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