Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100

Trump Takes Major First Step to Allow Offshore Drilling by Allowing Seismic Testing

The Trump Administration has issued a proposal for seismic airgun blasting in the Atlantic Ocean, which is the first step in the President’s dangerous proposal to allow testing and ultimately offshore drilling off our coast. The draft Incidental Harassment Authorizations (IHAs) the Administration issued today would allow an extremely loud and dangerous process used to search for oil and gas deposits deep below the ocean’s surface. By issuing these draft IHAs for public comment, the Administration is moving forward with the permitting process that gives geophysical companies permission to harm or disturb marine life in the pursuit of offshore oil. The area for these permits would be twice the size of California, stretching from Delaware to Florida, reversing a decision by the Obama administration. Even with the mandatory 30-day comment period for the draft, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management could approve seismic airgun blasting permits at any time.

“President Trump has taken his first major step to allow offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean by opening up our coast to seismic testing. By issuing this reckless and dangerous plan, the President is clearly working for the fossil fuel industry over the American people. His actions will increase dirty fuels, while risking the health of our people and the planet. Seismic testing harasses marine animals with loud blasts, but can even lead to mass strandings and possibly death. Trump’s plans for seismic testing along our coast are not only environmentally damaging on its own, but it will lead to offshore drilling that could threaten our coasts even more,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “While the United States should be a leader in renewable energy and green jobs, Trump is sending our country backward, which will have devastating impacts to our economy and environment. These actions will actually threaten our $38 billion coastal economy, destroy our ecosystem and fisheries, while harming people who live along the coast.”

Sierra Club’s Don’t Rig Our Coastal Economy report found that New Jersey’s coastal tourism industry supports nearly 500,000 jobs, and one out of every six of the state’s jobs are linked in some form to its shoreline. Visits to the area generate $16.6 billion in wages and add $5.5 billion to the state’s tax coffers. During the summer of 1988 when medical waste washed up onto a 50-mile stretch of New Jersey’s shore, tourism dropped off significantly and the area directly lost at least $1 billion in revenue.  An oil spill off the coast of New Jersey could trigger an even more dramatic decline in tourism.

“The Trump Administration is clearly siding with Big Oil and Gas over the people and environment of the country and we need to come out against these dangerous plans. Drilling anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic would directly put our coasts at risk. Even a spill off of Virginia would find its way to our shores. One quart of oil pollutes a million gallons of water. This is really shortsighted because of the potential for a little bit of oil could jeopardize our coast, our multi-billion-dollar fishing industry, and our tourism industry,” said Jeff Tittel.

Under the Obama Administration, acting under his authority designated by Section 12a of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, protected 115 million acres of the Arctic Ocean, excluding only 2.9 million acres which have previously been leased near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. In the Atlantic Ocean, Obama protected 3.8 million acres, stretching from Massachusetts to Maryland.

“Last year we had the biggest victory in 40 years when the Obama Administration blocked offshore drilling. Now Donald Trump is working with Big Oil and corporate polluters to undo these protections. Offshore drilling will lead to increased climate impacts, while polluting our air and waterways. What is even worse is that the oil and gas being drilled for could be shipped to Europe or Asian. That means the only oil we will see is the oil that will wash up on our beaches from a spill. The oil would be taken to refineries in our area, further putting us at risk,” said Tittel.

Since Trump’s Executive Order to allow seismic testing, Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez helped introduce legislation to ban seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean. This bill would ban oil, gas and methane hydrate-related seismic activities and prohibit the use of seismic airgun blasting — a disruptive and potentially economically damaging method of surveying offshore oil and gas reserves — in the North Atlantic, Mid Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida. This legislation is important because only a few weeks ago did the Department of the Interior announce it will move forward to resume its evaluation of applications from six companies seeking permits to conduct geological and geophysical (G&G) activities in the Atlantic Ocean.

“We must stand up to President Trump and tell him the only oil we want to see off our beaches is Coopertone. Instead of promoting the fossil foolishness of the past, we need to join together and demand a clean energy future. That is why we need our representatives in Congress to join Senator Booker and Senator Menendez to block offshore drilling and seismic testing off our coast. We continue the public outcry in support of windmills off our coasts, not oil rigs,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “While we have the technology and public support for clean energy, the only thing stopping us is Donald Trump and the fossil fools in Congress. We must resist this dangerous anti-environmental agenda and  focus on promoting safe and renewable energy, while addressing climate change.”