Hands Across the Sand Event Hundred People Say NO to Seismic Testing and Offshore Drilling

For Immediate Release
May 21, 2016
Contact: Jeff Tittel, NJ Sierra Club Director, 609-558-9100
Bill Williams, Co-Chairperson, Jersey Shore Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, 732-948-7485

Hands Across the Sand Event Hundred People Say NO to Seismic Testing and Offshore Drilling

Bradley Beach, N.J.- Today, New Jersey residents, New Jersey Sierra Club, and the Surfrider Foundation, joined hands in opposition to offshore drilling and seismic testing. The annual event, held across the country is even more important this year to protect our oceans from seismic testing that can still happen along our coast. In a major victory for the environment, the Obama Administration removed the Atlantic Ocean from its offshore drilling plans for the next five years. However, with seismic testing, we could see oil and gas drilling happening within a few years. Seismic testing is not only hurting disturbing marine life, but retrieving data so the oil and gas companies can drill later.

“We are joining Hands Across the Sand today to tell President Obama: NO seismic testing and to make the moratorium on offshore drilling permanent in the Atlantic Ocean. We had a big victory when the Obama Administration ended leasing for oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic for the next five years, but that may be short lived. Seismic testing is still occurring off our coast. These practices help the oil and gas industry retrieve information so they can drill later. Without a permanent end to offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean, New Jersey is still vulnerable to an oil spill,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Instead of doing studies with seismic testing, we should be doing researching to find the best places with the least amount of environmental impacts for wind and wave energies. We need to end seismic testing and offshore drilling so we can truly move forward with wind and solar. Renewable energy will help mitigate climate change and improve air quality. Wind energy off our coast can meet 1/3 of our electricity needs. We mustdemand windmills, not oil wells off of the Jersey Shore.”

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)’s current proposal to expose the Mid and South Atlantic to seismic exploration puts our coast at risk. Seismic testing alone has major impacts on New Jersey’s tourism. This testing will adversely impact economically vital commercial and recreational fisheries and harm marine mammals. The Sierra Club opposes any and all plans to undertake seismic testing along the Atlantic coastline, which in the final analyses would lead to future oil and gas exploration and extraction. Commercial and recreational fishing in New Jersey support 50,000 jobs and generate $7.0 billion annually. Coastal states in the Gulf are still recovering from impacts to their tourism and fishing industries six years after the oil spill, which shows how much a spill on our coast would impact our environment and economy.

“We are here today because the Jersey Shore Surfrider Foundation strongly oppose offshore drilling and seismic testing off of our precious coast. These practices are fundamentally harmful in every way to our local economy and environment. Tourism, small businesses, and recreational opportunities make our region thrive. This is what makes our communities unique and desirable for recreation,” said Bill Williams Co-Chair, Jersey Shore Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. “Seismic testing poses an immediate risk to our local marine life that we are already struggling to keep at healthy populations. It also opens up the opportunity for oil and gas drilling operations in the future. Our coast does not need any more dirty energy exploration or infrastructure. We need healthy fish and a future of clean, sustainable energy for our coast!”

Seismic testing poses many impacts, with the use of air gun blasts shown to disrupt marine life and animals. It has been known to be harmful to marine life by damaging their hearing causing major injuries or even death. Over 30 species will be harassed during this testing period including endangered whale species. This testing will not only impact marine mammals, but fish as well, threatening our fishing industry during important summer months. Seismic airguns have also been shown to reduce catch rates of certain fisheries. This could impact both our commercial and recreational fishing industry. We are also concerned that the public information gathered from this study could be used by the oil and gas companies to search for oil deposits opening up our coast to oil drilling. Drilling off our coast could have devastating impacts not only for our marine environment, but for our coastal communities and economies.

“Imagine having an underwater fireworks display going off around you 24/7 for days on end. This is what it would be like for marine mammals, especially dolphins and whales during seismic testing. This not only harasses the animals but cause severe damage and can even lead to mass stranding’s and possibly death. This is worse than harassment; it can lead to sever problems with marine animals, especially dolphins. We need to be saving the Endangered Right Whales, not blasting them with an underwater cannon,” said Jeff Tittel. “By allowing seismic testing off our coast, we would be helping oil and gas companies by giving them this data that they can use to drill off of our coast. Any potential drilling is a threat to New Jersey beaches. Instead of putting our coast and economies at risk of being polluted by an oil spill we should be investing in renewable energy. We can grow our economy with green jobs, while protecting our $30 billion coastal and fishing industries.”

Offshore drilling and seismic testing is not worth the risk when we can be investing in renewable and offshore wind. Offshore wind is the most reliable and cost effective form of offshore power and New Jersey needs to pursue policies to facilitate the construction of wind turbines off our coast. 1/3 of our electricity needs can be met with offshore wind in New Jersey. Wind energy is renewable, clean, and creates thousands of jobs. The East Coast, with its large metropolitan areas and dense suburbs is hungry for jobs, investment and energy. Offshore wind not only creates jobs in installing, operating, and maintaining wind turbines.

“We must demand a clean energy future to reduce pollution, combat climate change, and create green jobs. Seismic testing actually promotes the fossil foolishness of the past. It is dangerous to marine life and could lead to future offshore drilling. Given the prevailing currents, any spill that happens in the Atlantic could come straight to New Jersey’s beaches. At the same time, our state has become proliferated with pipeline proposals that threaten the environment and public safety. These disastrous impacts are unnecessary given the technology we have for clean renewable energy. When we’re down the shore the only blast we should ever have is at a beach bar and the only oil we want on the beach is suntan oil!” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

Pictures from the event can be found attached.