By Chris Russell
Contributing Writer
Local opposition to seismic testing received federal support when 33 members of Congress urged the federal government not to issue permits for the procedure used to find oil and gas offshore until more environmental reviews are conducted.
The letter received support from a handful of congressional representatives in the region, but Rep. David Rouzer, the Republican representing Wrightsville Beach, parts of New Hanover County and the North Carolina coast from Surf City to the South Carolina border, said there is no evidence showing seismic testing can result in harm to marine life.
However, Rep. Walter Jones, the Republican whose district includes parts of Wilmington and the rest of the North Carolina coast, is a signer of the letter, as is Rep. Mark Sanford, a South Carolina Republican representing the southern portion of the state’s coast. Sanford was a lead author of the letter, along with Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va.
Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Wilmington have all passed resolutions opposing seismic airgun testing off of the North Carolina coast, citing concerns that the technology can be harmful and disruptive to marine life.
The full effect of seismic airgun testing on marine life needs further research, the 33 members of Congress wrote to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Dec. 10. Until further research is conducted, the bureau should stop issuing permits for seismic testing along the Atlantic Coast, the members of Congress wrote.
“The current basis for issuing seismic testing permits is incomplete,” the letter said. “It does not take into account the long-term effects that seismic testing will have on marine life or the impact on the economy due to industrialization of the coast. Accordingly, we don’t think testing that could profoundly affect our coastal communities should be allowed to proceed based on an insufficient study.”
In a statement to Lumina News, Rouzer said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) concluded in 2014 that there is “‘no proof that [airgun arrays] can cause serious injury, death, or stranding, even in the case of large airgun arrays.’”
“However, extra safety measures, in the form of exclusion zones, are taken to ensure that marine life is safe from harm,” Rouzer wrote. “Moreover, all entities must undergo strict compliance tests and receive authorization from the state and federal government respectively to proceed with their proposals. This additional rigorous oversight is taken to preserve all marine resources.”
In March 2015, a group of 75 scientists, including some of the world’s leading experts in marine biology, called on the administration to reverse its decision to permit seismic surveys in the Atlantic. Close to 90 towns, cities, and counties along the Atlantic Coast have passed resolutions opposing seismic testing and/or offshore oil drilling.
The representatives’ letter stated nearly 1.4 million jobs and more than $95 billion in economic production rely on healthy ocean ecosystems, mainly through fishing, tourism, and recreation in the Atlantic. They contend that seismic testing and oil drilling will put the coastal economy at risk, due to industrialization of the coast, daily impacts and regular spills from oil drilling activities, and possible catastrophic accidents like the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
The representatives expressed concerns, noting the information gathered by the oil companies will be proprietary, and any seismic data gathered in the Atlantic about offshore energy resources will not be available to states, the public, or other companies. The letter said states will not gain information from seismic airgun testing that would enable them to make a cost-benefit analysis as to whether the risks posed by offshore drilling would outweigh any benefits derived from offshore energy extraction.
“Over 85 cities and counties along the Atlantic coast have spoken out against seismic testing or offshore drilling, but current protocols don’t allow them access to the testing data to determine whether the risks of seismic testing outweigh the potential benefits from offshore drilling,” the letter said.
Last week, the Mid and South Atlantic Management Councils reiterated their concern with seismic airgun blasting and offshore drilling off the East Coast. Specifically, the councils took action to update their policies related to non-fishing activities in order to ensure fisheries in the region are protected from other ocean uses such as oil and gas exploration and development. Under federal law, the councils are given a voice in the management of ocean resources in their jurisdictions, which stretch from New York to Florida in an area from three to 200 miles offshore.
Oceana, a world-wide ocean advocacy group, supported the efforts to stop airgun testing.
“These policies should be a wake-up call to the federal government, highlighting the threats of offshore drilling exploration and development on fish, fish habitat, and everything that relies on a healthy ocean ecosystem. Commercial fishing and other coastal industries would suffer from routine leaks as well as the looming risk of BP Deepwater Horizon-like oil disaster along the East Coast,” Oceana campaign director Claire Douglass stated.
