|
Background
With and emphasis on environmental effects, the Marine Mining Panel has been studying the mining technology of deep ocean
manganes nodules, continental shelf sand and gravel, polymetallic sulfides, and cobalt rich ferromanganes crusts.
Types of Exchanges
Since 1971, exchanges have occurred in four ways: joint meetings and other visits; shared research
papers and reports; exchanges of research personnel; and cooperative research projects. Within the constraints of national or
corporate security, each side strives to act as a conduit for the other with respect to areas of mutual interest, such as dredging
and deep seabed mining.
Accomplishments
Prior to U.S. panel members' visits to Japan, Western researchers were unaware that the world's largest offshore sand and gravel mining inudstry lay no in the North Sea, as most believed, but in Japan's coastal waters. Japanese researchers helped prepare papers on this topic for Western publication and arranged for several U.S. scientists to visit offshore mining areas and shoreside processing facilities.
Widespread concern over dredging induced turbidity led a Japanese firm to develop the Anti-Turbidity Overflow System (ATOS). This system prevents the formation of large turbidity plumes that normally emanate from hudraulic dredges. Exchanges of panel information and experts contributed to the development of the ATOS.
Because of joint research on sand and gravel mining, the United States has determined that it is environmentally acceptable to
recover seafloor sand for beach replenishment only.
.
|
