Ecological and political issues surrounding oil platform decommissioning in the Southern California Bight

Abstract

To aid legislators, resource managers, and the general public, this paper summarizes and
clarifies some of the issues and options that the federal government and the state of California
face in decommissioning offshore oil and gas production platforms, particularly as these relate
to platform ecology. Both local marine ecology and political climate play a role in
decommissioning offshore oil production platforms. Compared to the relatively supportive
political climate in the Gulf of Mexico for ‘‘rigs-to-reefs’’ programs, conflicting social values
among stakeholders in Southern California increases the need for understanding ecological
impacts of various decommissioning alternatives (which range from total removal to allowing
some or all of platform structure to remain in the ocean). Additional scientific needs in the
decommissioning process include further assessment of platform habitat quality, estimation of
regional impacts of decommissioning alternatives to marine populations, and determination of
biological effects of any residual contaminants. The principal management need is a ranking of
environmental priorities (e.g. species-of-interest and marine habitats). Because considerable
numbers of economically important species reside near oil platforms, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Fisheries should consider the consequences of decommissioning
alternatives in their overall management plans. Management strategies could include
designating reefed platforms as marine protected areas. The overarching conclusion from
both ecological and political perspectives is that decommissioning decisions should be made
on a case-by-case basis.
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