A summary of environmental geologic studies in the Georges Bank area, United States northeastern Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf, 1975-1977

The growing need for the United States to find and develop new energy resources has led to interest in the petroleum potential of frontier areas of the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) seaward of the eastern seaboard state boundaries. These submerged lands are under federal jurisdiction. The authority to lease tracts for resource development is vested with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), of the Department of Interior, pursuant to the terms of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953 and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; the latter Act requires that the inevitable social and environmental effects of development be considered in leasing decisions.

The Georges Bank region, part of the Continental Shelf off New England, is one of three designated Atlantic OCS target areas for petroleum exploration. It is also one of the world's most productive fishing grounds, and the nearby coastal states have high population densities, important fishing industries, and coastlines with extraordinary recreational and scenic value.