If you want a say in the future of your coastal waters, then this is one event you won?t want to miss.
This Thursday, January 29, the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce will host an Offshore Drilling Panel Presentation to discuss the prospect of seismic blasting and offshore drilling for oil off the South Carolina coast. We have reason to believe that Big Oil will use this opportunity to mislead residents and public officials about the benefits and impacts of drilling.
And that?s why I need you there with me! Join me and other Oceana Wavemakers as we make our presence known at this potentially game-changing event if you make it one. Bring signs, questions and friends. The first 50 Wavemakers to show up will receive their own Oceana t-shirt. Oceana?s Climate and Energy Campaign Director Claire Douglass is also flying down to join us.
What: Offshore Drilling Panel Presentation
When: Thursday, January 29, 2015, from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Where: Technical College of the Lowcountry Auditorium, 921 Ribaut Road, Building 12, Beaufort, S.C.
Cost: FREE
The future of the greater Beaufort, South Carolina area and the waters off its coast are on the line. Seismic blasting threatens to injure as many as 138,000 dolphins and whales off the East Coast. And then if drilling begins, South Carolina could be susceptible to oil spills that could tarnish and degrade our coastal ecosystem, threatening marine wildlife as well as our coastal communities that depend on industries like tourism and fishing.
Please, join me next Thursday in taking a stand for our community and our ocean.
You are mistaken if you believe that Oceana deals in truth and facts.
I am more afraid of them using the spectre of drilling as an excuse to “bargain with big oil” to close down areas to ALL FISHING and ALL DRILLING as a trophy to take their benefactors from their wars on drilling and fishing than I am worried about damage done by the oil and gas companies. Natural gas and liquefied natural gas is what we have off our coast, and the real threat is from onshore infrastructure’s affect on estuarian habitats just like any other development.
The seismic testing has been going on in the Gulf for decades, and the permit has already been granted for testing in the S. Atlantic.
Oceana has lost all credibility with fisheries managers and fishermen, so you may want to consider the recent past before believing their propaganda or that which they may have gotten local groups to peddle for them via their grants.
Let’s focus on the real threats that we can do something about instead of being mislead by International astro turfing groups.
I’m no rocket surgeon, but I see the habitat and jobs that came from the oil industry in the gulf. Their fisheries are thriving. If oil companies came to our state it would mean lots of money for a lot of people. I just don’t see the negatives out weighing the positives on this one. I’m for it.
OK Phin, again, thanks for all of the information. I’ve printed out the articles to study. If you could kind of cut to the chase and list a couple of brief questions/points that I might bring up at the attempted brain wash meeting on thursday.
Thanks,
The original post that I put up is just a cut and paste of an email that was forwarded to me. I was totally ignorant of this topic until now. I’m trying to get quickly educated. Since I live in Beaufort I’m taking my fishing team/group to the meeting.
I’ll keep y’all posted on what I find out.
Baracuda, can you fill me in on any potential negative effects from just the exploration part of it?
OK Phin, again, thanks for all of the information. I’ve printed out the articles to study. If you could kind of cut to the chase and list a couple of brief questions/points that I might bring up at the attempted brain wash meeting on thursday.
Thanks,
Environmental Defense Fund actually favors natural gas drilling. They don’t like fracking, and they don’t like coal. Natural gas off our coast can replace a lot of the coal fired energy production in our region they feel.
I’ve yet to understand why they keep spreading BS about seismic testing. The permit’s been granted, and the testing issue is way off in the rear view mirrors of everyone except these people.
The industry people are just there trying to keep everyone’s questions answered with something other than / in addition to hyperbole and exageration of Oceana. Oceana’s M.O. is to give local groups funding and support to promote their agenda.
Think about who the winners are if less offshore natural gas is produced. The coal industry is #1. All you have to do is follow the money. Oceana thrives off large corporations that use such environmental orgs to influence national policy in addition to their direct lobbying of congress and the national party committees.
Anyway, what we’ve got to watch out for is the oil/gas folks and the Oceana folks making a deal to close off parts of the ocean to all resource exploitation. That means the most biologically valuable areas. GTH, SWB, E banks, the Deli, etc. There is no need for that as long as there is a 50 mile buffer as they’re proposing. Those areas won’t get drilled in to begin with, and they can leave us recreational fishermen alone.
