Not The Answer

The House Opens Our Coasts to Offshore Drilling

Surfrider Foundation — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 05:25:11 +0000

The House of Representatives passed legislation yesterday to vastly expand oil and gas development off our nation’s coasts. Part of a transportation bills package, H.R. 3408 passed by a margin of 237- 187.

So what exactly would H.R. 3408 mean for our nation’s coasts? Here are just some of the bill’s provisions:

Opens millions of acres of protected federal waters to oil & gas development
Mandates new drilling in the Atlantic (Maine to Florida), the Pacific (California), and Arctic, and Alaska’s Bristol Bay
Repeals the moratorium on offshore drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico that’s contained in the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, opening up potential drilling near Florida
Requires drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a national treasure that’s home to hundreds of species including polar bears, musk oxen, and caribou

Fortunately, the proposal still needs to pass the Senate where opposition to offshore drilling is stronger. Now is an excellent time to contact your senator on this issue! Please stay tuned for updates and opportunities to take action!

Update on the BP Oil Spill Trial

Surfrider Foundation — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:19:39 +0000

Gulf oil spill’s ‘trial of the century’ could end before it begins
By David Hammer, The Times-Picayune

Some leading analysts and legal observers believe the highly anticipated “trial of the century” over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, set to begin in three weeks, will end before it starts. BP and negotiators for federal and state governments are frantically working to confect a settlement so they won’t have to leave the fate of billions of dollars in potential pollution fines and spill damage payments in the hands of U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier.

Don’t Drill and Drive!

Surfrider Foundation — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:21:03 +0000

The House Natural Resources Committee has approved a transportation bills package that would dramatically expand offshore drilling in the U.S. and also open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil leasing. Among the bills, HR 3410 would open up at least 50% of all unleased Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) acreage for oil and gas lease sales. In effect, that would mean new offshore drilling off every U.S. coast, including places such as Santa Barbara, Virginia, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Republican leaders supporting the proposal claim that expanded offshore drilling is necessary to fund the nation’s Highway Trust Fund. Yet, the proposal would, at best, produce less than 1% of the revenues needed to fund the transportation bill, while mandating the vast expansion of oil and gas development off the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts and the Gulf of Mexico.

The bills will now head to the House Floor where they are expected to be combined with HR 7 (American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act). Pending House approval, the proposal would then go to the Senate where passage is (fortunately) expected to be more challenging.

More than ever, Congress needs to hear from citizens like you who oppose the expansion of offshore drilling in the U.S. Please contact your Federal Representatives and tell them you support protecting our coasts from the risky practice of offshore drilling! Calling your representative is the most effective way to make your voice heard on this issue. And please stay tuned for the latest updates and action alerts to engage!

DEEPWATER HORIZON/NRDA HOST PUBLIC MEETINGS THIS WEEK in FL

Surfrider Foundation — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:23:55 +0000

~Public meetings in Ft. Walton Beach and Pensacola to solicit public comment on Early Restoration of the Gulf~

TALLAHASSEE – The Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustees (Trustees), including the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, released the Deepwater Horizon Draft Phase I Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (DERP/EA) on Dec. 15, 2011.To facilitate public comment on Early Restoration, the Trustees will hold a series of 12 public meetings across the Gulf States. The first two meetings take place in Florida this week.
The DERP/EA is the first in an anticipated series of plans to begin restoration of the Gulf of Mexico to compensate for natural resource injuries, including the loss of human use of Gulf resources, from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
The DERP/EA describes the initial projects proposed to receive funding from the $1 billion Early Restoration agreement announced by the Trustees and BP on April 21, 2011. The DERP/EA describes eight proposed projects for the initial round of Early Restoration, two each in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
These projects reflect the ideas and input received by the Trustees through project solicitation and outreach efforts. The proposed projects include shoreline marsh creation, coastal dune habitat restoration, nearshore artificial reef creation, oyster cultch restoration and construction of boat ramp facilities. The total estimated cost of the proposed initial suite of projects is more than $57 million.
Public meetings will be held:
Jan. 11, 2012
Emerald Coast Convention Center
1250 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
6 – 9 p.m. CST Open House
7 p.m. CST Informational presentation and verbal public comment period begins.

Jan. 12, 2012
University of West Florida Conference Center
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL 32514
6 – 9 p.m. CST Open House
7 p.m. CST Informational presentation and verbal public comment period begins.

Visit www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov to view the DERP/EA, access public meeting details, and view additional details of the proposed Early Restoration projects and ways to submit public comment. The public comment period will end Feb. 14, 2012.

