with regulations or other discrepancies found during their inspec- 

 tions. Required quarterly failure-analysis reports, accident- 

 investigation procedures, and maintenance of a safety alert system 

 complement the inspection function to assure the maximum safety of 

 offshore operations. 



The lease system and the successful exploration, development, 

 and production of offshore oil and gas depend on the support of many 

 other parts of the Federal Ocean Program. Among these are weather 

 and oceanographic prediction, pollution control, fisheries manage- 

 ment, ocean technology, and transportation. 



Supporting Efforts 



EPA administers an interagency research and development 

 program on the health and ecological effects of increased domestic 

 energy production. The principal agencies involved in the marine 

 and estuarine part of the program are EPA, NOAA, the National 

 Bureau of Standsrds (NBS), ERDA, the National Institute of 

 Environmental Health Sciences, and FWS. This program includes 

 identifying and quantifying pollutants related to energy production 

 or use, as well as improving pollution-measurement capabilities. In 

 this area, there are two objectives: to accelerate development of new 

 and improved sampling and analysis methods for energy-related 

 pollutants and to identify, measure, and monitor pollutants 

 associated with rapid implementation of national energy goals. 



Another program area is concerned with the ecological effects of 

 pollutants and heat emitted from energy operations and the 

 transport processes of these pollutants through air, water, and soil 

 from their sources to their destination (fate) in man and the 

 environment. These studies also involve determining any physical 

 and chemical change in the pollutants occurring during transport. 



Studies of the ecological effects of energy systems address the 

 environmental aspects of watershed (freshwater), marine, and 

 terrestrial ecosystems. Near-term marine research will establish 

 background contaminant levels in both ocean-dwelling organisms 

 and their habitats. Research will focus on a study of one major 

 eastern U.S. coastal area, where deepwater ports and oil rigs may be 

 located, to develop baseline data for determining the effects on 

 marine life of deepwater ports, petroleum extraction and conversion 

 operations, and electric powerplants. 



NOAA and USGS continue to strengthen programs devoted to the 

 study and prediction of storms, earthquakes and associated waves, 

 currents, and resonant effects, which pose hazards to offshore 

 petroleum-industry operations. Increasing success in applying the 

 results of these programs was illustrated in late 1974 when the 



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