HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.
![handle is hein.gao/gaobaaxks0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
DOCUMENT BESUMN
06235 - FB1806841]
Deep Ocean Mining: Actions Needed To dake It Happen.
PSAD-77-127; B--174316. June 28, 1978. 49 pp. * Gj appendices (22
pp.).
Report to the Conq.ess; by Robert P. Keller, Acting Comptroller
General.
Issue Area: Science and Technology: Mcbilfzing Resources for
Malor Commercial Ventures (2001); Materials: International
Policies and Practice. (Including Seabed Resources) (1803).
Contact: Procurent and Systems Acquisition Div.
Budqet Function: General Science, Space, and Technolcgy: General
Science and Basi~c Research (251).
Orqanization Concerned: Office of management and Budget#
Department of the In'ertmE. Department of Ccmverce:
Dopartment of State; National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration; Gffice of Science and Technology Policy.
Conqressional Relevance: House Committee cn Interior and Insular
Affairs; Senate Committee on Enetgy and latural lesources;
Conqress.
Authority: mininq and mineral Policy Act of 1W'0 !30 U.S.C-
21(a) ;. Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act cf 1953 143 u. i.C.
1331). National Environmental Policy Azt of 1969 '.L0
91-190). Marine Resources and Engineering Developsean. Act of
t966 (P.L. 89-454). 43 u.S.C. 31(t). 30 U.S.C. 3. B.S. 3350
'95th Conq.). H.R. 13904 (92nd Cong.). L.R. 9 (93rd Cong.).
H.R. 12233 (93rd Cong.). H.R. 1270 (94th ConFc,.). H.8. 1187S
(94th conq.). S. 2801 (92sid Cong.). Z. 2878 (93Ld Ccng.). S.
1134 (93rd Conq.). S. 713 .941h Cong.). S. 2053 (95tb
Cong.).
Science and industry have lcng kncn that vast aounts
of manganese nodules lie on the ocean tottcm in most jazts of
the world. These nodules ccmuonl contain acre than 30 mineral
elements and are especially rich in nickel, ccpper, cobalt, and
manqanese. mining consortia have spent at least t140 million to
develop deep .n ining technology axd bill invest S2.1
billion to $3.1 billion to achieve commercial operations.
Findinqs/Conclusions: Two major proklems may delay full-scale
commercial mininq operations: (1) the lack cf mining site tenure
quar.nteed by domestic law or international agreement since
assurances 2f tenure are neaded to ottain finaacing tor mining
operationis; and (2) the lack of a Federal environaental impact
statement and resulting requlations which c¢uld have costly
effects on equipment design decisions and operational
techniques. No Federal agency is primarily reasonsitle for deeF
ocean mining, and no Federal agency bas been given the
responsibil,ty for preparing aa environmental impact statement
or environmentai requlations. Agency Ftogzans and projects for
deep ocean mining are fragmented and uncocrdinated vhile needed
proqrams have gone unattended or are behind schedule. Ageucy](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.gao/gaobaaxks0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)