South Texas Continental Shelf and Continental Slope: Late Pleistocene/ Holocene Evolution and Sea-Floor Stability

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

South Texas Continental Shelf and Continental Slope: Late Pleistocene/ Holocene Evolution and Sea-Floor Stability SOUTH TEXAS CONTINENTAL SHELF AND CONTINENTAL SLOPE: LATE PLEISTOCENE/ HOLOCENE EVOLUTION AND SEA-FLOOR STABILITY (An outline and notes relative to geologic hazards on the sea floor) U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 78-514 May 1978 Prepared by Henry L. Berryhlll, Jr, assisted by Anita R. Trippet TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 1 THE STUDY PLAN 3 The systematic and integrated approach : 3 Rationale 3 Geologic components studied : - 3 Methods of study 5 Geologic framework < 5 Sedimentation > 5 Sampling methods and acquisition of data 5 Analytical techniques 5 Synthesis of data and reporting 12 Geologic characteristics of the region based on synthesis of the analytical and interpretative data < 12 Structural framework of the continental terrace 12 Evolution of the continental terrace since middle Pleistocene 15 General depositional history - 15 Holocene deposition 26 Tectonism 49 Relative stability of the sea floor 54 General classification of the shelf and slope - 54 Subarea 1 54 Subarea 2 54 Subarea 3 58 Analysis of the. unstable conditions in Subarea 3 59 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. Map showing bathymetry and topography of the South Texas Outer Continental Shelf 6 Figure 2. Map showing location of geophysical track lines, continental shelf - - . - 7 Figure 2A. Map showing location of geophysical track lines, continental slope - 8 Figure 2B. Map showing location of geophysical track lines, continental slope-- 9 Figure 3. Map showing location of bottom grab sample stations 10 Figure 4. Map showing location of core sample stations ^ 11 Figure 5. Map showing location of folds within the continental terrace ^~~ - , __*__ -, . ___-_________ ____________ _,^, , _ j_j Figure 6. Acoustical profile showing tensional faults in typical pattern above the crest of an anticline < 14 Figure 7. Acoustical profile showing tensional faults in typical pattern above the crest of a diapir 16 Figure 8. Acoustical profile showing deep seated rotational gravity faults in typical pattern, outer part of the continental terrace * 17 Figure 9. Acoustical profile showing composite of tensional and gravity faults, upper continental slope 18 Figure 10. Acoustical profile showing shallow seated rotational gravity faults associated with slumping of sediments down the continental slope 19 Figure 11. Map showing principal depositional environments, continental terrace off south Texas 20 Figure 12. Acoustical profile showing progressive growth of the outer part of the continental terrace by sediment buildup and progradation 22 Figure 13. Acoustical profile showing the continental slope seaward of the continental shelf with characteristic huramocky topography and slumped sediments 23 Page Figure 14. Acoustical profile showing the nature and subsurface positions of two paleo surfaces that represent previous low stands of sea level, southern part of continental shelf - 24 Figure 15. Acoustical profile showing the nature and subsurface positions of the two paleo surfaces, reflectors A and B, that represent previous low stands of sea level, central part of continental shelf-r- 25 Figure 16. Map showing location of profiles shown on figures 17 and 18 27 Figure 17. Profiles showing stratigraphic relations of post middle Pleistocene depositional units : - 28 Figure 18. Profiles showing stratigraphic relations of post middle Pleistocene depositional units 29 Figure 19. Map showing configuration of the base of unit 4 (reflector D) 30 Figure 20. Map showing thickness and distribution of unit 4 31 Figure 21. Map showing thickness and distribution of unit 3< 32 Figure 22. Map showing configuration of reflector B, or base of depositional units 1/2 33 Figure 23. Map showing thickness and distribution of unit 2 = 34 Figure 24. Map showing configuration of the base of unit 1 (reflector A) ^ = 35 Figure 25. Map showing thickness and distribution of unit 1 36 Figure 26. Map showing interpretative environmental classifi­ cation of the types of sediments represented in basal Holocene deposits-- 38 Figure 27. Diagrams of selected cores, northern part of shelf, showing vertical variations in grain size *- 40 Figure 28. Diagrams of selected cores, central sector of shelf, showing vertical variations in grain size rr- 41 Figure 29. Diagrams