Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 92 Part 1.djvu/707

 PUBLIC LAW 95-372—SEPT. 18, 1978 "(b) Such recommendations shall be submitted within sixty days after notice of such proposed lease sale or after receipt of such development and production plan. " (c) The Secretary shall accept recommendations of the Governor and may accept recommendations of the executive of any affected local government if he determines, after having provided the opportunity for consultation, that they provide for a reasonable balance between the national interest and the well-being of the citizens of the affected State. For purposes of this subsection, a determination of the national interest shall be based on the desirability of obtaining oil and gas supplies in a balanced manner and on the findings, purposes, and policies of this Act. The Secretary shall communicate to the Governor, in writing, the reasons for his determination to accept or reject such Governor's recommendations, or to implement any altemative means identified in consultation with the Governor to provide for a reasonable balance between the national interest and the well-being of the citizens of the affected State. "(d) The Secretary's determination that recommendations provide, or do not provide, for a reasonable balance between the national interest and the well-being of the citizens of the affected State shall be final and shall not, alone, be a basis for invalidation of a proposed lease sale or a proposed development and production plan in any suit or judicial review pursuant to section 23 of this Act, unless found to be arbitrary or capricious. "(e) The Secretary is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with affected States for purposes which are consistent with this Act and other applicable Federal law. Such agreements may include, but need not be limited to, the sharing of information (in accordance with the provisions of section 26 of this Act), the joint utilization of available expertise, the facilitating of permitting procedures, joint planning and review, and the formation of joint surveillance and monitoring arrangements to carry out applicable Federal and State laws, regulations, and stipulations relevant to outer Continental Shelf operations both onshore and offshore. "SEC. 20. ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES.— (a)(1) The Secretary shall conduct a study of any area or region included in any oil and gas lease sale in order to establish information needed for assessment and management of environmental impacts on the human, marine, and coastal environments of the outer Continental Shelf and the coastal areas which may be affected by oil and gas development in such area or region. "(2) Each study required by paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be commenced not later than six months after the date of enactment of this section with respect to any area or region where a lease sale has been held or announced by publication of a notice of proposed lease sale before such date of enactment, and not later than six months prior to the holding of a lease sale with respect to any area or region where no lease sale has been held or scheduled before such date of enactment. The Secretary may utilize information collected in any study prior to such date of enactment. "(3) In addition to developing environmental information, any study of an area or region, to the extent practicable, shall be designed to predict impacts on the marine biota which may result from chronic low level pollution or large spills associated with outer Continental Shelf production, from the introduction of drill cuttings and drilling

92 STAT. 653



Post, p. 657.

Post, p. 664. .j.ffcs>«, 43 USC 1346.

Effective date, Notice, publication,

,

