FOR RELEASE:  September 30, 1994             CONTACT:  Lee Scurry
                                                   (202) 208-3983

MMS EXTENDS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH MARYLAND TO STUDY SAND
RESOURCES
     The U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management
Service (MMS) has awarded $49,087 to the Maryland Geological Survey
to investigate and inventory federal sand resources along the
state's coastline for potential use in future beach restoration
projects, MMS officials announced today.

     "This contract will provide funding for the third year in an
assessment of sand and gravel resources on the Outer Continental
Shelf (OCS) between Ocean City, MD and Cape Henlopen, DE," said
Acting MMS Director Cynthia Quarterman.

     "Researchers are looking for sand that closely matches the
characteristics of the beach areas to be restored.  A suitable
match will greatly enhance the success of any restoration efforts
to combat the severe erosion at Ocean City and Assateague Island
State Park in Maryland," Quarterman said.

     Work will include the acquisition of geological and
geophysical data to determine sand thickness and quality in both
state and federal waters from the Ocean City Inlet to the
Maryland-Virginia Line.

     "The sand and gravel studies will also ensure that any
potential future use will have minimal environmental impact on the
ocean floor," Quarterman added.

     This study is a continuation of a three-party agreement
between MMS and the states of Maryland and Delaware.  MMS recently
announced a grant of $44,000 to the state of Delaware to continue
work along their coastline.

     Similar efforts to evaluate marine mineral resources --
including other nonenergy minerals -- in federal waters have been
initiated with all other states on the East Coast and the Gulf of
Mexico.  As with MMS' other cooperative programs, the focus is on
the assessment of selected sand deposits, and the evaluation of
environmental, engineering and economic impacts related to sand
extraction and placement.

     MMS administers the federal offshore minerals program and
manages the mineral royalty program for federal and Indian lands. 
The MMS Office of International Activities and Marine Minerals
(INTERMAR) is responsible for the management of federal OCS sand
and other nonenergy mineral resources.  For more information
contact INTERMAR at (703) 787-1300.

                              -MMS-