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2001 OCS Scientific Committee Meeting Summary - Full Text

Wednesday, April 25, 2001

Director’s Presentation

Ms. Carolita Kallaur, Associate Director for Offshore Minerals Management, represented Dr. Tom Kitsos, the Acting Director of the Minerals Management Service (MMS).

Associate Director’s Presentation

presentation goes here

OCEAN Activities Update

One of the key provisions of the Oceans Act of 2001 is the establishment of a 16- member Commission on Ocean Policy to make recommendations for a coordinated and comprehensive national ocean policy to Congress and the President by late October, 2002. According to language in the Act, the President should appoint the Commission no later than April 20, 2001. The President will appoint the Commission based on the following formula:

	4 members from a list of 8 nominees submitted by the House majority;
	4 members from a list of 8 nominees submitted by the House majority;
	2 members from a list of 4 nominees submitted by the Senate minority;
	2 members from a list of 4 nominees submitted by the House minority; and
	4 members selected at the discretion of the President.

Dr. Turgeon reported on that as of this date, no Commission appointments have yet been made.

Presentation of Plaques to Outgoing Members

Ms. Carolita Kallaur presented plaques to retiring members Drs. Eric Crecelius, Steve Murray, Joe Niebauer, and Doug Wartzok. She also welcomed Dr. Larry Atkinson who had been a member of the Committee from 1989 through 1995 and was attending the Committee meeting as a guest.

OCS Policy Committee Report

Mr. Larry Schmidt , member of the of the OCS Policy Committee, presented key discussion items from the OCS Policy Committee’s October 2000 meeting. For a synopsis of that meeting, please visit the OCS Policy Committee Meeting page.

Technology Assessment Research Program Report

Mr. Jim Lane presented a brief overview of the TAR Program objectives: identified key ongoing projects in both the Operations Safety & Engineering Research (OSER) and Oil Spill Research (OSR) components; discussed the roles of OTRC and OHMSETT in the TAR Program activities; and, discussed the focus of the FY 2001 TAR Program funding priorities.

Sand Gravel Update Program Status Update

Ms. Carol Hartgen, Chief of INTERMAR, presented a program status update on the Sand and Gravel Program.

NEGOTIATED AGREEMENTS
Public Law 103-426, enacted October 31, 1994, gave the MMS the authority to convey, on a non- competitive basis, the rights to OCS sand, gravel, or shell resources for shore protection, beach or wetlands restoration projects, or for use in construction projects funded in whole or part or authorized by the Federal Government. The Shore Protection Provisions of the Water Resource Development Act of 1999 (S. 507 as passed by Congress on August 4, 1999) amended that law by prohibiting charging non-Federal interests a fee for using OCS sand. The following figure lists the MMS sand conveyances to date:

State	Locality	Cubic yards of sand
WHAT’S BEEN CONVEYED THUS FAR
FLORIDA	Jacksonville (Duval County)	1,240,000
SOUTH CAROLINA	Myrtle Beach (Surfside)	150,000
VIRGINIA	Dam Neck Naval Facility	808,600
VIRGINIA	Sandbridge Beach	1,098,191
MARYLAND	Assateague National Seashore	134,000
FLORIDA	Brevard County	4,500,000
FLORIDA	Patrick Air Force Base	600,000

Most recent activity: MMS Provides Sand to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida - The MMS and the U.S. Department of the Air Force 45th Civil Engineer Squadron at Patrick Air Force Base signed a Memorandum of Agreement to provide 600,000 cubic yards of Federal OCS sand for use in the construction of a shoreline protection project as part of the Brevard County Shore Protection Project. The Base will use the sand to provide shore protection from storm surges, high wave conditions, and beach erosion control for facilities and island evacuation routes along the 3.1 miles of Atlantic shoreline portion of the Base.

Negotiated agreements in progress:

	MMS recently received a request from the Army Corps of Engineers for 1.2 million cubic yards of OCS sand off Corson Inlet, New Jersey, for use in the renourishment of beaches between Strathmere and Sea Isle City.
	The MMS and EPA are working with the Army Corps on a possible demonstration project which would use sand from Ship Shoal to restore a portion of land near Belle Pass, Louisiana.
	Brevard County, Florida has requested that MMS provide an additional 2.8 million cubic yards of Federal OCS sand for the South Reach of the project area. The South Reach segment involves restoration of 3.4 miles of shoreline encompassing the Towns of Indialantic and Melbourne Beach.
	MMS recently received a request from the State of Maryland for use of additional sand from Great Gull Bank for nourishment of the State beach on Assateague Island.

COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES

MMS/State of Texas Cooperative Arrangement: MMS and the State of Texas through the Bureau of Economic Geology and the University of Texas at Austin expect to enter into a cooperative effort focused on possible use of sand located offshore northeast Texas for use in coastal public works projects in the Galveston area.

Florida Coastal Marine Institute: MMS and the State of Florida (effective March 5, 2001) have established a Florida Coastal Marine Institute (FCMI) to support research offshore Florida to provide data and information relative to the use of OCS sand for beach, coastal, and shore restoration. The FCMI will provide an efficient mechanism for bringing local expertise to bear on the priority sand and gravel information needs of the MMS and the State of Florida. The FCMI is a cost-sharing collaboration between the MMS, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), and the Florida State University (FSU) and will support high-quality scientific research and research training regarding the location and quality of OCS sand and gravel resources on the Florida OCS, and the environmental implications of extracting these resources relative to the coastal and marine waters offshore Florida.

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

	Site-specific biological/physical environmental studies have been completed offshore Virginia, Alabama, Maryland/Delaware, and central/southern New Jersey. Studies which commenced prior to Fiscal year 2001 are ongoing offshore North Carolina, and the central East Coast of Florida.
	A study to examine various methods to monitor the long-term biological/physical effects of offshore dredging is ongoing. Final monitoring protocols are due for delivery in May 2001. The study is also examining the feasibility and appropriateness of convening oversight/management groups that include Federal, State, and local interests for responsible, environmentally sound long-term management of Federal offshore sand areas. Workshops at which a host of State, Federal, and local government officials will attend are planned for May 1, 2001 in Houston and the end of May in Trenton, New Jersey.
	In Fiscal Year 2001, a new study was initiated to collect biological samples and to undertake numerical wave modeling offshore northern New Jersey and off Long Island. The kick-off meeting was held in Hyannis on April 16, 2001. Representatives from the New Jersey Geological Survey and the Army Corps of Engineers - New York District Office attended the meeting.
	Proposal evaluations are underway for a study to develop or, if practical, modify an existing computer mathematical model which can be used to predict the level and extent of water column and bottom sediment disturbance, the resulting water column/near-bottom turbidity, the degree to which the disturbed sediment persists within the various water layers during offshore sand and gravel dredging operations, and, ultimately, the resultant aerial "footprint" of the disturbed material on the seabed. Using available site-specific biological information, the model runs/output relative to the "footprint" of impact could then be used as a predictive tool to assist in the evaluation of the impact of a proposed dredging operation on resident benthic biological communities.

Regional Priorities and Environmental Information Needs

MMS Headquarters and Regional Studies presentations outlined the overall research needs and priorities of the National and Regional Studies Programs. Presentations addressed current issues; information/knowledge gaps; the most pressing research needs; how the various disciplines fit together in the overall picture; and future Studies efforts, in terms of expenditures and prioritization.

November 29, 2000

This day focused on discipline breakout sessions - Physical Oceanography, Biology/Ecology, and Socioeconomics - regarding future environmental research work and whether proposed regional studies addressed MMS programs informational needs for decision making.

November 30, 2000

Reports from the previous day’s breakout sessions were presented.

Committee Business

The Committee suggested that the Directors of the Coastal Marine Institute Directors be invited to every-other Committee meeting in order to bring the Committee up to date on CMI progress. Dr. Kendall advised the Committee that updated information regarding the CMI programs could be found on the Web. The Committee is also interested in hearing comments from the Regional Directors pertaining to how the CMI program is aiding the MMS, what the most important issues are, and whether or not those issues are being addressed. It was also suggested that SC members’ comments/recommendations be placed either on the Web or e-mailed prior to meetings.

A discussion as to how the MMS can better its communication to the public. It was noted that millions are spent on outreach regarding oil and gas; however, the communities just don’t seem to be interested. Dr. Turgeon suggested targeting young adults since they do seem to be showing interest. Dr. Kitsos, who was able to briefly attend this day, commented that the role of science will become more important than ever and communication with the public is very important. Dr. Steve Murray suggested and Dr. Lynda Shapiro agreed, that a study be created specifically to address ways to reach the pubic and remove the publics’ misconception about oil and gas. Ms. Kallaur replied that it would benefit the MMS to hire a communications expert with a scientific background to work with the regions.

Since the OCS SC meetings are to be held in the spring, it was asked if the end of April timeframe is the best for the members. It was agreed that meetings would be held the last week of March or in early April. Dr. Turgeon also stated that the meetings should not be limited to coastal areas since other areas of the country might be more cost-competitive.

For more information, contact Julie Reynolds.

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