CONSERVATION AND CONTROL OF SUBMERGED COASTAL CERTAIN RESOURCES OF SAID LANDS SUBCOMMITTEE No. 1 OF THE EIGHTY-FIRST CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H. R. 5991 and H. R. 5992 INLAND WATERS AUGUST 24, 25, AND 29, 1949 Serial No. 15 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY EMANUEL CELLER, New York, Chairman CHAUNCEY W. REED, Illinois LOUIS E. GRAHAM, Pennsylvania JOSEPH R. BRYSON, South Carolina FRANK FELLOWS, Maine THOMAS J. LANE, Massachusetts JOHN JENNINGS, JR., Tennessee MARTIN GORSKI, Illinois CLIFFORD P. CASE, New Jersey MICHAEL A. FEIGHAN, Ohio KENNETH B. KEATING, New York FRANK L. CHELF, Kentucky WILLIAM M. MCCULLOCH, Ohio ED GOSSETT, Texas J. CALEB BOGGS, Delaware J. FRANK WILSON, Texas ANGIER L. GOODWIN, Massachusetts BESS EFFRAT Dick, Chief Clerk SUBCOMMITTEE No. 1 FRANCIS E. WALTER, Pennsylvania, Chairman MICHAEL A. FEIGHAN, Ohio LOUIS E. GRAHAM, Pennsylvania FRANK L. CHELF, Kentucky FRANK FELLOWS, Maine CLIFFORD P. CASE, New Jersey II CONTENTS Page 1 15 74 109 120 Hall Hammond, attorney general, State of Maryland. E. W. Mattoon, assistant attorney general, State of California.. Fred N. Howser, attorney general, State of California. Commission (submitted by Mr. Howser)---- General.com A. M. Gee, general counsel, Ohio Oil Co., Findlay, Ohio.. Walter S. Hallanan, president, Plymouth Oil Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.. Ernie Pyles, assistant to executive vice president and general manager, Jergins Oil Co., Long Beach, Calif.-- William W. Clary, attorney at law, Los Angeles, Calif- E. F Bullard, geologist, president, Stanolind Oil & Gas Co., Tulsa, H. H. Kaveler, assistant to vice president, crude oil production de- partment, Phillips Petroleum Co., Bartlesville, Okla- Hines H. Baker, president, Humble Oil & Refining Co., Houston, Tex. Hon. J. A. Krug, Secretary of the Interior. Letter to President of the Senate from Secretaries Forrestal and Krug and Attorney General Clark re S. 923. Letter to chairman, Committee on Public Lands, re H. R. 354, Letter to Congressman Walter from Secretary Johnson.. Letter to the Speaker, June 3, 1949, re S. 923 and S. 2153, from Secretaries Johnson and Krug and Attorney General Clark.. Alabama... Austin, Tex., suggesting amendment of H. R. 5991 and H. R. 5992.- Resolution of National Association of Attorneys General - Resolution passed by the Legislature of Maryland. Resolution passed by the Florida Legislature. Statistics reflecting drilling and production activities off the Louisiana Articles by B. L. Krebs appearing in the Times-Picayune of New Orleans - Letter from the Solicitor, Department of the Interior of the executive branch of the Government with razy opment of oil and gas deposits in submerged coastal lands. Resolution of the Texas School Land Board.. for educational and other purposes. 129 65 87 91 Resolution of the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California:- Map with summary tables showing history of tideland drilling in the Gulf Proposal submitted by the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of the Interior with respect to the development and conservation of certain resources in submerged coastal lands.- Leander I. Shelley, general counsel of the Port of New York Authority and general counsel of the American Association of Port Authorities. Dr. Olin S. Proctor, Long Beach, Calif.. Letter dated September 28, 1948, from Frank Pace, Jr., Director, CONSERVATION AND CONTROL OF SUBMERGED COASTAL LANDS AND OF LANDS BENEATH INLAND WATERS AND OF CERTAIN RESOURCES OF SAID LANDS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1949 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE No. 1 OF THE Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:15 a. m., room 346, House Office Building, Hon. Francis E. Walter (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. WALTER. The subcommittee will come to order. I am sure all of you will appreciate it if order can be maintained throughout the hearing. There is a large number of people here. These hearings will be on H. R. 5991 and H. R. 5992, bills to promote the exploration, development, and conservation of certain resources in the submerged coastal lands and to provide for the use, control, and disposition of said lands and resources and of lands beneath inland waters. Without objection, H. R. 5991 and H. R. 5992 will appear in the record at this point. (H. R. 5991 and H. R. 5992 are as follows:) [H. R. 5991, 81st Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To promote the exploration, development, and conservation of certain resources in the submerged coastal lands and to provide for the use, control, and disposition of said lands and resources and of lands beneath inland waters Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the “Submerged Coastal Lands Act.” SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.-When used in this Act- (b) The term "submerged coastal lands” means (i) all submerged lands of the continental shelf which lie seaward of the marginal belt as hereinafter defined and within which all the natural resources appertain to the United States and are subject to its jurisdiction and control, such lands being hereinafter referred to as the “continental shelf,” and (ii) all submerged lands outside of inland waters, as herein defined, which are under the dominion of, and subject to the paramount rights of, the United States, and which extend three geographical miles seaward from the coast line of the United States and of Alaska, or to the boundary line of any State where in any case such boundary, as it existed at the time such State became a member of the Union, extends beyond three geographical miles from said coast line, such lands being hereinafter referred to as the "marginal belt." (c) The term "coast line," until more specifically defined by Congress, shall be deemed to mean the line of ordinary low water along the open sea, and the line marking the seaward boundary of any body of water which joins the open sea. 1 |