production, and 18 percent is from tankers. It can be argued that 

 there would be less likelihood of oil spills if we increased domestic 

 production and relied less on foreign importation. Nonetheless, New 

 Englanders are concerned about accidental oil spills related to off- 

 shore development and its potential effect on the Georges Bank fish- 

 eries and coastal ecosystems. 



To assess the effect of an oil spill on our marine resources, it is 

 necessary to know what the existing marine resources are, how petroleum 

 is transported by wind and currents, and the effects of the oil on eco- 

 systems. The Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management has 

 funded a series of environmental studies on Georges Bank to provide 

 much of this information prior to full scale development. However, a 

 great deal of interest has been expressed in the importance of conduct- 

 ing such research prior to OCS exploration. It has also been suggested 

 by eminent scientists throughout the region that such environmental 

 studies be conducted on the coastal and nearshore environments as well. 



The onshore facilities needed to support offshore oil development 

 in New England pose a major concern. Temporary and permanent service 

 bases, pipe coating/installation yards, platform fabrication facilities, 

 gas processing plants, and numerous associated industries will be 

 needed if producible quantities are found. Their construction would 

 stimulate local economies, but could also disrupt communities. The en- 

 vironmental and socioeconomic impacts of the facilities would depend 

 on the site characteristics and development stipulations. There would 

 be minor impacts if facilities were to be sited in already developed 

 areas, which have an adequate infrastructure in place and a high unem- 

 ployment rate, such as deactivated naval lands. Impacts could be quite 



13 



