1998 Year of the Ocean Ocean Energy and Minerals 



not now economically viable. However, they may become sources of energy in the future as 

 technology advances, conventional hydrocarbons become depleted, and concerns for global 

 climate change continue. 



The ocean seafloor contains vast deposits of sand and gravel, phosphorites, and other 

 minerals that are useful — ^both for public works and commercially. In recent years, severe coastal 

 storms have caused rapid erosion of beaches and barrier islands. Maintaining beaches for tourism 

 is an economic necessity for many coastal communities. Nearshore and offshore sand deposits 

 are becoming important sources for beach renourishment by eastern seaboard coastal 

 communities, and such resources are also being considered for barrier island restoration. Around 

 the world, sand and gravel (marine aggregate) find extensive use in construction and account for 

 the largest tonnage of minerals produced from the ocean. Industry is looking more and more to 

 the ocean for these critical building materials as land supplies of sand and gravel are depleted. 

 Marine aggregate is also used for capping contaminated sediments in estuaries, harbors, and 

 waste dumps. As demand for these resources increases, policies and procedures must be 

 developed to ensure their timely availability in a manner consistent with sound environmental 

 practices. 



Marine mining of strategic minerals such as manganese, gold, titanium, and other metals 

 has not been economically viable in the United States. However, mineral extraction in marine 

 areas is expected to begin long before land deposits become exhausted because of issues 

 surrounding land-use priorities, clean-water requirements, and environmental considerations. 

 Technology to extract these minerals economically is being developed, and policies for ocean 

 mining will need to be considered. 



Federal Authorities 



The appendix to this paper provides an extensive overview of the federal laws and 

 authorities for ocean energy and mineral resources. A more cursory presentation will be provided 

 here. ""It should be noted at the outset that the term "Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) is a legal 

 delineation created by federal statute and is not the same as the continental shelf that is defined in 

 the 1958 Geneva Convention on the Continental Shelf Legally, the OCS comprises that part of 

 the continental margin adjacent to the United States that remained subject to federal jurisdiction 

 and control after enactment of the Submerged Lands Act of 1953. 



Submerged Lands Act, 1953 



The Submerged Lands Act established state jurisdiction over offshore lands within 

 3 miles of shore (or 3 marine leagues for Texas and the Gulf coast of Florida). The Act also 

 reaffirmed the federal claim to the OCS, which consists of those submerged lands seaward of 

 state jurisdiction, and limited states' claims to inside the landward boundary of the OCS. 



D-4 



