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Mineral Resources Management Division - Rigs to Reefs Workshop

Annette Porini Chief Deputy Director, Department of Finance

~ Based on Transcript ~

I'm pleased to be here to learn more about the issues that face the State Lands Commission. Certainly abandonment of offshore oil facilities has already started in state waters. But decisions on methods have yet to be made for several sites in State and Federal waters. Rigs to reefs, that is, the conversion of oil equipment to habitat, is one method of oil facility abandonment that will continue to be proposed and presented before the Commission. The purpose of this workshop is to give us a better understanding of the facts relating to the issues surrounding rigs to reefs. I'm especially interested in listening to the comments that the experts will be contributing today.

As managers of state-owned tide and submerged lands, the Commission has many responsibilities and we must ensure that the public trust values of these lands are protected and conserved for future use. However, the common law public trust doctrines that govern these lands authorize activities that can be mutually exclusive or constricting. For example, the public trust doctrine allows for both fishing and commerce, yet shipping channels and many forms of fishing cannot coexist. When conflicts exist between legitimate public trust uses, the Commission tries to balance the uses where possible, but occasionally must pick one or the other.

I see that such conflicts potentially exist in turning rigs into reefs. On the Belmont issues, we've heard from, and listened to, divers and sports anglers interested in new artificial reefs to improve recreational opportunities. However, many of these reefs may prevent commercial fishing, or other commercial activity, because of obstructions that they may create. Oil companies see rigs to reefs as a way to reduce abandonment costs. Environmentalists believe that the ocean floor should be returned to its natural condition. I'm pleased to see that representatives of all of these different groups will have an opportunity to explain their perspective today.

I also hope to learn more about the factual context surrounding these controversies. The commission must be aware of all of the implications of the decisions on rigs to reefs proposals. The potential for residual contamination must be evaluated, as must the potential inherent liability that such reefs bring for land managers.

The speakers today, I think, are all really well-qualified, and I'm looking forward to hearing from them.