of selected cores, southern part of shelf, showing vertical variations in grain size 42 Figure 30. Diagrams of selected cores from around an exposed Pleistocene reef showing vertical variations in grain size-^ ' = 43 Page Figure 31. Map showing area of the shelf in which cores indicate Figure 32. Map showing classification and distribution of surf icial sediments by grain size ; 46 Figure 33. Map showing percent sand in surf icial bottom sediments 47 Figure 34. Map showing interpretative contours of rates of sedi­ mentation in ram per year as determined by 210p^ activity in the sediments-- 43 Figure 35. Acoustical profile showing the subsurface position of reflectors A and B, stratigraphic reference horizons used to determine geographically the extent and intensity of faulting through time 51 Figure 36. Map showing geographic position of faults that cut reflector B but not reflector A 52 Figure 37. Map showing geographic position of faults that cut both reflectors A and B 53 Figure 38. Map showing .interpretative classification of stability, continental terrace 55 Figure 38A. Map showing a general outline of areas where "plumes" suggesting natural gas seepage were recorded on acoustical profiles 56 Figure 39. Map showing fault patterns, inner shelf in southern part of the South Texas OCS 57 Figure 40A. Acoustical profile showing structural and sedimen- tological characteristics of the shelf edge and upper slope off the Rio Grande delta 60 Figure 40B. Acoustical profile showing the slumped and faulted sediments on the continental slope 61 Figure 40C. Acoustical profile showing a combination of the unstable features shown by figures 40A and 40B< < 62 Figure 40D. Acoustical profile showing prograded undisturbed deltaic sediments overlying slumped and diapiric sediments at the junction of the continental shelf and the continental slope and slumped and faulted sediments on the upper part of the slop 3 63 Figure 40E. Acoustical profile showing slumped sediments-- * 64 Page Figure 40F. Acoustical profile showing both slumping and sliding on the continental slope - 65 Figure 40G. Acoustical profile showing slumps and slides on the continental slope 66 Figure 40H. Acoustical profile showing pile up of slumps at the base of the continental slope 67 Figure 41A. Acoustical profile parallel to the shelf edge showing prograded undisturbed deltaic sediments overlying slumped and diapiric sediments - 68 Figure 41B. Acoustical profile showing the continuation of undisturbed sediments above slumped sediments along the edge of the continental shelf - 69 Figure 41C. Acoustical profile showing a continuation of the undisturbed sediments over the slumped and diapiric sediments 70 Figure 42A. Acoustical profile, continental slope off south Texas, showing large scale slumping of sediments to con­ siderable depth below the sea floor 72 Figure 42B. Acoustical profile showing large scale slumping 73 Figure 42C. Acoustical profile showing large scale slumping - 74 Figure 42D. Acoustical profile showing large scale slumping 75 Figure 42E. Acoustical profile showing large scale slumping 76 Figure 43A. Acoustical profile showing the gentler gradient and deep seated rotational gravity faulting that is characteristic of the continental slope in the central sector of the continental terrace off south Texas 78 Figure 43B. Acoustical profile showing the characteristic gentler gradient and deep seated rotational gravity faults 79 Figure 43C. Acoustical profile showing large domal structure on the lower part of the continental slope caused by diapirism 80 Figure 44A. Acoustical profile showing slumped and deformed older deltaic sediments beneath younger prograded sedi­ ments and faulting associated with slumping on the continental slope (northeastern sector of continental terrace off south Texas) 81 Page Figure 44B. Acoustical profile showing a rift caused by gravity slumping and pile up of slumped sediments, upper continental slope 82 Figure 44C. Acoustical profile showing characteristic hummocky topography above slumps and slides 84 Figure 44D. Acoustical profile showing characteristic hummocky topography above slumped and diapirically de­ formed beds 85 Figure 44E. Acoustical profile showing characteristic hummocky topography on the lower part of the continental slope ~ ~~ ________ __ __ _ ___________ yjj Figure 45. Map showing shallow geologic features of the con­ tinental slope caused by deformational movements within the continental terrace 87 SOUTH TEXAS CONTINENTAL SHELF AND CONTINENTAL SLOPE: LATE PLEISTOCENE/ HOLOCENE EVOLUTION AND SEA-FLOOR STABILITY (An