Resounding Victory for our Coastal Economies and Communities
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BAPAC Statement, October 6, 2020 Contacts:
Last week, a lawsuit aiming to prevent five oil and gas companies from conducting seismic airgun blasting off the Atlantic coast concluded in a resounding victory for our coastal economies and communities. The case was dismissed without an extension of the companies’ permits to conduct the blasting, which are set expire at the end of November. Because this decision will also require companies to go back to square one to apply for a new permit, we can rest assured that there will be no boats in the water this year and likely for several years. This is yet another recent victory in the long-standing, powerful, and bipartisan movement to protect our coastal economies from destructive offshore drilling. Healthy and thriving oceans are responsible for 1.5 million jobs and nearly $108 billion in GDP along the East Coast, all of which is threatened by offshore drilling and its precursor, seismic airgun blasting. Over 90 percent of coastal municipalities in the proposed blast zone – as well as over 42,000 businesses represented by BAPAC – are opposed to opening their coasts to seismic airgun blasting. This victory for our oceans and our coastal economy will temporarily protect the Atlantic from this destructive practice, but the only way to ensure permanent protections for our coastal economies and way of life is for Congress to prohibit offshore oil and gas development in all our nation’s waters. We will continue to advocate on behalf of our membership and coastal residents everywhere until we have secured permanent protections for our coasts. The Business Alliance for Protecting the Atlantic Coast (BAPAC) is the leading business organization working to ensure the long term health and economic vitality of the Atlantic seaboard through responsible stewardship of the coastal and ocean waters. Visit www.protectingtheatlanticcoast.org to learn more. |