I’m with Phin. Fisherman know increased structure is a benefit to the fishery not to mention the creation of new jobs. Anyone that has driven “south of I-10” from Lafayette or Baton Rouge to Port Fourchon/Houma can tell you what the economic benefit would be.
PS I hate my first post had to be “political in nature” but I had to chime in.
I am not as well spoken as Phin. However I have been around the world several times and have seen a lot, some of it is good and some is bad. Unfortunately, there is a lot more bad than there is good. The way I see it, we need to build more nukes and drill more holes in the ground or go back to the 18th century (a place where a lot of the world still lives). We just need to be sure we build GOOD nukes and be careful WHERE and HOW we drill holes in the ground.
I’m no rocket surgeon, but I see the habitat and jobs that came from the oil industry in the gulf. Their fisheries are thriving. If oil companies came to our state it would mean lots of money for a lot of people. I just don’t see the negatives out weighing the positives on this one. I’m for it.
They don't have natural live bottoms there to protect. Our fishery is thriving too...
Most eco-charities are just shills for corporations that want to control our natural resources. Phin is exactly right, the oil companies along with their environmental and government minions will push to create massive new MPAs to make it look like they care. There is also a very good chance they will not allow fishing within some distance of drilling platforms due to safety concerns. If drilling does occur, we need to make sure the gulf’s Idle Iron tragedy is not repeated here. I do NOT trust our government, eco-corporations, or the energy cartels enough to support offshore drilling at this time.
There may not be as many, but there are some natural live bottoms in the Gulf. There is an awesome place called Paradise Hole 4/6 miles off of Pensacola Beach, and the bjggest Gag I have ever caught was on some live bottom 8/10 miles out of Venice with rigs all around me…Just sayin.
I couldn’t make the “panel” meeting. (ER incident kept me out) But a couple of my fishing friends went and reported back that the meeting was a total joke. One driller/explorer dude said words like “they would be sonic blasting 50 miles off the coast and the blasts would be at a rate of 10/sec X 24hr a day X 7 days a week!! He said it wouldn’t hurt fish!” REALLY? He actually said that.
They didn’t allow questions but everyone was asked to write one question on a 3x5 card. The cards were handed in and they answered 2 of the questions. One was about profit sharing to the local economy. The answer was NO on that.
Anyway, Phin has it correct
I couldn’t make the “panel” meeting. (ER incident kept me out) But a couple of my fishing friends went and reported back that the meeting was a total joke. One driller/explorer dude said words like “they would be sonic blasting 50 miles off the coast and the blasts would be at a rate of 10/sec X 24hr a day X 7 days a week!! He said it wouldn’t hurt fish!” REALLY? He actually said that.
They didn’t allow questions but everyone was asked to write one question on a 3x5 card. The cards were handed in and they answered 2 of the questions. One was about profit sharing to the local economy. The answer was NO on that.
Anyway, Phin has it correct
i was at the meeting. here is what i took from it. the crowd was 90% over 60 crowd, 5% hippies, 5% possibly interested in outdoor sports.
there was very little about the impact of drilling and exploration. the main point of the seismic debate presented by the oceana rep was that it would disorient and kill marine mammals. yes, they will have to use the air guns over a large area, but they are not going 25 kts running long lines up and down. they run grids in relatively short areas at a very modest speed, around 5 kts. there are ramp up procedures for increasing decibel levels to clearing out any mammals from the area before the loudest blasts start. oceana continued to whine about loud noises. i don’t recall the name, but one of the panelists was from goldfinch who promptly pointed out that the gulf of mexico has been mapped extensively and thoroughly by multiple companies over the last 30 years, but there are no mass whale and dolphin beachings. in contrast, there were 2 whales that beached themselves last year in the hilton head area on their own accord. this was the extent of the seismic survey debate. final score by my tally was Goldfinch et al 3, oceana 0.
the main body of the talk was about economic impacts locally. i have to jump on a plane, so i will go more into this later.
For anyone that is interested you should be able to watch a video of the above meeting online. The first link below may/should work. If doesn’t go to the second link and scroll down to Community Events/Offshore Energy Panel Discussion.
You have to consider the number of new people that move to our coast to support all this work. Some of the jobs will be for SC folks but the majority of the jobs will be gulf workers familiar with the work involved and a LOT of that is union. Some of these folks will just mow us (SC bystanders or job seekers) over to keep us out of the way and you can expect a TON of new activity at the landings and marinas. Are we biting off all that and saying “Sure, c’mon in!” - the water is fine?
