Oil Spill Volunteer Toolkit

Surfrider recently created this toolkit to assist our chapters and the public in how to get involved with response and cleanup efforts for spills. This is general in nature and not specific to the current Gulf Coast crisis.

Please remember to coordinate with your local response agencies, as they will offer volunteer training. While the environmental damage can be devastating, oil is a hazardous material, so please stay safe.

White House: no new drilling until oil spill review

This morning the White House said there would be no oil drilling authorize in new areas until a review of the spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been conducted. More...

We don't believe that is going far enough. The horrific spill in the Gulf makes it clear that new offshore oil drilling is not the answer!


Tell the Obama administration to restore the moratorium

http://www.surfrider.org/nodrilling

Oil from Gulf spill is reaching Louisiana coastline

With an oily stench permeating the air across southeastern Louisiana, a massive oil spill was expected to start coming ashore in the Mississippi River delta early Friday, triggering all-out efforts to stave off an enironmental and fishing industry disaster as some state officials feared a repeat of the botched response that doomed the region during Hurricane Katrina's aftermath.

Read more...

Detailed Map of the Growing Monster......and a Projected Landfall

These images are from the response team's website.

Lessons From the Disaster

The LA Times today published a great editorial regarding lessons learned (or lessons that should be learned) from the ongoing oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Here are a few excerpts:

"Last week’s oil rig disaster should remind us that expansion of the environmentally risky practice is not the way to go.

Here's what we've already learned: Offshore drilling is more dangerous than industry apologists claim (11 men are believed to have died in the explosion), and it can have environmentally devastating impacts.

This kind of environmental tragedy isn't unprecedented — a similar rig explosion happened last year off Australia — and we'll probably be seeing it more often if Congress expands drilling off U.S. shores. There's a better way of using our coastal resources to generate energy. On Wednesday, the Obama administration approved the country's first offshore wind farm, a 130-turbine project off Massachusetts that is guaranteed never to foul beaches with tar or emit carbon into the atmosphere. Cape Wind is the future; the sunken Deepwater Horizon drilling rig represents a tarred past."

Oil Spill Counter: Gulf Oil Disaster is spilling 210,000 gallons a day

This is an explanation of how we determined what number to use to count the total amount of oil spilled from the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

We based our calculation on the approach used by SkyTruth, which is explained below.

Using their method it is estimated that 5,000 barrels or 210,000 gallons of oil has been spilling each day since the incident began.

U.S. Coast Guard estimates:

When the Deepwater Horizon initially caught fire at 11 PM on Thursday, April 20th and burned until it sank mid morning on Thursday, April 22nd, the U.S. Coast Guard estimated that approximately 8,000 (or 336,000 gallons) barrels of oil was leaking per day.

On early Friday, April 23rd, the U.S. Coast Guard reported that the leak appeared to have stopped.

Sometime on Saturday, April 24th, the U.S. Coast Guard reported that oil was leaking from the sea floor (5000 feet below the surface) at 1,000 barrels (or 42,000 gallons) per day. Until today, that was the number they were reporting.

To our knowledge, the U.S. Coast Guard has not provided any specific justification for how these numbers were estimated.

SkyTruth estimates:

The folks at SkyTruth took a different approach. On April 27th (approximately Day 6 of the spill) they calculated the total volume of the spill based on satellite observations and divided by the amount of time that oil had occurred. This approach yields a conservative estimate that the spill is leaking approximately 5,000 barrels (or 210,000 gallons) of oil each day. It does not account for the oil that burned or has been cleaned up to that point, which, if accounted, for would make the daily estimate higher. This estimate is based on empirical evidence - the area and minimum thickness of the spill to be visible.

You can read this post by SkyTruth here to see precisely how this calculation was made.

February 21, 2011 Update: SkyTruth wanted us to note that Dr. Ian MacDonald from FSU was the one who initially calculated the 26,500 barrel a day estimate. Read here.

Bigger Than Exxon Valdez Spill?

SkyTruth is reporting that their analysis of radar satellite images and "conservative calculations" indicate that in the first week of the oil spill at least 6 million gallons may have entered the Gulf. That's a spill rate of at least 850,000 gallons (20,000 barrels) per day, 20 times larger than the official Goast Guard estimate of 42,000 gallons per day.

The Australia blowout and spill took 10 weeks to control.

The Exxon Valdez tanker spill totaled 11 million gallons.

Do the math and you'll see that this spill has the potential to blow by the Exxon Valdez amount.