outline and notes relative to geologic hazards on the sea floor) Introduction In an engineering sense, the geologic aspects of the sea floor are hazardous to man's activities when and where structures cannot be designed to withstand the combined stresses of the marine environment. In the most basic sense, geologic "hazards" relate directly to sea-floor stability, or the potential of the sea floor for significant movement that would be damaging to man-made structures placed on the sea floor. Judging the potential for movement requires descriptive details about the geologic conditions plus a quantitative understanding of the geologic and related oceanographic processes that are operative in the region
Recommended publications
  • Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas General Permit (GMG290000)
    FACT SHEET AND SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FOR THE PROPOSED REISSUANCE OF THE NPDES GENERAL PERMIT FOR NEW AND EXISTING SOURCES IN THE OFFSHORE SUBCATEGORY OF THE OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION POINT SOURCE CATEGORY FOR THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF OF THE GULF OF MEXICO (GMG290000) April 7, 2017 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 1445 Ross Ave. Dallas, TX 75202 This page is intentionally left blank. GMG290000 Fact Sheet Page 1 FACT SHEET AND SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION I. Legal Basis Section 301(a) of the Clean Water Act (CWA or the Act), 33 USC 1311(a), renders it unlawful to discharge pollutants to waters of the United States in the absence of authorizing permits. CWA section 402, 33 U.S.C. section 1342, authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits allowing discharges on the condition they will meet certain requirements, including CWA sections 301, 304, 306, 401 and 403. Those statutory provisions require NPDES permits include effluent limitations for authorized discharges that: (1) meet standards reflecting levels of technological capability; (2) comply with EPA-approved state water quality standards; (3) comply with other state requirements adopted under authority retained by states under CWA section 510, 33 U.S.C. section 1370; and, (4) cause no unreasonable degradation to the territorial seas, waters of the contiguous zone, or the oceans. CWA section 301 requires compliance with "best conventional pollution control technology" (BCT) and "best available pollution control technology economically achievable" (BAT) no later than March 31, 1989. CWA section 306 requires compliance with New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) no later than the effective date of such standards.
    [Show full text]
  • What the Regulations Require and How Decommissioning Differs
    What the Regulations Require and How Decommissioning Differs Between the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources Decommissioning Symposium February 15, 2019 1 Agenda u Offshore Federal Jurisdiction u Offshore Well, Platforms and Pipelines u Decommissioning Obligations & Regulations u Gulf of Mexico & Pacific OCS Regions u Idle Iron u Decommissioning Project Execution u Rigs to Reef Decommissioning Option u Final Results u Questions 2 Offshore Federal Jurisdiction 3 Government Controlled Offshore Lands United States - Exclusive Economic Zone (3 Billion Acres – 4.1 Million Sq. Miles) Source: DOI Source: BOEM Offshore Jurisdiction Source: Dept. of Interior Source: DOI Offshore Wells, Platforms and Pipelines 6 Shallow Water Three Pile Platform Multi-Platform Complex 7 Deepwater Semi-Submersible Production Platform Deepwater Production System Layout Deep Draft Semi-Submersible Facility with Subsea Wells Field 1 Field 2 Decommissioning Obligations and Regulations 10 Decommissioning Obligations u Decommissioning is the process of ending offshore oil and gas operations at an offshore platform and returning the ocean and seafloor to its pre-lease condition. u The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) and implementing regulations establish decommissioning obligations to which an operator must commit when they sign an offshore lease under the OCSLA, including the requirement to apply for and obtain a permit for subsequent removal of platforms. u Outer Continental Shelf leases typically require the operator to remove seafloor obstructions, such as offshore platforms, within one year of lease termination, or prior to termination of the lease if either the operator or the Department of the Interior deems the structure unsafe, obsolete, or no longer useful for operations (Idle Iron).