Surfrider Comments on 5 Year Leasing Plan

Surfrider Foundation — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:22:52 +0000

The Surfrider Foundation today submitted comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on the Draft 2012-2017 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Programmatic EIS. These comments were based on Surfrider’s Policy on Offshore Drilling, as well as the engagement/ perspective of our U.S. chapters in this issue. Click here to read the full comment letter to BOEM. Some highlights of Surfrider’s comment letter include:

The Surfrider Foundation strongly supports the Department’s decision to exclude the Atlantic and Pacific coasts from the proposed 2012-2017 leasing plan

Surfrider agrees with BOEM’s approach to focus the majority of lease sales in areas with current active leases (e.g., Western and Central Gulf of Mexico); however, we oppose issuing lease sales in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico

Surfrider has strong concerns about plans to potentially lease off Alaska, given the likely challenges with spill prevention and response in the harsh and remote ocean environment

The Draft PEIS does not sufficiently describe and analyze the impacts of oil spills

The PEIS needs to better consider the role that renewable energy and conservation can play

Surfrider Foundation’s full comments to BOEM

New Offshore Oil Drilling Proposed for Santa Barbara

Surfrider Foundation — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:47:08 +0000

Yesterday the Ventura County Star reported:

“If it jumps over the many state and federal hurdles, Pacific Operators Offshore LLC could drill as many as 25 underwater wells over the course of seven years from Platform Hogan. [...] Although Pacific Operators Offshore drills on just two of the platforms in the oil-rich channel, it has accrued the most violations of basic operating procedures of any company working in the channel, a Star investigation found last year.”

The BIG FIX Film Opens to Rave Reviews

Surfrider Foundation — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:06:47 +0000

A new investigative documentary on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. The Big Fix recounts the events surrounding the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform and paints a disturbing picture of the aftermath of the largest oil spill in America’s history. An official selection of the Cannes Film Festival, the film features award winning actor Peter Fonda, actress Amy Smart, and music by Grammy singer/songwriter Jason Mraz. On December 2-8 the film will screen in New York City at the AMC Loews Village 7 cinemas.

To see the film trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg_fpr6XBFM

For upcoming dates/ locations: http://www.thebigfixmovie.com

To organize a film screening: info@greenplanet3d.com

Obama Administration Announces 5 Year Offshore Drilling Plan

Surfrider Foundation — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:54:17 +0000

The Obama administration today released its five year plan for selling offshore drilling leases in U.S. waters. The plan focuses primarily on the Gulf of Mexico, with twelve potential lease sales scheduled to occur in the 2012-2017 timeframe. These include five lease sales in the western Gulf of Mexico; five lease sales in the central Gulf; and two lease sales in the eastern Gulf that are not under congressional moratorium.

The plan also includes three potential lease sales off the coast of Alaska – a controversial decision given the likely challenges with spill prevention and response in the harsh conditions of the Arctic Ocean. Under the plan, leasing in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas could move forward in 2015 and 2016, respectively, pending further scientific analysis of the area and evaluation of the results of current exploration proposals.

Notably, the plan does not open up new lease areas off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, a decision applauded by the Surfrider Foundation. “We’re pleased that the Obama Administration has decided to protect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts from new offshore drilling”, said Pete Stauffer, Ocean Ecosystem Program Manager. “Our nation’s coasts are vital recreational, economic and ecological resources that will be polluted by an increase in offshore oil drilling.

For more information, on the Administration’s 2012-2017 leasing plan, please click here.

The Gulf Now – Your Coast Tomorrow?

Surfrider Foundation — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:52:04 +0000

24,486 permanent and 3,593 temporarily abandoned wells in the Gulf of Mexico

Surfrider Foundation Jointly Sues EPA for Lack of Study on Oil Dispersants

rwilson — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:35:03 +0000

Yesterday, Surfrider Foundation, Center for Biological Diversity and Pacific Environment jointly filed an official Notice of Intent to Sue against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) for allowing the use of toxic oil dispersants without ensuring that these chemicals would not harm our coastal environment and coastal users.

The 60-day notice letter enumerates violations of the Endangered Species Act related to the approval of using chemical dispersants in U.S. waters.

Oil Dispersants are chemicals used to break oil spills into tiny droplets. In theory, this allows the oil to be eaten by microorganisms and become diluted faster than it would if left untreated. However, dispersants and dispersed oil can also allow toxins to accumulate in the marine food web. The effects of using large quantities of dispersants and injecting them into very deep water, as BP did in the Gulf of Mexico, have never been studied; scientists believe it may be linked to the spread of underwater plumes of oil. Even EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has conceded that the long-term effects of dispersants on aquatic life are unknown.