Recent nonenergy mineral activity in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf

Large deposits of sand and gravel, phosphate, titanium-rich heavy minerals, and manganese in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) are available as future alternatives to onshore mining and importing. Several new developments concerning nonenergy minerals have taken place on the OCS during the last 2 years. These include seabed prospecting by industry, establishment of two Federal-State Task Forces to assess the likelihood of offshore mining, and release of studies on the economic feasibility of mining offshore North Carolina and Georgia. Although there are currently no commercial mining operations on the Atlantic OCS, sand is being commercially extracted from channels in New York Harbor, and it is dredged in State waters periodically for beach nourishment projects.