Survey ships like these tow air guns and receivers meant to interpret sound waves that penetrate the ocean floor. Photo: Shutterstock
In an effort to maintain its commitment to “American energy,” as referenced in the President’s State of the Union Address just over a month ago, the Obama Administration recently approved moving forward with seismic oil and gas exploration off of the Atlantic coast.
This step marks the first time in over twenty-six years that the region will be studied to gauge its potential to partially relieve the United States’ dependency on foreign oil, but seismic testing could potentially be hazardous for many marine ecosystems.
The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released an in-depth analysis of the environmental impact of the process in their Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). The lengthy report elucidates that the level of damage to be done by survey ships utilizing raucous air-guns to gather data about the ocean floor could be moderate with respect to certain animals like the endangered Right Whale and several species of sea turtles.
While moderate may not sound serious, in this case a moderate impact is just short of a major one, which is the most extreme, and defined by the PEIS as being detectable, long lasting, extensive, and severe.
Pete Stauffer, the Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Program Manager, released the following statement in response to the administration’s decision:
“Seismic airgun testing would cause catastrophic impacts to the marine ecosystem, including injury and death to hundreds of thousands of whales and dolphins. It would also set the stage for offshore drilling off the Atlantic coast, a dirty and dangerous practice that threatens the health of our oceans and coastal communities. On behalf of more than 250,000 Surfrider Foundation members and supporters, including over 25 local chapters from Maine to Florida who have vigorously opposed the proposal, we call upon the Obama Administration to cancel plans for seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean.”
In addition to reinforcing the dangers of seismic testing, Stauffer’s statement sheds light on the potential consequences if offshore drilling were to commence after the exploration period. The BOEM’s report quickly examines the potential for an accidental spill as a result of exploratory drilling, but concludes that the possibility is extremely remote. It does not, however, reference the obvious risks of a spill during the extraction process, and with the images related to the BP oil spill of 2010 still fresh in the minds of the general public, it’s difficult to imagine that offshore drilling in the Atlantic will garner much support.
Environmental impacts aside, the decision to continue to fund research and development projects that reinforce the country’s dependency on fossil fuels appears to contradict the Obama Administration’s consistent declaration of the need to foster the expansion of clean energy technologies. In January’s State of the Union, the president left viewers with a polemic message when he proclaimed, “When our children’s children look us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave them a safer, more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to say yes, we did.” Now it seems that this administration is backsliding by seeking an easy solution to the job woes of Atlantic states.
If you feel so inclined to stand up in support of our oceans and marine ecosystems, please take a minute to sign the petition that Surfrider has generated here, and spread the word.