Um... yeah, that's a good idea.

News outlets are reporting that the Coast Guard has plans to try and set the massive oil spill from last Tuesday's sinking of the Deepwater Horizon rig on fire before it can reach the coast.

While alarming, the tactic may be one of the few options left to try and thwart what is becoming more and more likely to be a certain environmental disaster.

The spill, which has grown to size larger than West Virginia, is now less than 40 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River.

The Coast Guard has said that is will attempt to set several small "controlled burns." According to officials, if successful the fire should eliminate most of the "light oil" but would still leave much of the "heavier material" that is suspended below the surface. It is believed that some of that material will likely reach the coast. "We will still see some environmental damage," said Rice University Chemical Engineering Professor Walter Chapman.

Meanwhile, efforts to control the spill at sea are not fairing any better. According to the satellite imagery outlet SkyTruth, containment efforts are proving ineffectual. The spill is just too large.

Oppose Destructive Seismic Testing for Oil Exploration

President Obama recently announced a significant expansion in offshore drilling and exploration. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has called for seismic surveying to explore for oil along the mid and south Atlantic. Seismic surveying is incredibly damaging to marine ecosystems.

Seismic surveys are conducted to locate and estimate the size of an offshore oil reserve. In order to conduct surveys, ships use ‘airgun arrays’ to emit high-decibel explosive impulses in order to map the seafloor. The noise from seismic surveys can damage or kill fish eggs and larvae and impair the hearing and health of fish, making them susceptible to predators and making it challenging for them to locate prey or mates or communicate with each other. These disturbances can disrupt important migratory patterns, forcing marine life away from suitable habitats meant for foraging and mating. In addition, seismic surveys have been implicated in whale beaching and stranding incidents.

Seismic testing is equivalent to a bomb detonating every few seconds for months on end! To learn more about seismic testing check out this Surfrider Foundation fact sheet on Coastal A-Z here.

Take a moment to send a clear message that seismic testing is devastating to marine ecosystems--urge the MMS to consider the environmental impacts of seismic surveying and the use of less damaging alternative technologies.

Go here to send your letter.

Oil Spill Continues; Slick Grows; Coasts Threatened

National Geographic reports:

Response teams were deploying remote-operated submarines in an urgent effort Sunday to stop the flow of oil from the site of the accident in the Gulf of Mexico that destroyed the BP-leased rig, the Deepwater Horizon.

If the gambit fails, it could take months to stop the leak-now estimated at 42,000 gallons per day of crude oil, according to the joint U.S. government and oil industry task force.

Response teams were deploying remote-operated submarines in an urgent effort Sunday to stop the flow of oil from the site of the accident in the Gulf of Mexico that destroyed the BP-leased rig, the Deepwater Horizon.

The best hope is that the remote-operated submarines-at least four are deployed at the scene--would be able to activate a huge device on the sea floor called a "blow-out protector," a series of valves meant to control pressure in the well. "This is a highly complex operation," said Doug Suttles, chief operating officer for BP's exploration and production division. "And it may not be successful."

If that operation fails, the next option is to drill a relief well-a process that would take at least two to three months, said Suttles. A BP rig equipped for this task is to arrive at the scene by Monday.

In the above graphic, note the Wildlife Reserves in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Also, should the oil become entrained in the Florida Loop Current it could be transported along the Florida Reef Tract, through the Keys and to the Florida east coast. A recent aerial photograph of the oil slick, plus additional images of the Deepwater Horizon blowout can be seen here.

-- UPDATE: 1:30 PM PST --

According to the NY Times, "Coast Guard officials said Monday afternoon that the oil spill near Louisiana was now covering more than 1,800 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico, and they have been unable to engage a mechanism that could shut off the well thousands of feet below the ocean's surface." Also "The unified command is monitoring the situation and is working closely with officials from Fish and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service and NOAA to understand the impact the spill and response activities may have on whales and other marine wildlife in the area."

Coast Guard: "We are dealing with a very serious spill"

The U.S. Coast Guard announced today that the agency has found not one, but two leaks in the line below the wreckage of the Deepwater Horizon rig, which sank 50 miles off the Louisiana coast this week. After using submersibles to survey the site, Coast Guard officials announced that the breaches were leaking approximately 42,000 gallons of oil per day into the Gulf.

"We thought what we were dealing with as of yesterday was a surface residual (oil) from the mobile offshore drilling unit," said Rear Admiral Mary Landry. "In addition to that is oil emanating from the well. It is a big change from yesterday ... This is a very serious spill, absolutely."

