Delaware wants to join federal lawsuit to stop testing needed for offshore drilling
Gov. Carney also signs letter opposing seismic testing, drilling
Maddy Lauria
Delaware and other coastal states want in on a legal fight to halt the search for oil and gas deposits in the Atlantic Ocean.
"Not only will the planned oil and gas surveys harm marine mammals in violation of federal law, but they are another step toward allowing oil and gas drilling off the Delaware coast, something that would cause severe and irreparable harm to Delaware's coastal and marine resources," said Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn.
Denn and eight other Atlantic coastal states' attorneys general want to intervene in a lawsuit to stop the federal government's efforts to allow private companies to survey the Atlantic Ocean floor for oil and gas, Denn's office said in a press release.
The state attorneys general, led by Maryland's Brian Frosh, argue that the National Marine Fishery Service's allowance of oil and gas surveying violates the Marine Mammals Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Administrative Procedures Act.
Trump administration approves seismic surveys for Atlantic drilling
Delaware adopts laws to refuse permits, fight offshore oil and gas drilling
The Trump administration announced in late November that it was moving forward with its proposal to explore the Atlantic Ocean for oil and gas, starting with the greenlight for several companies to "incidentally take or harass" marine life along the way.
The first step of seismic testing, which uses high-powered air guns to search beneath the ocean floor for mineral, oil and gas deposits, requires federal officials to say it is OK for companies to harm protected marine mammals – within limits. That permission was granted by the National Marine Fisheries Service on Nov. 30.
On Thursday, governors of 10 Atlantic states, including Delaware's John Carney, wrote a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke opposing seismic testing and offshore drilling.
"The Atlantic Coast's ocean economy generates more than $98 billion in gross domestic product, an economic impact that would be jeopardized by seismic airgun surveys and offshore oil and gas drilling," the governors wrote.
In addition to Carney, the governors of Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York signed the letter.
"President Trump is essentially giving these companies permission to harass, harm and possibly even kill marine life, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale – all in the pursuit of dirty and dangerous offshore oil," said Diane Hoskins, campaign director at Oceana, a nonprofit ocean conservation and advocacy organization. "This is the first step toward offshore drilling in the Atlantic and we're going to make sure coastal communities know what's happening and fight this."
Suzanne Thurman, executive director of the Lewes-based Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute, said those loud underwater blasts can have dramatic effects on marine life.
Seismic airgun blasts can reach 250 decibels – which would be twice as loud as standing right next to a jet engine, she previously told The News Journal.
Such loud sounds can physically harm marine animals, and impact their ability to communicate. Of the 32 marine mammals and sea turtles in Delaware waters, large baleen whales, dolphins and porpoises are most at risk, Thurman said.
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"Seismic testing is brutal and devastating to marine life, causing internal hemorrhaging, ruptured eardrums, brain hemorrhaging, displacement, separation of mothers and dependent calves, prey loss, death and a long list of other atrocious occurrences," she said.
"The amount of oil that is proposed to be available off of Delaware is minuscule, with only enough for a 1.5-year's supply. Seismic testing and subsequent offshore drilling is guaranteed to produce water contamination just from the daily operations, and a spill would be devastating to any coastal community."
Before offshore oil and gas exploration, seismic testing or drilling can begin, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management must first issue seismic testing permits.
NEW OFFSHORE DRILLING PLAN:Trump administration opens Delaware coast to offshore drilling
Five companies have applied to do the testing, the results of which are considered proprietary and would not be shared between companies. That means they could be permitted to duplicate these efforts in a broad expanse of the ocean from southern New Jersey to Florida and miles offshore.
Contact reporter Maddy Lauria at (302) 345-0608, mlauria@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @MaddyinMilford.
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