One of the hottest environmental topics happening in North Carolina right now isn’t one you’ll find in the halls of the NC General Assembly or at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. But, it is mobilizing concerned citizens, business owners, activists, and elected officials for the economic and ecological implications. So, what is it?
Offshore drilling. In late January, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released its 5-Year Oil and Gas Plan (2017 – 2022) where it proposed allowing offshore drilling leases to either continue or start. The Mid-Atlantic was included in this plan, despite very limited estimates of oil and natural gas, especially off North Carolina’s coast. On February 17, BOEM held its first open house in Wrightsville Beach where more than 400 North Carolinians turned out, the vast majority in opposition to this idea. A second open house was added after Congressional pressure for the Outer Banks, which will be on Monday, March 16.
Why the push for offshore drilling right now? Let’s start with the arguments in favor of opening our coast to drilling, which center on perceived economic benefits and the notion of energy independence. In a recent editorial published in the Star News Online, David McGowan III, Executive Director of the NC Petroleum Council, cites the potential for “55,000 jobs and $4 billion in economic growth in North Carolina.” Both of these outcomes would be positive for the state and our residents. But, both outcomes would come at a price.
The risks offshore drilling brings are real. Mr. McGowan notes that improvements have been made to “ensure the safe, responsible development of our resources.” Unfortunately, he cannot – nor can anyone else – guarantee that destructive oil spills are 100 percent unavoidable. While many people remember two of the largest in our nation’s history – Exxon-Valdez (1989) and BP’s Deepwater Horizon (2010), it’s important to know that there have been more than 40 major oil spills from offshore drilling since 1964, each one spewing at least 42,000 gallons of toxic waste into our oceans.
What would be the impact on North Carolina if an oil spill were to occur? Based on average national rates, the expected annual loss from oil spills off NC’s coast is $83 million. That’s a lot of money. Okay, you say, but $4 billion in revenues could easily make up for this type of loss. And, North Carolina coastal communities would still make money. So, the risk makes sense.
Well, it gets more complicated. Revenue sharing from federal oil and gas drilling isn’t so cut and dry. In fact, current federal law prohibits states from revenue sharing plans like the one Governor McCrory is proposing for beach nourishment and other specific-coastal concerns. Furthermore, our state lacks the necessary infrastructure to host onshore activities that accompany offshore drilling. Likely, these revenues and jobs would likely go to our neighbors (i.e., Virginia, South Carolina) who have ports capable of sustaining offshore drilling activities. Once again, the “economic benefits” are benefiting someone else while we are left with the mess. No matter how our leadership tries to slice the financial benefit, the reality is that very little pie will be shared with the people and businesses bearing the brunt of offshore drilling’s negative impact.
Back to the newly-created 55,000 jobs offshore drilling would bring to the state: what about the 51,000 North Carolinians currently employed by our coast’s three largest industries: fishing, tourism, and recreation? An oil-spill could eliminate mass species of fish, leaving fisheries without a product to sell. And, who wants to splash around in an oily ocean? Not many. There goes the nearly $2.2 billion dollars brought into North Carolina annually from those big three industries. While offshore drilling may bring in a lofty $4 billion for our state, we have industries that bring in more than this every two years. Plus, they don’t require cleanup costs, closed beaches, and images like this:
Another card in the pro-offshore drilling’s hand is this idea of energy independence. The estimated amount of oil and gas reserves off North Carolina’s coast is a paltry 3% and 6%, respectively, of the total national supply. Based on current consumption rates, the amount of recoverable oil and gas from our coast would only meet domestic demand for 38 days (oil) and 98 days (gas). After spending years constructing the infrastructure to drill, causing habitat-destruction in its wake, our oil and gas producing days would cease to exist after four months. Doesn’t sound like much independence to us.
Instead of putting entire livelihoods and habitats on the line for chump change, why not reinvest these resources into further development of renewable energy? This is where we absolutely agree with Mr. McGowan: “The more energy we produce at home, the less we’re impacted by disruptions in unstable areas overseas.” Right now, North Carolina is nearly leading the nation in our renewable energy growth, particularly in solar. From being one of the top three states for solar investment and building our capacity for this type of energy, North Carolina can be a game-changer for how states move forward in creating a just economy built on clean sources of power – no longer putting our health and environment in constant danger from more reliance on fossil fuels. Talk about independence!
Furthermore, the potential for offshore wind energy is huge for our future. According to an OCEANA study, offshore wind would create about 25,000 more jobs in North Carolina than would be created by offshore oil and gas drilling. In 20 years, offshore wind would generate the equivalent of over half a billion barrels of oil more than all of North Carolina’s economically recoverable oil and gas.
What can you do to see North Carolina removed from the federal offshore drilling plan? Submit your comment to BOEM today. Let the federal government know that the risks offshore drilling brings to our coast far – FAR – outweigh any potential rewards. Urge our leaders to continue seeking renewable energy sources that also bring jobs and revenue into our state, without compromising the communities, landscapes, and wildlife that make our coast such a special place to visit, to work, and to live. Offshore drilling is not the answer for North Carolina. Don’t delay – public comments will only be accepted until midnight on March 30. Our time to speak up is now!
Find sources consulted and referenced for this post here.
