UNITED STATES v. MAINE Et Al.
Headline: Federal government gets ownership of Atlantic seabed beyond three geographic miles; coastal states keep the first three miles, and the Court will define coastlines as needed to enforce the rule.
Holding: The Court ordered that the United States owns seabed and resources more than three geographic miles seaward of the listed Atlantic states up to the continental shelf, while each state owns out to three miles.
- Gives the federal government control of seabed beyond three geographic miles.
- Coastal states retain seabed and resources out to three geographic miles.
- Court can later define coastlines and issue orders to enforce these boundaries.
Summary
Background
The dispute involved the United States and a group of Atlantic coastal states (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia). The case asked who owns the land, minerals, and other natural resources under the Atlantic Ocean off those states’ coasts. The Court issued a decree to put into effect its decision announced on March 17, 1975 (420 U.S. 515).
Reasoning
The Court’s order resolves the basic ownership line: the United States is entitled to all seabed and resources more than three geographic miles seaward from the defined coastline of each listed state, extending outward to the edge of the Continental Shelf. Each state is entitled to the seabed and resources from its coastline seaward for three geographic miles, except for any exceptions set out in §5 of the Submerged Lands Act of 1953. The decree defines “coastline” as the line of ordinary low water where the coast meets the open sea and the line marking the seaward limit of inland waters.
Real world impact
Practically, the ruling assigns federal control over offshore lands and resources beyond three geographic miles and confirms state control of the first three miles. The Court also reserved jurisdiction to hold further proceedings, to determine any state’s coastline where necessary, and to issue orders or writs to give effect to the decree. Either the United States or a listed state may ask the Court for supplemental proceedings to implement or clarify these boundaries.
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