News agencies are reporting that the surface slick, which measured just a few miles yesterday, had grown 25 times that size overnight and was now nearly 20 miles long by 20 miles wide.

According to the Minerals Management Service fixing the leaks will not be easy given the depth (nearly 5,000 feet).

Both government officials and environmental organization are preparing for the worst. When asked about the situation, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal acknowledged that the spill could impact not just his state, but the Mississippi, Alabama and Texas coastlines as well.


"This type of accident is certainly one of the worst-case scenarios you can imagine," said Jindal.

According to a Coast guard spokes person, high winds and 10 foot seas are hampering clean-up efforts.

Obama: "Not the last time there will be a spill"

Even as a foul mix of crude and marine fuel continues to spew forth from the wreckage site of the Deepwater Horizons, the Obama Administration remains unrepentant about their recent decision to allow new offshore drilling and exploration off the East, Gulf and Alaskan coastlines.

Robert Gibbs, Mr Obama’s White House spokesman, told reporters that the accident didn’t change Mr Obama’s commitment to offshore drilling and exploration. “I don’t think it opens up a new series of questions” on the process, Mr Gibbs said, predicting that it “won’t be the last time” there would be a spill.

One can't help but wonder, what the threshold will be for both the Obama Administration and the Drill Baby, Drill crowd to realize that offshore drilling is not an acceptable answer to our nation's energy woes.

Will it take a spill along the Florida coastline, effectively killing tourism, the state's principle economic driver?

Will it take another event like the Exxon Valdez in Alaska's environmentally sensitive north slope to make us realize the cost for our foolishness?

We've seen the loss of two major drilling platforms in less then six months.

If not now, when?

What will it take?

Burning oil rig sinks in Gulf of Mexico

And it is also leaking over 250,000 gallons of crude oil per day.

Read more...

NOAA Responds to Explosion on Oil Drilling Platform

NOAA is responding to an explosion and fire on a deepwater semisubmersible drilling platform some 50 miles SE of the Mississippi Delta. The incident on the DEEPWATER HORIZON occurred at approximately 11:00 PM on 20 April with more than 120 crew reported aboard. The rig caught fire and has been evacuated. USCG Search and Rescue operations have been initiated. A secondary concern is the estimated 27,800 bbls (over a million gallons) of #2 Fuel Oil or Marine Diesel Fuel reported onboard. The USCG has requested scientific support from NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration. NOAA is running oil spill trajectory models of potential spilled oil. A NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator is on-scene in Morgan City, LA. The NOAA Weather Service is providing forecasting support. Additional information may be available at Incident News (www.incidentnews.gov)and NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (www.response.restoration.noaa.gov). Also see NOAA's role and tools used during an oil spill at www.response.restoration.noaa.gov

Here we go again...

Reports are coming in this morning of an explosion and fire on the Transocean rig, Deepwater Horizon, in the Gulf of Mexico. According to initial news reports, between 11 and 15 of the 126 crew members are missing following the explosion, which occurred late Tuesday night.

The explosion comes on the heels of an explosion and fire on board the West Atlas rig in Australia last November. In that incident, the rig leaked oil into the environmentally sensitive Timor Sea for nearly 70 days before it caught fire.



No word yet as to if the Transocean rig is leaking oil. The Coast Guard has sent four helicopters, four boats and a plane to assist in the evacuation of the remaining crew and to assess the situation.

-- UPDATE 8:30 am PST --

The Guardian reports that the rig remains ablaze and is now listing to one side.

-- UPDATE 8:50 am PST --

The New York Times is now reporting Coast Guard officials now believe that the rig "may go over sometime today."

-- UPDATE 8:55 am PST --

WKRG TV is reporting that the rig was drilling but not in production.

-- UPDATE 9:17 am PST --

Forbes analyst believes the accident may have been the result of a "blowout" whereby the rig loses the ability to regulate pressure on the drill as it churns through the rock and sediment beneath the ocean floor. Oil or gas then flows back up the wellbore, where it likely ignited, causing the explosion.

-- UPDATE 9:30 am PST --

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that BP, who were contracting the rig from Transocean, had filed a permit with the Minerals Management Service on April 16th to temporarily abandon the rig.

-- UPDATE 9:37 am PST --

Some good news - according to Rueters News Service, the 11 missing workers have just been found alive and safe!

-- UPDATE 11:51 am PST --

The Coast Guard and the Minerals Management Service have scheduled a news conference for 3 p.m. CST.

