How ironic that a public hearing on oil exploration off the North Carolina coast was held last week, just as a frantic effort to contain the thousands of gallons of crude gushing into the Gulf of Mexico as the result of an April 20 explosion. And President Obama, who not long before the spill proposed limited expansion of drilling as part of a comprehensive energy plan, is eating a little crow.
The accident involving the oil rig Deepwater Horizon should shake us up and make us think twice about whether we’re willing to risk our coastline for the sake of fossil fuel.
As crews were working to prevent oil from sloshing into Gulf coast wetlands and beaches, Southeastern North Carolina residents were questioning federal officials’ capability to ensure the safety of our shorelines. The spill dominated the April 29 hearing by a panel that’s weighing the costs and benefits of allowing oil and natural gas drilling off our coast.
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