350 



- "Analysis of Historic Benthic Infaunal Samples from BLM's New 

 England Environmental Benchmark Program," Taxon, Inc., Salem, MA. 



It is important to note that these are not the only efforts in 

 Georges Bank, nor is this the first time data have been collected in the 

 area. Studies have been done, and others are coming out through industry 

 and Federal agencies, that are contributing to our understanding of the 

 effects of drilling on Georges Bank. This work includes baseline studies 

 by what is now the Minerals Management Service of the Department of the 

 Interior, work in water currents and hydrography by industry, work in 

 biology and fisheries by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric 

 Administration, and work in drilling fluids toxicity by the Environmental 

 Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and the American Petroleum 

 Institute. 



The Task Force has the following major findings based on the first 

 year's study: 



- Relatively small increases in the amount of barium, and no 

 increases in chromium and other metals were found in the bulk 

 sediments at two intensely studied areas near where drilling 

 occurred. (Barium is used as a tracer for determining the 

 accumulation of the drilling muds.) 



