U.S. Proposes Drilling Sites Off Cal. Coast

The Interior Department today proposed to open 13% of previously closed federal waters off California to oil and gas exploration.

Secretary Donald P. Hodel wrote members of Congress and Gov. George Deukmejian that he had amalgamated three drilling proposals that were the subject of unsuccessful negotiations last summer. He told the governor that he had accepted 95% of the governor’s recommendations on what areas should be ruled off limits.

The California plan is part of the next five-year national offshore drilling plan that Hodel must submit to Congress in April. He agreed with congressional negotiators last year to release the California portion early so they could comment on it.

For the four years ending at the start of the 1986 fiscal year, Congress forbade exploration in federal waters north of the Monterey-San Luis Obispo county line and in a few areas south of that line.

About 6.45 Million Acres

The proposal sent to Congress today would open 1,120 tracts, each nine square miles, north of that line. That is about 6.45 million acres or 13% of the offshore area north of the line. In all waters off California, 26% would be open to exploration.

From north to south, here are the areas that would be open to drilling:

--From the Oregon line to below Eureka, with a six-mile buffer zone off the coast in some areas.

--From a point above Ft. Bragg to Point Bodega, with a six-mile buffer zone off Ft. Bragg itself and from the Mendocino County line to Point Bodega.

--South of San Francisco to Santa Cruz, with a six-mile buffer zone north of Point Pescadero along the San Francisco peninsula and north of Santa Cruz, leaving an area between Santa Cruz and Point Pescadero with no buffer zone. The area off San Francisco Bay and from the bay north to Point Bodega would be closed.

--From the Monterey-San Luis Obispo county line to Santa Barbara, with a six-mile buffer zone for a few miles south of the line.

--From Santa Barbara to Santa Monica Bay. An area directly off Santa Barbara and Santa Monica Bay itself would be closed and a six-mile buffer zone would extend from the bay to Long Beach. The area around the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary would be closed.

--From Long Beach to Laguna Beach would be open with a short six-mile buffer zone off Newport Beach.

--The area south of Newport Beach is expected to be subject to tight restrictions because of military concerns.

An area far off the Southern California coast, one in which ships exercise, would continue to be closed for military reasons.