regional study of the problems and opportunities of OCS development 

 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Georges Bank Pe - 

 troleum Study , 1973. It then commissioned Arthur D. Little, Inc., 

 to prepare Effects on New England of Petroleum Related Industrial 

 Development , released in 1975. In November of 1976, NERCOM funded 

 the University of Rhode Island to prepare a critical review of the 

 Draft Environmental Impact Statement for proposed lease sale 42. 

 NERCOM also supported a study of Fishing and Petroleum Interactions 

 on Georges Bank , which was prepared by the University of Rhode Is- 

 land and released in May 1977. 



An important informal regional organization concerned with OCS 

 development is an ad hoc group of representatives of the fishing and 

 oil industries. Established in September 1976, the group serves as 

 a forum for problem solving and communication between fishermen and 

 oil -related firms operating in New England waters. One of their 

 primary tasks is to resolve disputes and claims over damaged fishing 

 gear. 



*U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE:! 97 8 -745-421/ 44 8 5 REGION NO. 4 



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