CHAPTER 4 

 SOCIO ECONOMIC IMPACTS 



4.1 — OCS DEVELOPMENT EFFECTS 



Past and Present 



The offshore oil and gas industry has had a substantial 

 impact on the economy of the coastal areas of Louisiana and 

 Texas. It has also had considerable impact on the financial 

 condition of the state and local governments. Factors 

 concerning the impact of the offshore industry on the 

 economy of Louisiana are outlined in Table 4.1. A break- 

 down of the types of direct employment associated with the 

 offshore industry and the number of individuals in each category 

 appear in Table 4.2 Total direct employment (38,000) in OCS 

 oil and gas industry was about 5 percent of the 1971 total 

 employment in Louisiana (800,000). Total direct employment 

 and indirect employment (other industry supporting the direct 

 employment) was almost 15 percent of the total employment in 1971, 



The population growth of several communities in the Louisiana 

 coastal zone that have been affected by OCS development has in- 

 creased substantially (Table 4.3). This additional population 



requires government expenditures for services such as airports, 

 roads, schools, police protection, medical facilities, recrea- 

 tional facilities, utilities, etc. It has been estimated 

 that, for the year 1972, the total number of employees (direct 

 and indirect) associated with OCS development and their 



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