Delaware General Assembly


CHAPTER 173

APPROPRIATION - UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY FUND

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE CREATION OF A GEOLOGICAL SURVEY FOR THE STATE OF DELAWARE; ITS POWERS AND DUTIES AND APPROPRIATION THEREFOR.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:

Section 1. DELAWARE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY; ITS POWERS AND DUTIES:--There is hereby created within the State of Delaware the Delaware Geological Survey, consisting of five (5) members, to be appointed by the Governor, and to serve during the pleasure of the Governor. The members shall not receive any salary but shall receive their actual expenses incurred in carrying out their obligations as members of said Commission. The President of the University of Delaware shall be one of the members named to the Commission.

Section 2. ORGANIZATION OF DELAWARE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY:--The Delaware Geological Survey shall be under the direction of the University of Delaware. The University shall have general charge of the Survey and shall appoint as superintendent of the same a State Geologist and such assistants and employees as is deemed necessary, determining the compensation of all persons employed by the said Survey. The State Geologist shall be a member of the technical or professional staff of the University of Delaware, and one-half of the salary of the said State Geologist shall be paid from monies appropriated in this Act with the understanding that the other one-half shall be paid by the University of Delaware out of its instructional budget. In matters of general, as opposed to administrative, direction of the Survey's activities in the fields of investigation, technical research, and publication, the University shall work in collaboration with the State Geological Commission.

Section 3. PURPOSE OF SURVEY:--The Survey shall have as its object and purpose the following:

(a) The systematic investigation of the geologic structure of the State, the nature and composition of the igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, their areal extent and thickness, and other features that may lead to a better understanding of the geology of the State.

(b) The systematic exploration and examination of all minerals, rock materials, water and other earth resources which are, or may become in the foreseeable future, of importance to the economic development of the State, or to the defense of the State or the United States.

(c) The examination of the physiographic features of the State, with special reference to their practical bearing upon the State's economic life.

(d) The preparation of reports, with necessary illustrations and maps, which shall embrace both a general and detailed description of the geology and earth resources of the State.

(e) The preparation of special geologic maps to illustrate the earth resources of the State.

() The consideration of such other scientific questions in the field of geology, as shall be deemed of value to the people of the State.

(a) The recommendation and preliminary drafting of such new State laws as shall be deemed advisable or necessary for regulating the optimum utilization and equitable administration of the State's geological resources.

Section 4. REPORTS OF SURVEY:--The Geological Survey shall prepare reports to the Legislature showing the progress and conditions of the Survey together, with such other information as it may deem necessary and useful. Any reports, maps or other literature prepared and printed by the Survey shall be distributed or sold as the interest of the State and of science demand. All material collected after having served the purposes of the Survey, shall be distributed to the educational institutions of the State; or the whole or part of such material shall be put on public exhibition.

Section 5. APPROPRIATION:--There is appropriated to the Delaware Geological Survey Fund of the University of Delaware the sum of Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1951 and ending June 30, 1952, and a like sum is hereby appropriated for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1952 and ending June 30, 1953.

Approved June 4, 1951.