    [Show full text]
  • Outer Continental Shelf: Debate Over Oil and Gas Leasing and Revenue Sharing
    Outer Continental Shelf: Debate Over Oil and Gas Leasing and Revenue Sharing Updated April 3, 2009 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RL33493 Outer Continental Shelf: Debate Over Oil and Gas Leasing and Revenue Sharing Summary Oil and gas leasing in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) has been an important issue in the debate over energy security and domestic energy resources. The Department of the Interior (DOI) released a comprehensive inventory of OCS resources in February 2006 that estimated reserves of 8.5 billion barrels of oil and 29.3 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas. Another 86 billion barrels of oil and 420 tcf of natural gas are classified as undiscovered resources. Congress had imposed moratoria on much of the OCS since 1982 through the annual Interior appropriation bills. A Presidential Directive issued by President George H.W. Bush in 1990 (and extended by President Clinton until 2012) also banned offshore oil and gas development in much of the OCS. Proponents of the moratoria contend that offshore drilling would pose unacceptable environmental risks and threaten coastal tourism industries. However, on June 18, 2008, President Bush announced his support for lifting the moratoria on offshore oil and gas development. However, President Bush said that he would not lift the executive ban until Congress acted to lift its ban first. But, on July 14, 2008, President Bush reversed his position and lifted the executive ban on the OCS before Congress acted. Congressional action approving the Continuing Appropriations Act for FY2009 (P.L. 110-329, enacted September 30, 2008), continued the funding of government activities through March 6, 2009, or until a regular appropriations bill is enacted, omitted language that provided for the congressional OCS moratoria along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
    [Show full text]
  • Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2017-2022
    OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2017-009 Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2017-2022 Gulf of Mexico Lease Sales 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 256, 257, 259, and 261 Final Multisale Environmental Impact Statement Volume I: Chapters 1-3 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Gulf of Mexico OCS Region OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2017-009 Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2017-2022 Gulf of Mexico Lease Sales 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 256, 257, 259, and 261 Final Multisale Environmental Impact Statement Volume I: Chapters 1-3 Author Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Gulf of Mexico OCS Region Published by U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management New Orleans Gulf of Mexico OCS Region March 2017 v COVER SHEET Gulf of Mexico Multisale Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 256, 257, 259, and 261 Draft ( ) Final (x) Type of Action: Administrative (x) Legislative ( ) Area of Potential Impact: Offshore Marine Environment and Coastal Counties/Parishes of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and northwestern Florida Agency Headquarters’ Contact Region Contacts U.S. Department of the Interior Stephanie Fiori Helen Rucker Bureau of Ocean Energy Management U.S. Department of the Interior 504-736-2421 Gulf of Mexico OCS Region Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (GM 623E) 45600 Woodland Road (VAM-OEP) Tershara Matthews 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard Sterling, VA 20166-9216 504-736-2676 New Orleans, LA 70123-2394 703-787-1832 ABSTRACT This Final Multisale Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) covers the proposed 2017-2022 Gulf of Mexico’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas lease sales as scheduled in the 2017- 2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing: Proposed Final Program (Five-Year Program).
    [Show full text]
  • In the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
    Case 2:21-cv-00778-TAD-KK Document 3-1 Filed 03/31/21 Page 1 of 33 PageID #: 109 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, By and through its Attorney General, JEFF LANDRY, et al., PLAINTIFFS, v. CIV. NO. 2:21-CV-00778-TAD-KK JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR., in his official capacity as President of the United States; et al., DEFENDANTS. MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION Case 2:21-cv-00778-TAD-KK Document 3-1 Filed 03/31/21 Page 2 of 33 PageID #: 110 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ......................................................................................................................... ii INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................................................. 2 I. BY STATUTE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST REGULARLY OPEN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF FOR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT. ..................................................................... 2 A. The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Establishes a Mandatory, Four-Step Process for Scheduling Lease Sales in the Outer Continental Shelf. .................................................. 2 B. President Obama’s Heavily Vetted Five-Year Program Governs Lease Sales Occurring Now Through the End Of 2022. ..........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Five-Year Program for Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing: History and Program for 2017-2022
    Five-Year Program for Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing: History and Program for 2017-2022 Updated August 23, 2019 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R44504 BOEM's Five-Year Programs for Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Summary Under Section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, as amended (OCSLA; 43 U.S.C. §§1331-1356b), the Secretary of the Interior must prepare and maintain forward-looking plans— typically referred to as five-year programs—that indicate proposed public oil and gas lease sales in U.S. waters. In doing so, the Secretary must balance national interests in energy supply and environmental protection. The lead agency within DOI responsible for the program is the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). BOEM’s development of a five-year program typically takes place over two or three years, during which successive drafts of the program are published for review and comment. At the end of the process, the Secretary of the Interior must submit each program to the President and to Congress for a period of at least 60 days, after which the proposal may be approved by the Secretary and may take effect with no further regulatory or legislative action. BOEM also develops a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) for the leasing program, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. §4321). The PEIS examines the potential environmental impacts from oil and gas exploration and development on the outer continental shelf (OCS) and considers a reasonable range of alternatives to the proposed plan. Since 1980, nine distinct five-year programs and a revised version of one program have been submitted to Congress.
