With less than a week to go before it’s out the door, the Obama Administration is still knocking out some good environmental decisions for our coast.
First, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has formally denied all pending applications for permits to conduct seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean. The decision covered six requests to conduct seismic tests as part of offshore oil and gas exploration. BOEM’s decision was based in part on concerns about the impacts of airgun testing in deep waters on marine life.
Marine mammals like whales and dolphins have highly developed senses for hearing underwater sound, and using it for communication and measurement, and are believed to be especially sensitive to very loud artificial underwater sound. Oceanic, wildlife and coastal conservation groups have vigorously resisted increases in sonic testing. A representative for the Business Alliance for Protecting the Atlantic Coast, Frank Knapp, said “Seismic testing is a dangerous, old technology that would dramatically harm our marine life and thus threaten our local tourism and commercial fishing economies. This important decision will buy us time to educate the next administration about the Atlantic Coast business community overwhelming opposition to offshore drilling.”
In another positive coastal regulatory decision, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has eased the permitting process for “living shoreline” projects. These involve the use of nature-based defenses (like marsh vegetation or oyster reefs) against storm damage and erosion. They take the place of old “hardened structure” projects like seawalls, which can accelerate erosion and are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise.
Like the seismic testing decision, the living shoreline action follows a successful campaign by citizen groups for an environmentally friendly outcome. Citizen advocacy makes a difference.
