Case library · The Three-Mile Limit
The Sometimes Island
United States v. Alaska (1997)
Charge: Arctic submerged-lands boundaryCourt: U.S. Supreme CourtState: AlaskaDocket: The Three-Mile Limit
Where does a state's offshore boundary run when barrier islands, a shifting gravel bar and old reserves are in play?
The facts
Off an Arctic coast lies sea floor thick with oil, and who may lease it turns on where the coastline runs. A chain of barrier islands sits offshore, and the state says the sheltered water behind them is inland water, pushing its boundary far out. One disputed feature is a bar of gravel and ice that stands above the tide some seasons and below it in others. Two reserves set aside before statehood also cover seabed.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: United States v. Alaska, 521 U.S. 1 (1997)
Read more at supreme.justia.com. The source reveals the outcome.