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Oil Reserve: Impact of NPR-1 Operations on Wildlife and Water Is Uncertain

RCED-91-129 Published: Aug 01, 1991. Publicly Released: Sep 11, 1991.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the basis for the disagreements between the Department of Energy (DOE) and its Argonne National Laboratory relating to Argonne's development of a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 1 (NPR-1), focusing on: (1) the DOE Naval Petroleum Reserves-California (NPRC) and Argonne positions on NPR-1 impacts on endangered species and groundwater quality and how SEIS would discuss those uncertainties; and (2) NPR-1 compliance with environmental laws and regulations governing endangered species, wastewater disposal, and historic preservation activities.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy To improve compliance at NPR-1 with environmental requirements, the Secretary of Energy should direct the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves to keep abreast of environmental requirements affecting NPR-1 operations by periodically reviewing pertinent environmental laws and regulations and coordinating with officials of cognizant state and federal agencies to ensure that both DOE and contractor staff comply with those requirements.
Closed – Implemented
DOE has an approved implementation plan designed to carry out the recommendation.

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Topics

Natural Resources and Environment
Endangered animalsEnvironmental impact statementsEnvironmental lawEnvironmental monitoringGOCOHistoric preservationOil resourcesWaste disposalWater pollution controlWildlife conservation