Saving Seafood

  • Home
  • News
    • Alerts
    • Conservation & Environment
    • Council Actions
    • Economic Impact
    • Enforcement
    • International & Trade
    • Law
    • Management & Regulation
    • Regulations
    • Nutrition
    • Opinion
    • Other News
    • Safety
    • Science
    • State and Local
  • News by Region
    • New England
    • Mid-Atlantic
    • South Atlantic
    • Gulf of Mexico
    • Pacific
    • North Pacific
    • Western Pacific
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Fishing Terms Glossary

Bill could make drilling off N.C. coast more likely

December 5, 2017 — WASHINGTON — Congress is considering a bill that would expedite seismic testing and create a revenue sharing system for offshore drilling off the coasts of several states, including North Carolina.

The plan, H.R. 4239, dubbed the “SECURE American Energy Act,” has been met with criticism by environmental groups, but is in line with the Trump administration’s stated goals of expediting offshore energy exploration. It has been passed by the House Committee on Natural Resources, but has yet to receive a vote by the full chamber.

Congress would, according to the bill, have the sole power to establish moratoriums on offshore drilling and create National Marine Monuments. In markup documents, the bill is described as helping offshore operators who need significant advance warning help plan their future projects, allowing for more production.

Oceana, which has been involved in anti-drilling and seismic campaigns in Southeastern North Carolina, has criticized the package. The organization has expressed specific concerns about the parts of the bill looking at the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Read the full story at the Wilmington Star

 

North Carolina coast included in potential off-shore drilling plan

February 10, 2016 — There might be no Kure for North Carolina’s off-shore drilling problem. One of eight potential planning areas for drilling — as part of the national 2017-22 Oil and Gas Leasing Program — will be off the coast of Kure Beach, North Carolina. This plan, if approved, would drill about 80 percent of the estimated undiscovered, technically available oil and gas resources within the United States.  Residents of Kure Beach are concerned for a drilling accident that could parallel the Deepwater Horizon incident in 2010.  David Rogers, state director of Environment North Carolina, said this plan has downsides if it is approved.

“Number one, there is a multitude of marine mammals and fish species that rely on this area,” Rogers said. “Number two, this area relies on tourism and people come from all over the world to visit our beaches. The possibility of a spill will be devastating and destroy the tourist industry.” Steve Ross, a research professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, said the geology of the area is also important to consider when thinking about drilling.  “Drilling in the Gulf Stream, in hurricane zone and in deep water, is risky,” Ross said. “Drilling in high currents and deep water is dangerous and the possibilities of accidents can go up.” Economically, off-shore drilling could also jeopardize the coastal areas of North Carolina and ruin economies if an accident were to occur. “The coastal North Carolina economy is based on tourism and vibrant fishing economy,” said Mike Giles, a coastal advocate for the North Carolina Coastal Federation. “An accident would affect the entire east coast of North Carolina, so over 100 municipalities on the east coast have come up opposing off shore drilling.”

Read the full story at the Daily Tar Heel

Recent Headlines

  • Climate modelers add ocean biogeochemistry and fisheries to forecasts of future upwelling
  • Crabbing industry loses fight to prevent fishing in critical Alaskan ecosystem
  • Final Supplemental Materials Now Available for ASMFC 2023 Winter Meeting
  • Oregon, California coastal Chinook Salmon move closer to Endangered Species Protection
  • Orsted, Eversource Propose New York Offshore Wind Project
  • Some hope the EPA will veto Pebble Mine, a project that has long divided SW Alaska
  • Council Presents 2022 Award for Excellence to Maggie Raymond
  • U.S. refuses calls for immediate protection of North Atlantic right whales

Most Popular Topics

Alaska Aquaculture ASMFC Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission BOEM California Climate change Coronavirus COVID-19 Donald Trump groundfish Gulf of Maine Gulf of Mexico Illegal fishing IUU fishing Lobster Maine Massachusetts Mid-Atlantic National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NEFMC New Bedford New England New England Fishery Management Council New Jersey New York NMFS NOAA NOAA Fisheries North Atlantic right whales North Carolina North Pacific offshore energy Offshore wind Pacific right whales Salmon Scallops South Atlantic Tuna Western Pacific Whales wind energy Wind Farms

Daily Updates & Alerts

Enter your email address to receive daily updates and alerts:
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Tweets by @savingseafood

Copyright © 2023 Saving Seafood · WordPress Web Design by Jessee Productions