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Environmental Studies Program Direction:
Marine Minerals Activities
Objective: To understand the
environmental impacts of OCS sand and gravel dredging and beach renourishment.
Prior to Public Law 103-426, enacted October 1994, hard mineral resources could only be
obtained through a competitive lease sale process stipulated under the OCS Lands Act.
Presently, leases for approved public works projects can also be issued on a
noncompetetive basis. The Department of the Navy and Duval County, Florida, have already
used Federal sand for beach nourishment purposes. Other local and State governments, as
well as Federal Agencies, are currently pursuing agreements to extract marine mineral
resources on the OCS for use as beach renourishment material. The Federal OCS also
represents a future source of construction aggregate material.
Public Law 103-426, October 1994, as amended by
the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, provides the Secretary of the Interior with new
authority to negotiate agreements for use of Federal sand, gravel or shell resources under
certain circumstances.
These projects have generated a need for technical information and environmental studies
to ensure that offshore minerals are developed in a safe and environmentally sound manner.
The MMS’s Office of International Activities and Marine Minerals (INTERMAR) has been developing and
procuring contracts to provide needed information regarding environmental management of
these resources.
Cumulative physical and biological effects associated with the dredging of offshore borrow
areas are likely to be encountered over the expected life cycle of a beach nourishment
project. Continuous dredging within the same area could lead to permanent changes in the
habitat or structure of benthic biological organisms, which represent the principal source
of food for many water-column-dwelling species. Spawning grounds for fish or other marine
species may also be at risk because of major and, possibly, permanent changes in the
character of the bottom substrate or bottom sediment grain size. Dredging continuously
within the same area may also modify the bathymetry such that adverse changes in the local
wave and current regime may occur.
The generic and site-specific studies that are being funded or are proposed to be funded
by ESP provide a solid foundation on which the MMS can make sound environmental decisions
relative to marine mineral development.
Meeting the Need: The MMS marine minerals
program will concentrate on developing generic studies to provide useful information for
decisionmaking in all of the regional areas.
 | Proposed research addresses cumulative biological and physical effects of dredging
within the same borrow area over the lifetime of an intended renourishment cycle.
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| Studies are also planned to continue cooperative research with the United Kingdom to
assess various impacts associated with the extraction, development, and transportation of
offshore construction aggregate.
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To date, two general categories of studies have been
developed and supported by ESP funds to address marine mineral-related issues.
| Generic field or literature studies to examine the effects of particular types of mining
operations on various aspects of the physical, chemical, and biological environments; and
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| Site-specific environmental studies in areas where offshore mineral activities are
actually proposed or appear likely in the near future. |
Studies proposed for Fiscal Year 1999 will address the full range of cumulative physical
and biological effects of offshore dredging activities associated with both beach
nourishment and construction aggregate operations.
For more information, contact Keith Good.
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