Assessment of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies Program

This is the third of four volumes from the Committee to Review the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Environmental Studies Program (ESP). The first two dealt with physical, oceanographic, and ecological aspects of the program.This book presents the findings of the panel's investigation of the social and economic relevance of OCS oil and gas activities and the social and economic aspects of the ESP.It describes the potential effects of OCS activities on the human environment, presents an ideal socioeconomic studies program, and comments on the current program in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, and Alaska regions.Table of ContentsFront MatterExecutive SummaryIntroductionThe Human EnvironmentA Framework for Organizing OCS Socioeconomic StudiesAnalysis of the ProgramConclusions and RecommendationsReferencesAppendix A: Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, &ResourcesAppendix B: The Human EnvironmentAppendix C: The Evolution of the Federal OCS Program: National andRegional PerspectivesAppendix D: Social and Economic Studies Technical Reports, AlaskaOCS Region, MMS