Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 94 Part 1.djvu/619

 PUBLIC LAW 96-283—JUNE 28, 1980

94 STAT. 569

and restrictions, established by the Administrator, which prescribe the actions the licensee or permittee shall take in the conduct of exploration and commercial recovery activities to assure protection Best available of the environment. The Administrator shall require in all activities technologies. under new permits, and wherever practicable in activities under existing permits, the use of the best available technologies for the protection of safety, health, and the environment wherever such activities would have a significant effect on safety, health, or the environment, except where the Administrator determines that the incremental benefits are clearly insufficient to justify the incrementalcostsofusingsuchtechnologies.Beforeestablishingsuchterms, Consultation. conditions, and restrictions, the Administrator shall consult with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, concerning such terms, conditions, and restrictions, and the Administrator shall take into account and give due consideration to the information contained in each final environmental impact statement prepared with respect to such license or permit pursuant to subsection (d). (c) PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.—(1) If the

Administrator, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and with the assistance of other appropriate Federal agencies, determines that a programmatic environmental impact statement is required, the Administrator shall, as soon as practicable after the enactment of this Act, with respect to the areas of the oceans in which any United States citizen is expected to undertake exploration and commercial recovery under the authority of this Act— (A) prepare and publish draft programmatic environmental impact statements which assess the environmental impacts of exploration and commercial recovery in such areas; (B) afford all interested parties a reasonable time after such Comments. dates of publication to submit comments to the Administrator on such draft statements; and (C) thereafter prepare (giving full consideration to all comments submitted under subparagraph (B)) and publish final programmatic environmental impact statements regarding such areas. (2) With respect to the area of the oceans in which exploration and commercial recovery by any United States citizen will likely first occur under the authority of this Act, the Administrator shall prepare a draft and final programmatic environmental impact statement as required under paragraph (1), except that— (A) the draft programmatic environmental impact statement shall be prepared and published as soon as practicable but not later than 270 days (or such longer period as the Administrator may establish for good cause shown) after the date of enactment of thisAct;and (B) the final programmatic environmental impact statement shall be prepared and published within 180 days (or such longer period as the Administrator may establish for good cause shown) after the date on which the draft statement is published. (d) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS ON ISSUANCE OF LICENSES

AND PERMITS.—The issuance of, but not the certification of an application for, any license or permit under this title shall be deemed to be a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment for purposes of section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. In preparing an environmental ^2 USC 4332. "

Consultation.

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