-- UPDATE 12:02 pm PST --

MSNBC is now reporting that the missing crew members have in fact not been found.

-- UPDATE 3:28 pm PST --

Deepwater Horizon rig still ablaze. Unfortunately the missing crew members have still not been found.



-- UPDATE 11:30 pm PST --

The Coastguard has announced that is has suspended its aerial search for the missing crew members for the night.

-- UPDATE 7:15 am PST +1 --

The Coastguard resumed its aerial search for the missing crew members this morning. The rig is still burning. ABC News is reporting that Coastguard officials are working with BP to determine how best to shut of the fire's fuel source, which may in fact be oil. Video of the burning rig can be found here.

-- UPDATE 12:00 pm PST +1 --

News outlets are reporting that the Deepwater Horizon rig has sunk. The US Coastguard is now reporting that an slick of crude oil at the site.


** NOTE - this is the last update on this posting. Please see new posts above. **

Victory in California

For Immediate Release


Contact:  Gina Goodhill, Environment California. 213-447-8583

Contact:  Stefanie Sekich, Surfrider Foundation. 619-807-0551

April 20, 2010

Sacramento, CA – Environment California and the Surfrider Foundation applaud the Natural Resources Committee for soundly defeating AB 2719 last night, a bill that would have opened all California’s coast to new oil drilling leases.

“Last night’s vote was a victory for Californians,” said Gina Goodhill, ocean advocate with Environment California.  “We have said it before and we’ll say it again: we do not want new drilling in our state.”

The bill, authored by Assemblymember Devore(R-Irvine), would have marked the first new drilling in state waters in 40 years.  It would have repealed provisions of the Coastal Sanctuaries Act of 1994 to allow new drilling leases.

Whether through exploring, drilling, holding or transportation, offshore drilling is a dirty and dangerous process that threatens California’s environment every step of the way.  Not only is it a danger to marine animals and local communities, it directly threatens California’s $43 billion ocean economy, most of which comes from fishing and tourism.

The bill was proposed under the guise of providing new money to the state during an economic crisis.   There are smarter and safer ways to provide money to the state without opening new drilling.  The Oil Industry Fair Share Act, authored by Assemblymember Nava, would enact a 10% severance tax on every barrel of oil drilled in the state.  California is the only major oil producing state that does not currently have a severance tax.  This tax in California would generate roughly $1.5 billion for the state annually. 

“On the eve of the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day, a holiday that was started after the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, California’s leadership is sending a strong message that our coastlines will not be spoiled by new drilling.” said Stefanie Sekich Coastal Campaign Specialist for the Surfrider Foundation.

High Risks, Florida Steps Back From the Brink, and Tourists Covered With Oil

NATIONAL

No Return To Offshore Oil
http://www.easthamptonstar.com/dnn/Commentary/NoReturnToOffshoreOil/tabid/11884/Default.aspx
“The U.S. Minerals Management Service’s somewhat outdated estimate is that untapped offshore reserves could hold 18 billion barrels of oil — about two and a half years’ worth at the current rate of domestic consumption. […] Offshore oil is a bad bargain with high risks and only limited rewards.”

Offshore Drilling Is No Joke: Environmental Risks Of Obama's Plan
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/5614744-offshore-drilling-is-no-joke-environmental-risks-of-obamas-plan

No Offshore Oil Drilling: Committee Against Oil Exploration (CAOE)
http://www.culturechange.org/cms/content/view/637/1/

FLORIDA

Fla. House Panel To Consider Offshore Drilling
http://cbs4.com/local/House.panel.bill.2.1637108.html
“Friday, a House committee will consider a bill that would allow exploration and drilling within 3 miles of the coast, possibly close enough to see the rigs from shore. The proposal would require that rigs and platforms stay at least six miles from shore although could slant their drills three miles closer, to bring oil to the surface from within 3 miles of the shoreline.”

Sponsor drops Fla. offshore drilling plan for now (this is an update on the story above)
http://www.onn.tv/news-feed/associated-press/sponsor-drops-fla-offshore-drilling-plan-for-now/

Save Florida’s Coasts from State and Federal Oil Impacts (Surfrider Suncoast Chapter Action Alert)
http://suncoastsurfrider.org/2010/04/take-action-today-and-wednesday/

NORTH CAROLINA

N.C. Dems debate Jimmy Buffett lyrics
http://washingtonscene.thehill.com/in-the-know/36-news/3451-nc-dems-debate-what-it-means-to-be-covered-in-oil
When the topic of offshore oil drilling came up, Cunningham said: "If you go swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, you come out covered in oil."

