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