[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 15, Volume 3]
[Revised as of January 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 15CFR970.100]

[Page 310]
 
                  TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND FOREIGN TRADE
 
CHAPTER IX--NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT 
                               OF COMMERCE
 
PART 970_DEEP SEABED MINING REGULATIONS FOR EXPLORATION LICENSES--Table of 
Contents
 
                            Subpart A_General
 
Sec. 970.100  Purpose.

    Source: 46 FR 45896, Sept. 15, 1981, unless otherwise noted.


    (a) General. The purpose of this part is to implement those 
responsibilities and authorities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), pursuant to Public Law 96-283, the Deep Seabed 
Hard Mineral Resources Act (the Act), to issue to eligible United States 
citizens licenses for the exploration for deep seabed hard minerals.
    (b) Purposes of the Act. In preparing these regulations NOAA has 
been mindful of the purposes of the Act, as set forth in section 2(b) 
thereof. These include:
    (1) Encouraging the successful conclusion of a comprehensive Law of 
the Sea Treaty, which will give legal definition to the principle that 
the hard mineral resources of the deep seabed are the common heritage of 
mankind and which will assure, among other things, nondiscriminatory 
access to such resources for all nations;
    (2) Establishing, pending the ratification by, and entering into 
force with respect to, the United States of such a treaty, an interim 
program to regulate the exploration for and commercial recovery of hard 
mineral resources of the deep seabed by United States citizens;
    (3) Accelerating the program of environmental assessment of 
exploration for and commercial recovery of hard mineral resources of the 
deep seabed and assuring that such exploration and recovery activities 
are conducted in a manner which will encourage the conservation of such 
resources, protect the quality of the environment, and promote the 
safety of life and property at sea;
    (4) Encouraging the continued development of technology necessary to 
recover the hard mineral resources of the deep seabed; and
    (5) Pending the ratification by, and entry into force with respect 
to, the United States of a Law of the Sea Treaty, providing for the 
establishment of an international revenue-sharing fund the proceeds of 
which will be used for sharing with the international community pursuant 
to such treaty.
    (c) Regulatory approach. (1) These regulations incorporate NOAA's 
recognition that the deep seabed mining industry is still evolving and 
that more information must be developed to form the basis for future 
decisions by industry and by NOAA in its implementation of the Act. They 
also recognize the need for flexibility in order to promote the 
development of deep seabed mining technology, and the usefulness of 
allowing initiative by miners to develop mining techniques and systems 
in a manner compatible with the requirements of the Act and regulations. 
In this regard, the regulations reflect an approach, pursuant to the 
Act, whereby their provisions ultimately will be addressed and evaluated 
on the basis of exploration plans submitted by applicants.
    (2) In addition, these regulations reflect NOAA's recognition that 
the difference in scale and effects between exploration for and 
commercial recovery of hard mineral resources normally requires that 
they be distinguished and addressed separately. This distinction is also 
based upon the evolutionary stage of the seabed mining industry 
referenced above. Thus, NOAA will issue separate regulations pertaining 
to commercial recovery, in part 971 of this chapter.

[46 FR 45896, Sept. 15, 1981; 47 FR 5966, Feb. 9, 1982]