Marine Mineral Projects

To date, BOEMRE has conveyed rights to about 56 million cubic yards of OCS sand for 29 coastal restoration projects in 5 states. These projects have resulted in the restoration of 167 miles of the Nation’s coastline, protecting billions of dollars of infrastructure as well as important ecological habitat. For example, imminent breaching of several barrier islands was prevented by the rapid placement of OCS sand because all necessary geological and environmental information had already been gathered. Many of these were emergency projects that used sand that was previously identified by the BOEMRE through its cooperative program with coastal states. At the Dam Neck Naval Facility alone, the Navy has estimated that almost $100 million of training and housing facilities has been protected from storm damage by the placement of OCS sand.

The legal authority for the issuance of negotiated noncompetitive leases for OCS sand and gravel is give by Section 8(k) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA). Public Law 103-426, enacted in 1994, allows the BOEMRE to convey, on a noncompetitive basis, the rights to OCS sand, gravel, or shell resources funded in whole, part, or authorized by the Federal Government.

In 1992, BOEMRE began working cooperatively with coastal states to locate and evaluate sand deposits in Federal waters with potential for use in beach nourishment projects. In 2005, due to funding cuts the state co-op program was discontinued. However, today the BOEMRE Sand and Gravel program is involved in more marine mineral leases than ever before and is seeing an increase in the requests for OCS sand as sand in state waters continues to be depleted.

Ongoing Marine Mineral Requests
 

	Dade County 2011 BOEMRE FONSI and Final EA  (37.9 MB PDF)
	Pinellas County 2011 BOEMRE FONSI and Final EA  (28.5 MB PDF)
	Raccoon Island, LA 2010 Final EA and FONSI (1 MB PDF)
	Duval County, FL 2011 Final EA and FONSI (801 KB PDF)
	Wallops Flight Facility, VA 2011 Record of Decision (137 KB PDF)
	The 2010 Final Programmatic EIS for the Wallops Flight Facility Shoreline Restoration and Infrastructure Protection Program (SRIPP) can be downloaded at http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/code250/final_sripp_peis_document.html
	Brevard South Reach 2009 Final EA FONSI (409 KB PDF)
	Miami-Dade (Florida) – 500,000 y3 from South of Government Cut-Extension
	Pinellas County (Florida)
	Long Boat Key (Florida)
	Pelican Island (Louisiana) – 3,100,000 y3 from Sandy Point SE Area
	Whiskey Island (Louisiana) – 5,200,000 y3 from Ship Shoal Area
	Raccoon Island (Louisiana) – 4,000,000 y3 from buried channel deposit
	Raccoon Island Phase B 2009 Final EA FONSI (8 MB PDF)
	Charleston Harbor (South Carolina) – 6,000,000 y3 from the Charleston ODMDS
	Charleston ODMDS 2009 Final EA FONSI (6 MB PDF)

Summary of Leases Issued by the BOEMRE

Summary of Leases Issued by the BOEMRE Marine Minerals Program (18 KB PDF)