    [Show full text]
  • Supreme Court of the United States ______
    No. 18-389 IN THE Supreme Court of the United States __________ PARKER DRILLING MANAGEMENT SERVICES, LTD., Petitioner, v. BRIAN NEWTON, Respondent. __________ On Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit __________ BRIEF FOR RESPONDENT __________ MICHAEL A. STRAUSS DAVID C. FREDERICK ARIS E. KARAKALOS Counsel of Record STRAUSS & STRAUSS, APC ANA NIKOLIC 121 N. Fir Street KELLOGG, HANSEN, TODD, Suite F FIGEL & FREDERICK, Ventura, CA 93001 P.L.L.C. (805) 641-6600 1615 M Street, N.W. Suite 400 ERIN GLENN BUSBY Washington, D.C. 20036 LISA R. ESKOW (202) 326-7900 MICHAEL F. STURLEY ([email protected]) 727 East Dean Keeton St. Austin, TX 78705 (512) 232-1350 March 22, 2019 QUESTION PRESENTED The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (“OCSLA”) declares that, “[t]o the extent that they are applicable and not inconsistent with” federal laws and regula- tions, the civil and criminal laws of an adjacent State are “the law of the United States” for the Outer Continental Shelf. 43 U.S.C. § 1333(a)(2)(A). The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (“FLSA”) sets a national floor for wage-and-hour standards and contains a sav- ings clause preserving enforcement of more generous federal, state, or local minimum-wage and maximum- hour laws. California’s Labor Code is such a law, set- ting certain wage-and-hour standards that are more generous than the provisions in the FLSA. Onshore, there is no question that, under the ordinary meaning of the terms, California’s Labor Code is both “applica- ble” and “not inconsistent” with federal law.
    [Show full text]
  • Offshore Oil and Gas Development: Legal Framework
    Offshore Oil and Gas Development: Legal Framework Adam Vann Legislative Attorney April 13, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33404 Offshore Oil and Gas Development: Legal Framework Summary The development of offshore oil, gas, and other mineral resources in the United States is impacted by a number of interrelated legal regimes, including international, federal, and state laws. International law provides a framework for establishing national ownership or control of offshore areas, and domestic federal law mirrors and supplements these standards. Governance of offshore minerals and regulation of development activities are bifurcated between state and federal law. Generally, states have primary authority in the area extending three geographical miles from their coasts. The federal government and its comprehensive regulatory regime govern minerals located under federal waters, which extend from the states’ offshore boundaries to at least 200 nautical miles from the shore. The basis for most federal regulation is the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), which provides a system for offshore oil and gas exploration, leasing, and ultimate development. Regulations run the gamut from health, safety, resource conservation, and environmental standards to requirements for production-based royalties and, in some cases, royalty relief and other development incentives. The five-year program for offshore leasing for 2017-2022 adopted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management focuses only on new exploration and production in the Gulf of Mexico and the Cook Inlet off the coast of Alaska. However, the Trump Administration has published a 2019- 2024 Draft Proposed Plan that would supersede the 2017-2022 Program. Congress is also free to alter the scope of offshore oil and gas exploration and production contemplated by the 2017-2022 Program via new legislation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Outer Continential Shelf Lands Act Amendments of 1978: Balancing Energy Needs with Environmental Concerns? Gordon L
    Louisiana Law Review Volume 40 | Number 1 Fall 1979 The Outer Continential Shelf Lands Act Amendments of 1978: Balancing Energy Needs with Environmental Concerns? Gordon L. James Repository Citation Gordon L. James, The Outer Continential Shelf Lands Act Amendments of 1978: Balancing Energy Needs with Environmental Concerns?, 40 La. L. Rev. (1979) Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.lsu.edu/lalrev/vol40/iss1/9 This Comment is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Reviews and Journals at LSU Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Louisiana Law Review by an authorized editor of LSU Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF LANDS ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1978: BALANCING ENERGY NEEDS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS? The continental shelf' of the United States is a vast, relatively untapped storehouse of natural resources, the most valuable of which are oil and gas." The energy potential of this area, if realized, could bring the United States much closer to energy self-sufficiency' and its attendant benefits.' However, the shelf and surrounding coastal environment is important for a variety of other commercial, ecological and aesthetic reasons.5 Development and production of off- 1. The continental shelf is the relatively shallow extension of the continental land masses which stretches outward from the shore gradually to an average depth of 660 feet. At its edge the seabed takes a steep decline, known as the continental slope. The gentler gradient which marks the merger of the slope with the deep seabed is the continental rise.