Former Offshore Driller Buys 7.2% of Quiksilver

This little nugget just popped up on our radar...

Boardistan is reporting that Texas-based oil man William Kallop dba Offshore Exploration and Production LLC, has purchased 9,081,590 shares of Quiksilver common stock (garnering him 7.2% of the company).


Just to be clear - this is in no way an indictment of our friends at Quiksilver. They've been one of our greatest supporters over the years. It's just that seeing an offshore drilling company buy into a surf brand seems like a bit of a conflict of interest to us; sort of like Jesse James or Tiger Woods hosting the "Husband of the Year" awards.

Welcome to the world of publicly traded companies...

Click here to read the article on Boardistan.

Oil and Climate/Energy Legislation Don't Mix!

Surfrider Foundation was one of 28 organizations that signed on to the following letter sent today to Senators Kerry, Graham and Lieberman:

Dear Senators:

On behalf of the millions of members of our organizations, thank you for your efforts to draft climate change legislation that promotes clean, renewable energy.

We are writing to urge you to exclude revenue sharing from new offshore oil and gas drilling from your climate bill. Instead, we ask that you focus on increasing opportunities for renewable energy development consistent with the protection of wildlife and ecosystems; promoting energy efficiency and conservation; and prioritizing for scientific research that ensures offshore energy development decisions are based on sound science and protect marine ecosystem health.

Additionally, the inclusions of proposals to encourage states to accept new offshore drilling through federal revenue sharing would be counterproductive. Taking resources from the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) – which is owned by all Americans and is not part of any state – via state revenue sharing, and dedicating the revenue to just a handful of states, is unfair. To make additional OCS revenue sharing budget-neutral, Congress would have to either raise taxes on all Americans or cut worthwhile programs.

We also urge you not to include language that would limit National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review for seismic surveys or other oil and gas activities on the Outer Continental Shelf. Allowing massive projects, such as seismic surveying of the OCS, without even considering the potential impacts of those actions could lead to a host of unforeseen and irreversible consequences to the human and marine environment.

The United States should envision a future with affordable, carbon-free energy, a healthy environment and freedom from our unsustainable dependence on fossil fuels. Part of this effort must include an emphasis on development of carbon-free technologies, including offshore and land-based wind power and solar power, consistent with the protection of wildlife and ecosystems, and the development of a meaningful national renewable electricity standard.

There is not enough oil off of our shores to make America energy independent or reduce gas prices. But new offshore drilling could pollute and damage coastal ecosystems and billion dollar coastal economies. Instead of expanding offshore oil drilling, responsible climate legislation should focus on innovation and investment in clean, renewable, carbon-free energy that creates jobs and protects our coastal economies and ecosystems.

Thank you for your leadership on this issue. We look forward to working with you to build a clean energy future for our nation.

Voices Needed! Attend Public Hearing to Oppose Harmful “Seismic Testing” for Offshore Oil Drilling

On March 31, 2010 the Obama Administration announced it would open up large portions of the East Coast and Eastern Gulf Coasts to offshore oil drilling and exploration.   The Minerals Management Service (MMS) will be holding meetings on to hear public testimony about the proposed seismic testing.  Seismic testing represents the first step in offshore oil drilling.   We need voices to speak up against this harmful process and stop momentum building for drilling.   Offshore oil drilling is not the answer to our energy problems. 

Seismic surveys are conducted to locate and estimate the size of an offshore oil reserve. In order to conduct surveys, ships use ‘airgun arrays’ to emit high‐decibel explosive impulses in order to map the seafloor. The noise from seismic surveys can damage or kill fish eggs and larvae and impair the hearing and health of fish, making them susceptible to predators and making it challenging for them to locate prey or mates or communicate with each other. These disturbances can disrupt important migratory patterns, forcing marine life away from suitable habitats meant for foraging and mating. In addition, seismic surveys have been implicated in whale beaching and stranding incidents.

Hearing Dates and Locations. 

• April 21, 2010—Jacksonville Marriott, 4760 Salisbury Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32256; two meetings, the first beginning at 1 p.m. EST and the second beginning at 7 p.m. EST;

• April 23, 2010—Coastal Georgia Center, 305 Fahm Street, Savannah,

Georgia 31401; two meetings, the first beginning at 1 p.m. EST and the second beginning at 7 p.m. EST

• April 27, 2010—Sheraton Newark Airport Hotel, 128 Frontage Road,

Newark, New Jersey 07114; two meetings, the first beginning at 1 p.m.

