Future 



OCS development has had a significant impact on the 

 economy of the Gulf Coast area (particularly Louisiana) since 

 the first offshore well was completed in 1947. However, the 

 states collect no direct revenue from activity in the Federal 

 areas of jurisdiction, as previously discussed. In light of 

 this fact, the general attitude of public officials in Louisiana 

 is that they will welcome future OCS activity because the 

 economy is dependent on it and there is nothing to replace it. 

 However, since the Federal government derives all the tax 

 revenues from OCS activity (beyond the state area of juris- 

 diction) , the state and local governments must provide many 

 of the services required by the OCS industry and its workers. 

 Government officials would like Federal assistance (in the 

 form of cash grants, not loans) in providing services to 

 deal with OCS impacts (past and present, as well as future.) 



This attitude is expressed in comments of state officials 

 about the proposed regulations for financial assistance to 

 coastal states of the national Coastal Energy Impact 

 Program (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1976: 46724-46740). 

 As they are presently written, the proposed regulations would 

 force Louisiana and some other states to apply for Federal 

 loans (to be repaid with interest) instead of receiving 



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