Sonic cannons for E. Coast: Obama approves oil exploration despite ‘threat to sea life’
The Obama administration has announced it is reopening the US Eastern Seaboard to offshore oil and gas exploration, clearing the way for the use of sonic cannons to locate energy deposits - despite the threat to sea life.
The White House is attempting to sell its controversial energy plan on the back of desperately needed jobs in a stagnant economy, as well as reducing its energy dependency. However, those arguments have done little to persuade environmentalists and folks who depend upon fishing and tourism for their livelihoods.
Shake, rattle and roll: Earthquake risk increased
for half of US
Environmental groups attempted to extend a decades-old ban
against drilling off the Atlantic Coast by pointing out the
dangers that the use of sonic cannons, which emit powerful pulses
of sound into the ocean every 10 seconds, presents to a multitude
of sea creatures, including dolphins, turtles and whales. The
argument, however, seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approved opening
the outer continental shelf from Delaware to Florida to
exploration beginning in 2018, while adding that it is still
dedicated to protecting marine life. In fact, the bureau’s own
estimates show that more than 138,000 types of marine life could
be harmed by the exploration, including nine of the world’s
remaining 500 North Atlantic right whales.
“The bureau’s decision reflects a carefully analyzed and
balanced approach that will allow us to increase our
understanding of potential offshore resources while protecting
the human, marine, and coastal environments,” acting BOEM
Director Walter Cruickshank said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the economic incentives of tapping into the massive
energy reserves off the East Coast may be too tempting a
proposition despite the environmental risks involved.
There is an estimated 4.72 billion barrels of oil and 37.51
trillion cu. feet (1.125 trillion cu. meters) of natural gas
buried below the surface from Maine to Florida, according to
BOEM. Energy lobbyists, who have been pushing to open up oil and
gas exploration for decades, say the project could attract $195
billion in investment between 2017 and 2035, as well as
generating thousands of jobs and pumping over $23 billion per
year into the economy.
While many East Coast states have anti-drilling legislation on
the books that forbid exploration off their shores, the
government’s plans for drilling will take place in
federally-designated waters and beyond the jurisdiction of state
law.
Although oil and gas companies will have to comply with some
environmental regulations, like having whale-spotting observers
onboard, and closing certain habitats during birthing and feeding
seasons, environmentalists say those precautions fall drastically
short of mitigating the threat that sonic cannons present to
aquatic life.
Obama Admin decision to open East Coast for oil exploration is nothing but outrageous. Long against drilling off #NJ & will adamantly oppose
— Frank LoBiondo (@RepLoBiondo) July 18, 2014
“Once they can’t hear — and that’s the risk that comes with
seismic testing — they are pretty much done for,” Katie
Zimmerman, a spokeswoman for the South Carolina Coastal
Conservation League based in Charleston, South Carolina, told AP.
“Even if there were oil out there, do we really want that? Do
we really want to see these offshore rigs set up? Do we really
want our tourism industry to suffer? Do we really want our
environment to suffer?” she asked.