EST and the second beginning at 7 p.m.

EST;

• April 27, 2010—Embassy Suites North Charleston, 5055 International

Boulevard, North Charleston, South Carolina 29418; two meetings, the first beginning at 1 p.m. EST and the second beginning at 7 p.m. EST;

• April 29, 2010—Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 North Water Street,

Wilmington, North Carolina 28401; two meetings, the first beginning at 1 p.m. EST and the second beginning at 7 p.m. EST; and

• April 29, 2010—Hilton Norfolk Airport, 1500 N. Military Highway, Norfolk, Virginia 23502; two meetings, the first beginning at 1 p.m. EST and the second beginning at 7 p.m. EST

Talking Points for the Seismic Testing Public Hearings.

Testing and Surveys Will Cause Widespread Impacts off Our Coasts

Ø We are concerned about seismic surveys not simply because they represent the first step in offshore oil development – but because the powerful airguns used in these surveys themselves have enormous environmental impacts on our oceans, on both marine mammals (including endangered whales) and commercial fisheries off our coasts.

Ø Industry has already applied to MMS to run hundreds of thousands of miles of airgun surveys off the east coast. These surveys would blast high-intensity sound into the water every few seconds for months on end – resulting in what Dr. Christopher Clark, the director of Cornell’s Bioacoustics Research Program, has called “the most intrusive form of man-made undersea noise short of actual naval warfare.”

Ø Airgun surveys are known to significantly disrupt endangered species of whales and commercial fisheries on a massive scale. For example:

• A single airgun array off the northeast coast caused endangered fin and humpback whales to stop singing – a behavior essential to their mating and foraging – over an area at least as large as New Mexico (100,000 square nautical miles) and possibly as large as Alaska (800,000 square nautical miles).

• Whales depend on sound for their survival – but airgun noise is loud enough to mask their calls over literally thousands of miles, destroying their capacity to communicate and breed. The latest science from NOAA and Cornell shows that endangered North Atlantic right whales – which calve off the coast of Georgia and Florida – are extremely vulnerable.

• Airguns have been shown to drive away a wide range of marine mammals, from great baleen whales to harbor porpoises, and they have been implicated in the long-term loss of marine mammal biodiversity off the coast of Brazil.

• Airguns also affect fish behavior and fisheries on a broad scale: airguns have been shown to dramatically depress catch rates of various commercial species (including cod, haddock, and rockfish) over thousands of square kilometers, leading fishermen in Norway and other parts of the world to seek industry compensation for their losses.

Ø There is broad scientific agreement that MMS’ current measures to reduce harm from airguns are woefully inadequate. Instead, MMS must keep airguns out of sensitive environmental areas and promote use of greener alternatives to airguns. According to industry experts, green technologies that would substantially cut the environmental footprint of airguns in many areas can be available for commercial use in 3-5 years or less – if MMS requires it.

How Does an Oil Platform Accommodate Tons of Flaming Debris Falling on it?

The Eastern Shore Defense Alliance, a group of business and civic leaders from Virginia and Maryland who lobby on behalf of Wallops Flight Facility have serious concerns about the 2.9 million acre proposed drilling area off the coast of Virginia that falls within naval training grounds and the rocket launch range of NASA's Wallops Island.

"It's just not a prudent idea," to drill, said Steve Habeger, president of the alliance. "How does an oil platform accommodate tons of flaming debris falling on it?"

Read more

Oil Companies Oil Wildlife Refuge

Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana is in peril after at least 18,000 gallons of crude oil were spilled into its waters early Tuesday morning. An area of approximately 160 square miles has been impacted by the spill - 40 square miles of marsh and 120 square miles offshore.

The spill originated at a pipeline owned by Cypress Pipe Line Company, a joint venture of Chevron Pipeline Co. and British Petroleum. Clean up efforts and an environmental impact assessment are underway.

The cause of the accident has not been confirmed, but according to Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and Coast Guard spokesmen, long pipes known as "spuds" anchoring an ExxonMobil operated barge may have struck the pipeline. It seems that Chevron and ExxonMobil, the two largest oil companies in the U.S., are responsible for this potential ecological catastrophe.

This spill demonstrates the environmental toll the region's ubiquitous petroleum industry has taken on the state of Louisiana. "This is just more evidence that the oil and gas industry don't have the proper safety standards in place," said Casey DeMoss Roberts of the New Orleans group of the Sierra Club. "The President claims drilling is safer than ever but our state is the cautionary tale."