    [Show full text]
  • Identification of Outer Continental Shelf Renewable Energy Space-Use Conflicts and Analysis of Potential Mitigation Measures
    OCS Study BOEM 2012-083 Identification of Outer Continental Shelf Renewable Energy Space-Use Conflicts and Analysis of Potential Mitigation Measures U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management OCS Study BOEM 2012-083 Identification of Outer Continental Shelf Renewable Energy Space-Use Conflicts and Analysis of Potential Mitigation Measures Principal Authors (alphabetical) Flaxen Conway, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University Madeleine Hall-Arber, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant College Program Michael Harte, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University Daniel Hudgens, Industrial Economics, Incorporated Thomas Murray, Virginia Institute of Marine Science Carrie Pomeroy, University of California, Santa Cruz Institute of Marine Sciences John Weiss, Industrial Economics, Incorporated Jack Wiggin, Urban Harbors Institute, University of Massachusetts, Boston Dawn Wright, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University Prepared under BOEM Contract M09PC00037 by Industrial Economics, Incorporated 2067 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02140 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management September 2012 DISCLAIMER This report was prepared under contract between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Industrial Economics, Incorporated. This report has been technically reviewed by BOEM staff and has been approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the view and policies of BOEM, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. It is, however, exempt from review and in compliance with BOEM editorial standards. REPORT AVAILABILITY This report may be downloaded from the BOEM website through the Environmental Studies Program Information System (ESPIS) by referencing Study Number BOEM 2012-083.
    [Show full text]
  • Rec Fishing BSEE
    Special Projects Competition Measuring the Ecological and Economic Effects of Existing and Reefed Outer Continental Shelf Facilities in the Gulf of Mexico on Recreational Fishing SPECIAL PROJECTS “L” ANNOUNCEMENT Competition: Measuring the Ecological and Economic Effects of Existing and Reefed Outer Continental Shelf Facilities in the Gulf of Mexico on Recreational Fishing Closing Dates and Deadlines: May 6, 2021 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time Eligible Sea Grant Programs: This competition is open to all Sea Grant programs. The project must take place within the United States or territories or their respective waterways. The focus must be on the Gulf of Mexico and neighboring U.S. States, but considering national economic impacts. The lead PI must be from an institution within a state bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Award Time Frame: The proposed start date should be no earlier than September 1, 2021, with projects to be completed no later than two years after the project start date. Funding Availability: The National Sea Grant Office (NSGO), in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), anticipates that up to $800,000 of federal funds will ​ ​ be available to a Sea Grant Program in order to support a research project measuring the ecological and economic effects of recreational fishing on existing and reefed outer continental shelf facilities. The NSGO anticipates making one award. No matching funds are statutorily required for this competition. Project Description (program priorities): The objective of the project is to support studies that contribute to future development of a decision support tool that can evaluate the economic contribution and value of recreational fishing attributed to 1 the offshore energy facilities on the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
    [Show full text]
  • Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.Xml
    G:\COMP\ENMISC\OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF LANDS ACT.XML OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF LANDS ACT [The Act of August 7, 1953, Chapter 345, as Amended] [As Amended Through P.L. 116–283, Enacted January 1, 2021] ¿Currency: This publication is a compilation of the text of Act of August 7, 1953, Chapter 345. It was last amended by the public law listed in the As Amended Through note above and below at the bottom of each page of the pdf version and reflects current law through the date of the enactment of the public law listed at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/comps/ ¿Note: While this publication does not represent an official version of any Federal statute, substantial efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of its contents. The official version of Federal law is found in the United States Statutes at Large and in the United States Code. The legal effect to be given to the Statutes at Large and the United States Code is established by statute (1 U.S.C. 112, 204). AN ACT To provide for the jurisdiction of the United States over the submerged lands of the outer Continental Shelf, and to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease such lands for certain purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the ‘‘Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act’’. ¿43 U.S.C. 1301 note SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.—When used in this Act— (a) The term ‘‘outer Continental Shelf’’ means all submerged lands lying seaward and outside of the area of lands beneath navi- gable waters as defined in section 2 of the Submerged Lands Act (Public Law 31, Eighty-third Congress, first session), and of which the subsoil and seabed appertain to the United States and are sub- ject to its jurisdiction and control; (b) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of the Interior, except that with respect to functions under this Act transferred to, or vested in, the Secretary of Energy or the Federal Energy Regu- latory Commission by or pursuant to the Department of Energy Or- ganization Act (42 U.S.C.
    [Show full text]