Destin Dome 56 Unit Development and Production Plan and Right-of-Way Pipeline Application. Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Chevron U.S.A. Production Company (Chevron) and its partners, Murphy Exploration & Production Company and Conoco Inc. proposed to develop, produce, and transport 1.329-1.994 tcf of natural gas from the Destin Dome (DD) 56 Unit. Chevron is the operator for this project. The DD 56 Unit is located in the Eastern Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and consists of 11 contiguous blocks: Destin Dome Blocks 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 54, 55, 56, 57, 99, and 100. The closest point of the DD 56 Unit to the coastline of the Florida Panhandle is about 25 mi due south of Pensacola, Florida. There are several decisions that need to be made by Federal agencies for the permitting of activities proposed by Chevron in the Development and Production Plan (DPP) and Right-of-Way (ROW) pipeline application. As lead agency, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) has entered into Cooperating Agency Agreements with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Region 4, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE), Mobile and Jacksonville Districts (Appendix A) for preparation of this environmental impact statement (EIS). The decisions to be made are listed below: MMS-approve/disapprove/approve with modification(s) the Destin Dome DPP and ROW pipeline application. USEPA-approve/disapprove/approve with modification(s) the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and air quality permits. USCOE- approve/disapprove/approve with modification(s) the pipeline route(s) crossing fairways in Federal waters and prevent obstruction to navigation in navigable waters of the U.S. Approving and/or permitting the proposed action are major Federal actions requiring an EIS. This document provides the following information in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its implementing regulations, and it will be used in making decisions on the proposals. This document includes the purpose and background of the proposed action, identification of the alternatives, description of the affected environment, and an analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the proposed action, alternatives, and associated activities, including proposed mitigating measures and their potential effects. Potential contributions to cumulative impacts resulting from activities associated with the proposed action are also analyzed. The alternatives to the proposed action are zero discharge, the proposed action with mitigations, and no action. The scenario for the proposed action is based on the 18-volume DD 56 Unit Development and Production Plan, the ROW, and supplemental information, as filed with MMS by Chevron. The framework includes description and estimates of proposed development and production activities and facilities, both offshore and onshore. Activities and disturbances associated with the proposed action on biological, physical, and socioeconomic resources are considered in the analyses.