Read More

Show Me the Money; What's Next in Alaska; Revised Deal in California

NATIONAL

Obama’s offshore oil drilling plan spurs push for billions in royalties
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/08/obamas_offshore_oil_drilling_plan_spurs_push_for_billions_in_royalties/
“President Obama’s pledge last week to open huge areas for offshore drilling does more than expand potential oil and gas production. It creates an opportunity to pressure oil companies to pay billions of dollars for past deep-water oil production if they want to drill in the new areas.
At issue is a hotly contested law that, as read by the court, has allowed companies to avoid paying royalties on oil drilled in the Gulf of Mexico. Critics, including Representative Edward J. Markey of Malden — who plans to introduce legislation next week — now seek to force companies such as ExxonMobil and Shell to begin paying on those existing leases as a condition of obtaining new ones. The payments could add up to $50 billion for federal coffers.”

Al Gore Expresses Disapproval Of Obama's Offshore Drilling Plan
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/08/al-gore-expresses-disappro_n_530632.html

ALASKA

Agency faulted over handling of Alaska offshore oil drilling
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-drilling8-2010apr08,0,6269729.story

What's next for oil in the Alaskan Arctic?
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/04/arctic-oil-drilling-chukchi-anwr-minerals-management.html

CALIFORNIA

Effort to reach California offshore oil drilling deal revived
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oil-drilling8-2010apr08,0,1014179.story
“Environmental groups say a previous failed pact with a Texas firm has been retooled to make it more acceptable, allowing new platforms but setting an end date for drilling. Not everyone is convinced.”

NEW JERSEY

Offshore drilling plan opposition runs deep
http://www.shorenewstoday.com/news.php?id=8322

Hidden Data, Deals and Drilling Opposition

NATIONAL

Offshore oil won’t reduce prices
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bs-ed-0408-readers-respond-offshore-oil-20100407,0,7772245.story

ALASKA

MMS Withheld Offshore Drilling Data, Hindered Risk Analyses in Alaska
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/07/07greenwire-gao-audit-mms-withheld-offshore-drilling-data-h-3483.html

CALIFORNIA – multiple articles on the “new” PXP T-ridge project

Anti-drilling groups set to announce agreement on Santa Barbara County's offshore oil
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/04/06/1094000/anti-drilling-groups-santa-barbara.html

New Oil Drilling Plan
http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=29257

Oil Drilling Deal, Act III
http://blogs.kqed.org/capitalnotes/2010/04/07/oil-drilling-deal-act-iii/
A PDF of the 28-page agreement is here. You can also check out the T-Ridge page on EDC's website

Calif. conservationists, oil company strike deal
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100407/ap_on_bi_ge/us_well_oiled_environmentalists

FLORIDA

Florida's U.S. Reps oppose Obama's offshore oil drilling plan
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/07/1567138/florida-reps-oppose-obamas-offshore.html

GEORGIA

Locals see need for offshore oil production
http://www.bryancountynews.net/news/article/5588/
“However, some experts have expressed concern drilling off the East Coast and Gulf Coast could impact marine life or the Floridan aquifer, a source of fresh drinking water for large areas of the Southeast. The aquifer lies underneath 100,000 square miles of land stretching from South Carolina and Georgia across Florida to Alabama and Mississippi.”

NORTH CAROLINA

NC Senate hopefuls diverge from Obama on drilling
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9ETNM6O1.htm

More Reaction to Obama's Offshore Drilling Plan and What You Can Do

Drilling for support by Obama

Obama's misguided plan to expand offshore oil exploration is as much about politics as energy.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-oil2-2010apr02,0,2812481.story

“The real trouble with offshore drilling is that it threatens more than just the shores off which it occurs. Conservation, cleaner fuels and more efficient technologies are the core elements of a sound energy policy. Offshore drilling, wherever it occurs, merely deepens American dependence on a limited resource and thus perpetuates the nation's environmental difficulties.”

Another year of U.S. gas-guzzlers

http://www.wnewsj.com/main.asp?SectionID=42&SubSectionID=201&ArticleID=183253

“Our nation should have been achieving an average of 35.5 miles per gallon years ago, not six years from now. Today, the nation should be transitioning to vehicles powered by alternative fuels. While [Obama’s] order on fuel efficiency does not go far enough, his decision to increase domestic oil drilling is only delaying the inevitable. Our nation’s unquenchable thirst for oil is not only harmful to the environment, but a threat to national security.”

