BERLIN — Assateague Coastal Trust (ACT) announced last month its opposition to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) proposed offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling leases for the Mid-Atlantic coast.
“ACT stands firm in its commitment to encourage solar and offshore wind energy development for our region, with less dependency on fossil fuel technologies,” said Kathy Phillips, ACT Executive Director and Assateague Coastkeeer. “If these lease proposals are approved by BOEM, it would put the Delmarva coastline in the crosshairs of a future BP-style disaster, essentially destroying the Eastern Shore’s nearly $2 billion tourism economy, nearly $1 billion commercial and recreational fishing industry, and our priceless coastal ecosystem. Even a small spill could have devastating effects on a region so reliant on clean water and beaches.”
ACT is encouraging all interested citizens in our coastal watershed to learn more about the proposed offshore oil and gas development by attending an upcoming public meeting in Annapolis, hosted by BOEM, on March 9 from 3-7 pm at the Loews Annapolis Hotel. Public comments will be accepted.
“ACT is deeply concerned about the economic impacts active oil and gas development will have on the seaside aquaculture industry on our Virginia Eastern Shore and to our beloved clean beaches of Assateague Island, Chincoteague Island and Ocean City,” Phillips said. “We know from experience on the West Coast and along the Gulf Coast that active oil and gas extraction causes minor pollution on a day to day basis – trash from the platforms, oil sheens that travel with wind and currents, onshore infrastructure to move the product. For a region that is only capable of producing 4% of the total available reserves in the U.S., is the minor local economic boost from this dirty fossil fuel industry along our Mid-Atlantic shoreline really worth the risk to our tourism and fishing industries?”
ACT is working to organize a group from the Delmarva region to attend. You can sign up at: bit.ly/get_on_the_ACTion_bus or call 410-629-1538 if you would be interested in joining us. You can also submit comments online at http://boemoceaninfo.com/get-involved/comments/. The public comment period runs through March 30.