisheries represent the first time Fort Bragg will be the only area open to commercial fishing in California. The California fleet will be excluded from the fall Klamath River fall Chinook runs.
     Oregon fisheries also are limited, but will include both time/area and quota fisheries for Klamath River fall Chinook salmon. No fall commercial fisheries, those running from September through December, were established south of Cape Falcon in 2010 to rebuild the Sacramento River fall Chinook and Klamath River fall Chinook runs after an overall reverse in relative abundance from 2009 of high abundance of hatchery coho and lower abundance of tule fall Chinook.
     In 2010, allowable catch of Chinook was substantially increased due to the strong abundance of tule Chinook from the Spring Creek Hatchery. Non-Indian commercial fisheries included a Chinook directed fishery in May and June that is open seven days per week with no landing limit for the first time since 2004.
     Recreational fisheries, those open to private individuals with fishing licenses will occur in California south of Horse Mountain and the Klamath River Management Zone fishery will open on Memorial Day. Recreational fisheries in all California areas will continue through Labor Day, with Tuesday and Wednesday closures south of Point Arena to help spawning in the Sacramento River fall Chinook run.
     The fisheries north of Cape Falcon reflect the overall higher abundance of Columbia River hatchery tule fall Chinook, and lower abundance of hatchery coho. The recreational fisheries include a June Chinook fishery when only hatchery marked salmon will be allowed. The northern Washington fishery in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Hood Canal will be limited due to reduced coho production from river systems and hatcheries on the Olympic peninsula.
     The Indian treaty fishing quota for Chinook is higher than in the last few years and coho quotas are lower reflecting both the increased abundance of Columbia River hatchery tule Chinook and lower abundance of hatchery coho.

     WASHINGTON (CN) - Following a 12-month status review of the largetooth sawfish, the National Marine Fisheries Service has determined that the fish qualifies as a species under the Endangered Species Act and that endangered status is warranted.
     Sawfish get their name from their "saws"--long, flat snouts edged with pairs of teeth used to kill prey. Their diet includes mostly fish and crustaceans. The sawfish is ovoviviparous, meaning the mother holds the eggs inside of her until the young are ready to be born, usually in litters of 10 to 13 pups.
     The largetooth sawfish can grow up to 21 feet long, can weigh 1,323 pounds and can live up to 30 years. However, according the listing petition from Wildearth Guardians, the average life span is only 10 years, and the largetooth sawfish, which was once prevalent in almost all tropical or subtropical waters, now is found only in limited areas around the Gulf of Mexico.
      The primary threat to the species is the degradation of estuarine habitat by coastal development. The species also is imperiled by targeted fishing and incidental bycatch. In some cultures it is believed that tea made from the saws is a cure for asthma, and the meat has been sold in the Asian "shark fin" trade. The saws also are valued as wall trophies, and individual teeth are crafted into spurs for cockfighting. Because the species does not mature reproductively until its sixth or seventh year, it has a hard time recovering when its stocks are depleted.

     WASHINGTON (CN) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a draft economic analysis on the impact of the proposed designation of critical habitat for the polar bear and reopened the comment period on the proposed designation, in face of drastic reduction in the ice pack at the North Pole.      The agency has proposed to designate approximately 187,000 square miles of ocean and land as critical habitat for the polar bear. Polar bears depend on sea ice to hunt, and the rapidly shrinking ice pack has imperiled the bears.
     The polar bear was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act on May 14, 2008 due to loss of sea ice habitat caused by climate change. Other threats included the impacts from activities such as oil and gas operations, subsistence harvest, shipping and tourism.
     In the analysis, the agency estimates the economic impacts of the proposed critical habitat designation for the polar bear through 2039 will amount to less than $1 million. The analysis focuses on the impacts to oil and gas exploration, development, and production, and associated construction projects, because these are the principal human activities in the proposed area.
     The agency believes most of the costs associated with the designation will be administrative, to comply with permitting and consultations required by such a designation.
     Although President Obama recently announced the sale of more off-shore oil leases, the administration has already cancelled the sale of leases in the proposed critical habitat area.

     WASHINGTON (CN) - The National Marine Fisheries Service proposes to approve an application by Shell Offshore Inc. for an Incidental Harassment Authorization to take marine mammals by "Level B" harassment incidental to offshore exploration drilling on Outer Continental Shelf leases in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska.
     Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the agency requests comments on its proposal to allow harassment of 12 species during drilling exploration activity. Level B harassment is activity with the potential to disturb wild marine mammals by disrupting patterns of behavior, such as migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding or sheltering.
     Shell intends to drill up to three exploration wells at five possible drill sites on seven leases at the prospects known as Burger, Crackerjack, and Southwest Shoebill on Outer Continental Shelf leases offshore in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska, during the 2010 Arctic open-water season. Impacts to marine mammals may occur from noise produced by the drillship and supporting vessels and aircraft.
     The drillship produces continuous noise under water and above. The agency currently uses a threshold of 120 decibels for the onset of Level B harassment from continuous sound sources. Tests conducted on drillships and their support vessels have produced sound levels ranging from 134 to 175 decibels.
     The agency proposes to allow harassment, incidental to drilling operations, of the marine mammals: the bowhead, gray, humpback, minke, fin, killer, and beluga whales; the harbor porpoise; and the ringed, spotted, bearded, and ribbon seals.
     The bowhead, humpback, and fin whales are listed as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act, and as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
     Certain stocks or populations of gray, beluga, and killer whales and spotted seals are listed as endangered or are proposed for listing under the ESA; however, the agency contends none of those stocks or populations occur in the proposed activity area.
     Additionally, the ribbon seal is considered a "species of concern" under the ESA, and the bearded and ringed seals are "candidate species" under the ESA, meaning they are currently being considered for listing.
     Shell has submitted a separate application to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which manages walrus and polar bear populations.
     According to its Web site, Earthjustice is representing a coalition of environmental and Native Alaskan groups in challenging the drilling activity before a three judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The groups argue that Shell has not done sufficient research into the possible impact of an oil leak or the sinking of its drillship or tanker vessels.