fast-track the permitting process for seismic airgun blasting.
During the South Carolina House Ad Hoc Committee
hearing on Offshore Drilling on October 26, 2017, committee
members expressed concern that permits for seismic testing
could be awarded before the issuance of an offshore drilling
permit. The Committee also heard testimony that 2D seismic
surveys only predict the existence of oil or gas with 20–25
percent accuracy; if additional 3D testing is done, the odds of
accuracy are closer to 40 percent. So even after seismic airgun
blasting is done, companies must drill exploratory wells to
confirm the presence of subsea oil and gas deposits.
Fourth, the goal of the Administration’s America-
First Offshore Energy strategy is to make the United
States independent and/or dominant regarding oil and
natural gas production. In large part because of the “Shale
Revolution” the U.S. has already moved from dependence to
independence. Production of crude oil has increased by 90
percent since 2008; production of natural gas has increased
by 50 percent. Expectations under existing infrastructure are
that by 2040 the need for oil and natural gas in the U.S. will
increase by 5 percent; however, production will increase by 20
percent. 10 America’s growing oil and natural gas production
dominance, not to mention the development of non-fossil
fuel alternatives, makes the risks to our coastal communities
and ecosystems that are inherent in offshore drilling
unacceptable.
The potential for multiple negative environmental impacts
on South Carolina’s coastline far outweighs any economic
benefits sought by the proponents of offshore drilling. The
progress made by Kiawah and other barrier islands and
seashore communities to protect and restore habitat for
loggerhead turtles, migratory birds, and other species has taken
years and requires concerted, ongoing diligence to be sustained.
For these reasons, the Conservancy supports the Town of
Kiawah Island’s opposition to offshore oil and gas drilling. NK
is specialized and done by “nomads” who fly in to work on
rigs for 2-4 weeks and then return to homes in other states.
Finally, these are federal leases, and the Administration has
determined that there will be no revenue sharing with South
Carolina.
Second, the likelihood of some kind of an oil spill is high.
South Carolina is regularly in the path of hurricanes, tropical
storms, and other severe weather events. In 2005, Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita destroyed 115 oil platforms and damaged 52
others in the Gulf of Mexico—resulting in 900 million gallons
of oil going into the Gulf. 6 Even without a major disaster,
routine spills and accidents involving pipeline leaks and/
or rail and tanker transport leaks would have a significant
impact. 7
Fears of a spill are compounded by the fact that the U.S.
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has
recently proposed changes that would significantly weaken
the rules put in place in response to the Deepwater Horizon
explosion and spill. 8
Third, seismic testing or seismic airgun blasting is used
to help identify where offshore drilling would be most
productive. The testing itself is harmful to marine life.
“[A]irgun blasts create one of the loudest manmade sounds
in the ocean and can be heard up to 2,500 miles from the
source… These loud blasts can impact fish, shellfish and
other invertebrates, whales and sea turtles by changing
behaviors necessary for their survival.” An environmental
impact statement conducted by BOEM in 2012 estimated that
proposed seismic surveys in the Atlantic could injure as many
as 138,000 marine mammals while disturbing vital activities
of millions more. 9
The permitting process for seismic surveys is entirely
separate from the five-step process required for offshore
drilling. In fact, the Executive Order signed by President
Trump in April 2017, specifically directed federal agencies to
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Naturally Kiawah