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Coast Watch: Trump Administration Set to OK Seismic Blasting

Coast Watch: Trump Administration Set to OK Seismic Blasting

The Trump Administration has signaled that it will give the go-ahead to seismic blasting in the search for oil and gas deposits under the Atlantic, despite strong opposition from marine wildlife advocates, coastal businesses, and local governments.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued “incidental harassment authorizations” to five companies for the subsurface air gun blasts which can harm whales, dolphins, and other marine animals. The blasting cannot begin until the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issues final permits.

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) spokesperson Michael Jasny noted that “scientists warn that seismic activity alone could drive the endangered North Atlantic right whale to extinction.”

Further legal challenges could come from coastal conservation groups.

Up next, DEQ Proposes Stronger Hog Farm Rules >>

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