Hodel Delays Offshore Oil Drilling Plan

Interior Secretary Donald P. Hodel, responding to concerns from the leading Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, on Monday ordered a delay in a controversial federal plan to drill for oil off Northern California until a new Administration takes office next year.

Hodel’s decision came just a day after Vice President George Bush called for additional study before making a decision on whether to open up 1.1 million acres of federally regulated waters off the rugged Mendocino County coast to oil and gas exploration.

In announcing his decision, Hodel pointedly referred to Bush’s remarks while noting Bush’s support of the Reagan Administration’s overall goal of increasing energy security by exploiting domestic reserves. At the same time, Hodel said that Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, the Democratic presidential front-runner, was determined to “shut down the entire five-year national offshore leasing program.”

‘No Valid Public Purpose’

“In these circumstances,” Hodel said, “it appears that no valid public purpose would be served by preparation and publication of a final environmental impact statement containing a proposed course of action for Lease Sale 91.” The report was to have been completed by August.

Hodel personally telephoned Bush, who was campaigning in California, and the vice president applauded the action. “We’re very pleased with the secretary’s decision to do that,” said Stephen Hart, Bush’s acting press secretary.

Hodel’s favorable response to Bush’s stand on the Northern California drilling is the first time the Administration has changed its policy to conform with a break-away position by the vice president.

In the past, the vice president has rather obliquely challenged Administration policy toward Panama strongman Manuel A. Noriega, but without visible effect. Bush has likewise sent signals of concern about the continued tenure of embattled Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III. Bush, along with Dukakis, has also called for more spending in several areas, including education, without spurring the Administration into action.

In an election eve campaign swing Monday, Dukakis lashed out at Bush on the offshore drilling issue. “I’m pleased he’s coming around, but he’s kind of late,” Dukakis said shortly before Hodel’s announcement.

“And I’m not for delaying that sale,” Dukakis continued. “I’m for canceling it. . . . I don’t believe you go out and mess around with a precious ocean resource.

‘Easy to Say Now’

“It’s easy to say now, ‘Well, I’m going to delay it until after the election,’ ” Dukakis added. “What does that mean?”

Dukakis said he opposed “additional lease sales” except “when our backs are to the wall and there’s no alternative. And we are a long way from that.”

Before Hodel’s announcement on Lease Sale 91, the timetable would have required the next President to decide within 10 days of taking office whether to put the lease sale out to bid, a final step before drilling would commence.

Hodel said he was directing the Minerals Management Service to continue gathering data and information--in effect, keeping the record open--until the next Administration is in office. By delaying publication of the final environmental impact report, Hodel’s action not only buys time for the next President to act, but gives the new Administration a hand in shaping the report’s influential recommendation on whether to proceed with the lease sale based on the testimony and evidence in the report.

An Interior Department source in Washington said several factors were involved in Hodel’s decision, including the strong opposition from California cities and counties, as well as environmentalists during recent public hearings.

In addition, a draft of a critical report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was made public last week that said the Interior Department had underestimated the offshore drilling risk of oil spills and the potential damage to the region’s fisheries, wildlife and water.

Nonetheless, the Interior official said Bush’s remarks carried a good deal of weight. “I think when the Vice President made his comments, the secretary did realize we’re not going to be getting anywhere if we continue the same schedule,” the source said.

News of the delay was greeted enthusiastically by the Sierra Club, which, along with many environmental groups, has opposed Lease Sale 91.

“I think it is a very big deal,” said Carl Pope, deputy conservation director of the Sierra Club in San Francisco. “It’s a statement that these sales will be creatures of the next Administration.

“I think he did it the day after George Bush made his announcement because the Reagan Administration does not want to get in the way of Bush’s stated desire to put his own stamp on this decision. I think they want to look like they’re cooperating.”

‘Political Ploy’

Rachel Binah, a founding member of Ocean Sanctuary Coordinating Committee, a Mendocino organization formed to fight offshore oil drilling, said Hodel’s decision was simply “a pre-primary political ploy.”

“Hodel does this on the night before the California primary . . . of course it’s an election ploy. The Republicans are running scared. They’re trying to defuse this issue, so it’s not a presidential issue.”

Also contributing to this story were Times staff writers Dan Morain in Sacramento, Miles Corwin in Santa Barbara, John Balzar in Los Angeles, Cathleen Decker in Ontario and Bob Drogin in San Jose.