Final executive summary report; environmental studies, southeastern United States Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf, 1977; geology

Open-File Report 80-147
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Abstract

Starting in mid 1976 and continuing into 1977 a variety of geological studies were carried out by the U. S. Geological Survey on the southeastern U. S. Atlantic Continental Margin to assess conditions and hazards that might cause or distribute oil spills or other pollutants, or constrain petroleum exploration or development of the area. These detailed investigations were requested and funded by the Bureau of Land Management to carry out its responsibility under the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act of 1969. Because of the energy crisis the decision had been made to lease on the southeastern continental shelf. A variety of studies had to be mounted quickly for input into decisions concerning the environment that would affect or constrain which lease tracks would be offered. The first lease sale, Lease Sale 43, took place in March 1978, and the environmental information on which this lease sale was based came in part from this initial effort and in part from a wide variety of pertinent data assembled from the literature by the Bureau of Land Management's Environmental Assessment Division. The compilation of relevant data for the Environmental Impact Statement for Lease Sale 43 also pointed up deficiencies in environmental knowledge in a number of areas. The Bureau of Land Management's environmental program for the Southeast Atlantic OCS was initiated to fill gaps in the environmental data base and to detect and assess impacts from oil and gas exploration and production.

Study Area

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Final executive summary report; environmental studies, southeastern United States Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf, 1977; geology
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 80-147
DOI 10.3133/ofr80147
Year Published 1980
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Description 28 p.
Country United States
State Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina
Other Geospatial Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf
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