Is President Obama’s decision to allow offshore drilling in the Atlantic a sensible one?

http://www.dailytitan.com/2010/04/05/the-devils-advocate-is-president-obamas-decision-to-allow-offshore-drilling-in-the-atlantic-a-sensible-one/

“The August 2009 oil spill in Australia reiterated the catastrophic effects of offshore oil drilling gone wrong, yet our president still believes it’s a good idea. For 10 weeks, the crippled deep-water oil rig leaked millions of gallons into the ocean between Australia’s northwest coast and islands of Indonesia, claiming the lives of sea snakes, birds and dolphins. According to the Committee Against Oil Exploration (CAOE), an oil rig can dump up to 90,000 tons of drilling fluid and metal cuttings over its lifetime, including produced water, which is excess water from well drilling or production consisting of oil, drilling fluid, and other chemicals used in or resulting from oil production. Sound yummy? Yet, there is a simple and passable solution to offshore drilling. If our cars and trucks got an average of just a couple more miles per gallon, we’d save more oil that exists off the entire coast of Florida. Still, federal gas mileage standards leave much room for improvement. Now, doesn’t that seem like a more logical alternative than spewing oil into the ocean, killing wildlife for a few cents off per trip to the pump? It won’t be long before Obama’s latest slogan “drill, baby, drill” will turn into “drill, baby, oops.”

Tell Obama: Don’t Expand Offshore Drilling

http://www.renewable-energy-news.info/obama-dont-expand-offshore-drilling/

Oceana Action Alert

http://takeaction.oceana.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=42&utm_source=facebook%2Bthank%20you&utm_medium=oceana&utm_campaign=offshore%2Bdrilling

Surfrider Action Alert

http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1515

Comment on Seismic Surveys Planned for the East Coast

Now that large portions of the East Coast and Eastern Gulf Coasts may be opened up to offshore oil drilling, the Minerals Management Service has announced that public scoping meetings will be held to solicit information that will be used to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate potential environmental effects of multiple Geological and Geophysical Exploration (G&G) activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). These activities are associated with Atlantic OCS siting for renewable energy projects, oil and gas exploration, and marine minerals extraction; these activities could take place over a period of several years. The purpose of the scoping meetings will be to receive comments on the scope of the PEIS, identify significant resources and issues to be analyzed in the PEIS, and identify possible alternatives to the proposed action.

The following public hearings on Atlantic Seismic Survey Operations and the preparation of a PEIS on these activities are scheduled:

* April 20, 2010-Marriott Houston
Intercontinental Hotel, George Bush
Intercontinental Airport, 18700 John F.

Kennedy Boulevard, Houston, Texas
77032; one meeting beginning at 1 p.m.
CST;

* April 21, 2010-Jacksonville
Marriott, 4760 Salisbury Road,

Jacksonville, Florida 32256; two
meetings, the first beginning at 1 p.m.
EST and the second beginning at 7 p.m.
EST;

* April 23, 2010-Coastal Georgia

Center, 305 Fahm Street, Savannah,
Georgia 31401; two meetings, the first
beginning at 1 p.m. EST and the second
beginning at 7 p.m. EST;

* April 27, 2010-Sheraton Newark
Airport Hotel, 128 Frontage Road,

Newark, New Jersey 07114; two
meetings, the first beginning at 1 p.m.
EST and the second beginning at 7 p.m.
EST;

* April 27, 2010-Embassy Suites
North Charleston, 5055 International

Boulevard, North Charleston, South
Carolina 29418; two meetings, the first
beginning at 1 p.m. EST and the second
beginning at 7 p.m. EST;

* April 29, 2010-Hilton Wilmington
Riverside, 301 North Water Street,

Wilmington, North Carolina 28401; two
meetings, the first beginning at 1 p.m.
EST and the second beginning at 7 p.m.
EST; and

* April 29, 2010-Hilton Norfolk
Airport, 1500 N. Military Highway,

Norfolk, Virginia 23502; two meetings,
the first beginning at 1 p.m. EST and the

second beginning at 7 p.m. EST.

Comments may be submitted in one of the following two ways:

• In written form enclosed in an envelope labeled “Comments on the PEIS Scope”
and mailed (or hand carried) to the Regional Supervisor, Leasing and
Environment (MS 5410), Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS
Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394; or

• Electronically to the MMS email address: GGEIS@mms.gov.

For further information regarding the Atlantic OCS G&G PEIS, visit the MMS website.